Brussels Airport officially reopened the departures hall during a short ceremony on May 1, marking an important step in the recover of the country after the terror attacks at the airport on March 22, according to Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.
“This is a very important day for Brussels Airport. We’re again seeing the familiar image of passengers in our departures hall, a big step toward the return to normal activities at the airport which will give a boost to the economy of the entire nation,” Feist said.
“Brussels Airport not only is the second most important center of economic growth with 20,000 jobs, we also connect Belgium with the rest of the world and are often regarded worldwide as a symbol of our country. That we are returning to an almost normal situation in so little time is important for the confidence of our business, investors and foreign tourists.”
During the opening ceremony the first passengers entered the reopened departures hall. In total, about 400 passengers for Malaga, Lisbon and Palma de Mallorca checked in at the reopened departures hall on Sunday.
The airport will continue remedial work in the departures hall, which is still damaged in places following the March attacks. The airport operator hopes to receive all passengers in the departures hall before the start of the summer holidays.
As of May 1, a total of 111 check-in desks are open in the departures hall, in addition to the 36 desks in the temporary constructions, and airlines will inform their passengers of where to check in. This information is also available on the Brussels Airport website.