Brussels Airports handled 1.2 million and 1.1 million passengers in March and April respectively, figures sharply down on the same months in 2015 as a result of the disruption that followed the bomb blasts at the Belgian capital's main gateway.
Passenger numbers were 29% lower in March and almost 47% lower in April as a result of the temporary suspension of operations at Brussels airport following the fatal attacks on 22 March.
In keeping with recent growth, passenger traffic had been running 7% higher over the course of the month's first three weeks. But flights were suspended from 22 March until 3 April, and initially only around a fifth of capacity was restored.
"Passenger payload increased week by week to reach about 70% in the second half of April, which shows that passenger confidence is recovering," the airport says. "Less than a month after the attacks the confidence of the passengers and [cargo] customers in Brussels airport is being restored."
Freight traffic was down more than a fifth in March and 5% in April compared with the same months in 2015.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
