Brussels Airlines’ restructuring will have a severe impact on Brussels Airport: 2,000 jobs at stake

The management of Brussels Airlines presented a new and drastic turnaround plan. The airline announced to reduce

“Brussels Airlines is a very important player for Brussels Airport,” Feist said, “in addition, thanks to its extensive network in Europe and Africa, the ‘home carrier’ attracts foreign airlines whose flights connect across the network of Brussels Airlines. Hence, thousands of airport jobs are at stake.”

The connectivity of the airport relies on Brussels Airlines.

“The Belgian airline currently represents 40% of flights from and to the airport. By reducing its activities by approximately 25%, this for sure will have a knock-on effect on its suppliers and partners: catering, ground handling, etc… It’s difficult to estimate a correct figure, but in general we say that for each direct job (at Brussels Airlines), there are two indirect jobs (within partners, at the airport, etc..).”

“So yes, there are several thousand potentially impacted jobs, out of the 25,000 direct jobs on-site generated by the airport, and the 40,000 indirect in other regions of the country,” Feist warned.