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Brussels Airport has announced that it is resuming flights at limited capacity. The first flight since the March 22 terrorist attacks that struck the airport's departure hall and a subway station near the offices of the European Union departed the airport April 3 on Brussels Airlines.
In all three symbolic flights departed Sunday on Brussels Airlines, to Faro, Turin and Athens. Over the next few days the airport said it plans to increase the maximum capacity of the temporary structures in place to 800 passengers per hour, which a previous analysis had suggested is about 20 percent of the airport's total capacity.
Other airlines are also set to resume flights over the next few days, the airport said. At the moment, the airport can only be reached by car or taxi, although officials are looking at the possibility of restarting other means of transport, such as buses and trains. There are also additional security measures at the entrance to the airport area and the entrance to the check-in zone. The airport recommends that passengers arrive at least three hours before their scheduled departure.
Dropping passengers is only possible in front of parking P2. All other parkings are closed for the moment, including the discount parkings at Brucargo. It is not possible to accompany the passengers to the check-in area. At the parking, only people with an air ticket will be allowed through to the temporary check-in.
Collecting passengers is only possible from in front of parking P2. A pick-up area has been created, where drivers can wait for the people they are meeting. In P2, the first 10 minutes is free of charge. If travelers remain within that limit, they do not need to validate their ticket at the ticket machines but can use their ticket to drive out.
Travel Updates
Brussels Airlines has resumed a limited number of flights from the airport to destinations within and outside Europe, although some flights are still operating through Liège, Antwerp, Frankfurt and Zurich. The schedule for flights within Europe is available here, and the schedule for intercontinental flights is available here.
American Airlines is continuing to offer a change waiver for travel originally scheduled March 30 through April 22 on American Airlines, British Airways or Iberia. Customers must have bought their original flight before March 29, and must be flexible to travel April 24 through the expiration date of their ticket.
United Airlines has issued a travel waiver for customers who had travel booked March 22 through April 30. The airline will waive the change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new flights departing between March 22, 2016, and April 30, 2016, as long as travel is rescheduled in the same cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed, or to or from Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg or Paris. For wholly rescheduled travel departing after April 30, 2016, or for a change in departure or destination city other than those listed above, the change fee will be waived, but a difference in fare may apply. Rescheduled travel must be completed within one year from the date when the ticket was issued.
Delta is offering refunds and no-fee changes for customers who had travel booked March 22 through April 30. The new ticket must be reissued on or before April 30, with the rebooked travel to begin no later than May 12.
