Belgium: Brussels Airports details traffic hit from closure

Brussels Airports handled 1.2m and 1.1m 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 March 22. In keeping with recent growth, passenger traffic had been running 7% higher over the course of the month's first 3 weeks. But flights were suspended from March 22 until April 3, 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. <br/>