Brussels Airlines welcomes 8% more passengers in January

Brussels Airlines started the year with a passenger growth. 8% more passengers flew with the airline in January compared to the same month last year. The growth was achieved both on the European network as on its flights to North America and Africa.

In total 513,062 flew Brussels Airlines last January, or 38,103 (+8%) more than the same month in 2016. The European network attracted 6.6% more travellers, the African network 5.6%. On board its flights to North America, Brussels Airlines welcomed 58.2% more passengers due to the addition of Toronto.

Compared to January 2016, the Belgian airline operated 7% more flights.

The seat offer, expressed in available seat-kilometers (ASK) increased by 16% and the revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) grew by 12%. As a result, the seat load factor decreased slightly and amounted to 65%. The freight load factor increased by 2.7 percentage points to 63.9%.

In addition to its scheduled flight activity, Brussels Airlines operates many holiday and group flights for tour operators. Passenger figures for this activity are not included in the figures of this press release.

 

Note to news desks:

From now on, Brussels Airlines communicates its monthly passenger- and freight figures in line with the Lufthansa Group reporting.

 

 

Month

Month

Month/Month difference in %

January 2017

January 2016

Flights

5,689

5,293

+ 7%

Total Passengers

513,062

474,959

+ 8%

-- Passengers Europe

402,922

377,823

+ 6.6%

-- Passengers Africa (ASK)

82,042

77,656

+ 5.6%

-- Passengers North America

16,394

10,364

+ 58.2%

-- Passengers Middle East

11,704

9,116

+ 28.4%

Available seat-kilometers (ASK)

1,289,554,497

1,110,140,962

+ 16%

Revenue Passenger-Kilometers (RPK)

885,869,288

793,431,418

+ 12%

Passenger Load Factor (%)

65.0%

67.3%

- 2.3 pp.

 

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About Brussels Airlines

About Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines is Belgium's home carrier and one of the network airlines of the Lufthansa Group. From its hub at Brussels Airport, the airline connects Belgium and Europe with more than 90 destinations worldwide, including 18 destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Belgian airline employs more than 3,500 people and operates a fleet of 46 aircraft.

Brussels Airlines is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and works together with Lufthansa Group on a range of initiatives. The airline participates in the Stargate project led by Brussels Airport, signed the Circular Economy agreement of Antwerp Management School, and was the first airline to - early 2023 - transport Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) through the CEPS pipeline to Brussels Airport. Between November 2023 and June 2026, Brussels Airlines has welcomed eight brand-new Airbus A320neo aircraft, significantly reducing fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions and noise levels across its European network.

As an ambassador for its country, Brussels Airlines brings the world to Belgium and the best of Belgium to the world. The airline showcases Belgian culture through collaborations with Belgian Star Chefs, the promotion of Belgian products on board, and its Belgian Icons aircraft, which celebrate unique elements of Belgium's culture and heritage.

More information on brusselsairlines.com 


About Star Alliance

Established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, the Star Alliance network was founded on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition, and seamless service. Since its inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the customer experience throughout the entire Alliance journey.

Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers almost 18,000 daily flights to over 1,160 airports in more than 190 countries.

Star Alliance Press Office: +65 8729 6691; mediarelations@staralliance.com
More information on staralliance.com

Contact

b.house Kompaslaan 26 1831 Diegem

+32 2 723 89 90

press@brusselsairlines.com

www.brusselsairlines.com