With millions of passengers passing through Brussels Airport every year, belongings are sometimes lost or forgotten. Last year, a total of 21,230 lost items were found, both in the trays at security control and elsewhere in the airport.
As many as 22.2 million passengers passed through Brussels Airport in 2023, and all departing passengers (about 11.1 million) had to pass through airport security, where many items were left behind.
The airport stressed that labelled luggage is always followed up by the airline or handling agent, and can be collected there. All other items forgotten at the airport, however, end up at Brussels Airport's Lost & Found service.
Every item – from keys and belts to rucksacks and jewellery – is registered there and kept for up to six months after being found. In 2023, these included electronics (laptops, phones and tablets) and clothing (a large number of belts), but also identity cards and passports.
Donated to charity
Of these items, 21% were collected, including laptops, unlabelled hand luggage, IDs, passports, clothing, jewellery and phones. Passengers can easily report lost items on the website, the airport stressed.
The remaining 79% of items were not thrown away, but were instead given a new home as the airport donates them to a number of charities.
All liquids – ranging from unopened drink containers to food and care products – are donated to local Public Centres for Social Welfare and other non-profit organisations. These are not only lost items, but also containers of more than 100 ml that are not allowed past the security control.
Brussels Airport donated 34,760 kg of these sealed products in 2023 (unsealed products are recycled).
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Electronic devices are donated to the Belgian non-profit Close the Gap, which aims to close the digital gap in the world by ensuring the devices end up in educational, social and medical projects in developing countries.
Clothes and prams are also donated to good causes. In 2023, clothes were donated following the earthquake in Turkey and uncollected prams went to Spullenhulp/Les Petit Riens. The remaining uncollected items, which include belts and glasses, are processed and sold through an auction house.
