Brussels Airport to Partially Reopen to Flights Sunday
Almost two weeks after it was hit by deadly terrorist attacks, Brussels Airport will reopen for passenger flights Sunday with tighter security in place.
The partial reopening will allow Brussels Airlines, the nation’s flag carrier, to resume some flights. The first three flights, the airline said in a statement Saturday, will depart for Faro, Turin and Athens.
The airport will use temporary structures necessitated by the damage incurred to the terminals by the bombing, which left at least 16 dead and many dozens more injured. Due to heightened security concerns, additional security checkpoints will be in place at the airport’s entrances and at the check-in area.
Passengers will be able to reach the airport by private car or taxi and drop-offs will take place in the airport’s garage. There will be no access via public transportation to the airport at the reopening, but officials expect to eventually be able to restore this.
The temporary structures the airport will be using can accommodate a maximum of 800 passengers an hour, far fewer than normal operations. The airport authority said it did not foresee a return to normal operations until late June or early July.
Brussels Airlines said Saturday it will continue to operate some of its flights from other airports in Belgium including Liège and Antwerp and some long haul flights from Frankfurt and Zurich.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)a