Imagine, if you will, the echoes of history mingling with the anticipatory hum of modern travel right here at Brussels Airport. Brussels Airport. Not just a point of transit, but a place etched with stories of innovation, resilience, and even tragedy.
Brussels Airport’s story began in 1940. The German occupying forces laid claim to agricultural fields. They needed a backup airfield. They called it Fliegerhorst Melsbroek. The Luftwaffe constructed three runways in a triangle shape. Runway 02/20 and runway 07L/25R are still in use. Runway 12/30 is not. Locals knew the airfield as Melsbroek. Airport buildings were in Melsbroek not Zaventem. A legend says Germans asked locals where to build. The Belgians pointed to a foggy area.
After liberation in 1944, the British took over. The old civilian airport in Haren was too small. Belgian authorities chose Melsbroek for the new national airport. By 1948, a new terminal replaced the old wooden one. Runways 02/20 and 07L/25R grew longer. Prince Charles, Count of Flanders, opened the civil aerodrome on July 20, 1948. More buildings arose from 1948 to 1956. Most were on the Melsbroek side.
King Baudouin opened a railway line from Brussels to the airport in 1955. A new runway 07R/25L was built in 1956. It ran parallel to 07L/25R. It later increased to 3,200 m. The Belgian government decided to build a new airport in April 1956. It used the same runways. But the buildings would be in Zaventem. Construction started in April 1957. The airport prepared for the 1958 World’s Fair. The grass runway 12/30 made way for the new terminal. The new airport opened on July 5, 1958. The Melsbroek side is still used by the Belgian Air Force. Zaventem Airport and Melsbroek Air Base share runways.
During the 1960s and 70s aviation boomed. Several hangars were built. A new cargo terminal appeared in 1976. In 1994, a brand-new terminal was erected. It stood adjacent to the 1958 building. Two old piers were replaced. A new pier opened in 2002. This happened during Sabena’s demise.
Brussels Airport was named Best Airport in Europe in 2005. This was by Airports Council International/International Air Transport Association. It was based on a survey of over 100,000 passengers. Brussels Airport continued to appear in top airport lists as of 2012. A direct train link with Leuven and Liège opened on December 12, 2005.
The airport served 17.8 million passengers in 2007. Cargo volume reached 780,000 tonnes. In 2008, the airport served 18.5 million passengers. Sabena’s demise hurt passenger traffic. The airport slowly recovered. Disagreement about night-time air traffic routes threatened the airport’s future.
Electronic flight information displays replaced the old mechanical ones in March 2009.
On February 18, 2013, a diamond heist occurred. Eight men seized parcels of diamonds. The diamonds were worth an estimated US$50 million. They stole from a Helvetic Airways passenger plane.
Tragedy struck on March 22, 2016. Two explosions rocked Brussels Airport. The departure hall suffered severe damage. The airport closed until April 3, 2016. It reopened with temporary facilities. It operated at less than 20% capacity. On July 29, 2016, it hit a record of 90,000 passengers.
Today, Brussels Airport stands as a symbol. It is a symbol of Belgium’s connection to the world. It embodies the nation’s spirit. A spirit that rebuilds, reconnects, and remembers.