Exploring the Major Airports in Belgium: Your Guide to Hassle-Free Travel

Although Belgium is a small country in Europe, it has a number of international airports. They are almost all well-located and able to handle both domestic and foreign flights and visitors.

Below I want to outline the major airports in Belgium and all the relevant information to help you with your travels.

Brussels airport (Code BRU)

The primary airport serving the country’s capital city of Brussels is Brussels Airport, which is also the largest airport in Belgium. It is around 12 kilometers northeast of the city center and serves as the main airport for a number of carriers, notably, TUI fly Belgium and Brussels Airlines.

The future Brussels Airport
The future Brussels Airport – 2040 – Courtesy of Wikimedia

In addition, numerous other airlines, including well-known ones like Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Emirates, and many more, run frequent flights from Brussels Airport. Flights from the airport are available to a large number of domestic and international locations, including towns in Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa.

The airport handled over 18,930,698 people in 2022, returning to the volume observed in 2019 before the pandemic, according to the most recent figures. The airport here is by far the busiest in Belgium and is always being modernized and improved.

Liège Airport ( Code LGG)

The city of Liege is home to Liege Airport, which is in the east of Belgium.  The airport, which is Belgium’s largest cargo airport, is primarily used for freight traffic. It also handles a small number of passenger aircraft, mostly to holiday destinations. The airport served about 166,898 million passengers in 2022.

Ostend Airport (Code OST)

In the western region of Belgium, in the coastal city of Ostend, is where you can find Ostend Airport. The airport is rather tiny and primarily used for cargo and vacation charter flights. The airport also recovered in 20122, when it served slightly over 369,300 passengers.

Antwerp International Airport (Code ANR)

Antwerp International Airport is located in the city of Antwerp, in the northern part of Belgium. It is a small airport that mostly services business travelers and tourists. The airport had little more than 239.517 passengers in 2022.

If you want a full list of all Belgian airports and heliports, here is a complete list.

Belgian Airports Map

Below is a map with the rough location of all of the above-mentioned Belgian Airports.

Belgian Airports Map
Belgian Airports Map – Based on this image from Wikimedia

Frequently Asked Questions

Which airport in Brussels is better?

Brussels Airport is the best airport for major airlines and destinations. It also offers the most modern and convenient services as well as being very close to the city.

In comparison, the next closest airport, Brussels Charleroi (Code CRL), is 60km away from the city and is rather small in comparison. It mostly serves budget airlines like Ryan Air, Wizz Air, and TUI Fly.

Which airport do you fly to for Bruges?

The most convenient airport to fly to when visiting Bruges is Brussels Airport. From there, you can take a train or bus to Bruges, which is about 100 kms away.

What is the major airport code for Belgium?

Belgium’s major airport is Brussels which has the airport code BRU.

What are the main airports in Belgium?

The main airports in Belgium are Brussels Airport, Liege Airport, Ostend Airport, and Antwerp International Airport.

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