A Broader European Map
Belgium's largest airport is rolling out its winter programme with a network spanning 136 non-stop cities, four of them new to the schedule. The changes take effect from 25 October and will continue phasing in until early February 2027.
EasyJet opens the programme with a twice-weekly link to Nantes starting 26 October. A carrier new to the airport, Fly2Galicia, will begin operating two flights a week to Santiago de Compostela from 1 December. Brussels Airlines introduces two Scandinavian additions: Kemi-Tornio in northern Finland from 25 December with two flights weekly, and Evenes in Norway from 6 February with one service per week.
The Kemi-Tornio route places the airport within reach of Finland's far north, where winter sports and Arctic tourism draw visitors during the coldest months. Evenes serves Norway's Lofoten Islands and surrounding fjord regions. Santiago de Compostela, meanwhile, is a city tied to the Camino pilgrimage routes and Galician culture, giving travellers a direct option for both religious and cultural trips.
More Flights to Established Markets
Transavia, which moved to a full operating base at the airport during the summer, is adding capacity to several leisure destinations. The carrier will fly three times a week to Las Palmas starting 28 October, twice weekly to Reykjavik from 30 October, and three times a week to Porto beginning 14 December.
Brussels Airlines and Finnair will both serve Kittilä in Finnish Lapland, a destination popular with skiers. Etihad Airways is increasing its Abu Dhabi service from seven to eleven flights per week starting 15 December, according to the airport.
The winter schedule reflects a familiar split in Belgian travel demand: sun-seeking trips to the Canary Islands, Spain, and Morocco on one side, and northern journeys for snow sports and seasonal activities on the other. Long-haul passengers can connect to 40 intercontinental destinations through the wider network.
Holiday Traffic Before the Schedule Starts
Before the winter timetable officially begins, the airport is preparing for a surge tied to school holidays in Belgium's two linguistic communities. The French-speaking system breaks on 16 October, a Friday expected to see around 82,000 passengers pass through the terminal. The Dutch-speaking holiday begins two weeks later, on 30 October.
The staggered timing complicates year-on-year comparisons, the airport noted. Over the entire autumn holiday period, passenger volume is forecast to exceed 1.7 million.
The airport is advising travellers to arrive two hours ahead of departure for flights within the Schengen zone and three hours for those outside it. Checking cabin baggage rules in advance is also recommended. Ground access includes rail and bus links, with parking available for advance booking online.
What the Additions Mean
The new routes extend the airport's short-haul winter reach into western France, northern Spain, and the upper Nordic region. Frequency increases on existing services strengthen connections to Atlantic islands, Iceland, Portugal, and the Gulf.
For travellers, the changes open direct access to destinations that previously required a connection or a drive to another airport. The Santiago route serves pilgrimage and heritage tourism; the Finnish and Norwegian additions cater to winter sports and Arctic experiences. The Nantes link offers a gateway to the Loire Valley and western French coastline.
The additions arrive in stages over several months, meaning availability varies depending on when passengers plan to travel. Flight schedules remain subject to carrier timetables, and demand for some routes will be tested during the season.
Brussels Airport's winter network continues a pattern visible across European hubs: balancing warm-weather escapes with cold-climate tourism, while maintaining and expanding long-haul connectivity. The four new routes are modest in number but broaden the geographic spread, particularly toward regions with strong seasonal appeal.
