Of all the airports in Europe, Brussels Airport Zaventem faced the most delays in the first nine days of July – the year's busiest month for airports.
Following a chaotic June marked by strikes, the official start of the summer holiday season did not run smoothly for Belgium's main airport either, as the airport experienced the most flight delays in Europe during the first few days of July.
Although Zaventem managed to avoid incredibly long queues, like the ones seen at Amsterdam and London airports, it still saw 72% of its flights delayed – performing worse than Frankfurt (68%), Eindhoven (67%), Paris' Charles de Gaulle (62%) and many others.
"There are various reasons for this, including a shortage of personnel at border controls. As a result, travellers arrive late at the gate and flights have to wait," the airport’s spokesperson Nathalie Pierard said.
Taking into account the numerous flights that are being cancelled by airlines this summer, it might be an idea to postpone your holiday until September.
What do you think, are you risking it? Let @Maajtee know.
Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your lunch break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:
1. Brussels Airport has worst delays in Europe this summer
No other European airport faces more delays during the first nine days of this month than Belgium’s main airport, Brussels International Airport in Zaventem. Read more.
2. Euro slumps below one-dollar mark: How did we get here, and what does this mean?
After slumping for weeks, the euro and the US dollar reached parity on Tuesday for the first time since the euro’s circulation in 2002 and plunged below the one-dollar mark, trading for 0.9998 dollars, by Wednesday. Read more.
3. Molenbeek introduces €5,600 tax for every supermarket self-scanning checkout
Brussels municipality Molenbeek-Saint-Jean has introduced a tax of €5,600 per self-scanning cash register, as Mayor Catherine Moureaux argues the registers have consequences for the work itself as well as social cohesion. Read more.
4. Child abuse centres received record number of reports in 2021
A record number of reports regarding child abuse were received by an organisation tackling the issue in Brussels and Flanders in 2021. Read more.
5. Bastille day: How to celebrate the French national day in Belgium
As the French represent the largest community of non-Belgian residents in the country — almost 200,000 people of French origin living here — various events are being organised on Thursday 14 July, the southern country’s national day. Read more.
6. ‘As Muslims in Belgium, we know identity crises’: Ms. Marvel director speaks out on superheroes
Superheroes bestride cinema and television screens, using their superpowers to blast villains and save the Earth, but their everyday struggles are ones we can all relate to, according to Adil El Arbi, one of the Belgian directors of the acclaimed Ms. Marvel series. Read more.
7. Hidden Belgium: One of the most astonishing private art collections in Europe
The Verbeke Foundation is one of the strangest spots in Belgium. It looks like a junk yard next to a motorway, out in the middle of nowhere. But this unexpected location is home to one of the most astonishing private art collections in Europe. Read more.
