Brussels Airport’s passenger numbers fell by 2.4 per cent in October to 2.2 million which it said was due to the strike of staff at Aviapartner that the last six days of the month.
The gateway said the industrial action at the ground handler impacted a wide number of airlines at Brussels Airport from 25-31 October, including a raft of cancellations.
Brussels Airport estimates that it lost 120,000 passengers, it would have expected to see a three per cent rise in passenger numbers in October.
In the first 10 months of the year, the gateway has welcomed 21.9 million passengers, 3.3 per cent more than at the same stage of last year.
The airport said: “Passengers were referred to other airlines although many airlines – with the exception of TUI fly and ANA, which managed to carry out the majority of their flights from Brussels Airport – were forced to cancel or deviate flights to other airports in Belgium or abroad.
“The strike at Aviapartner had less of an impact on the long haul flights (mostly handled by Swissport) which recorded a handsome 11% rise in October. Leisure flights fell by 3% whilst the other short haul flights to European and North African destinations fell by more than 4%.”
