Fun facts about the main airports in Belgium

Ever wondered how many airports in Belgium there are? Confused that there seem to be two Brussels airports? Or maybe you’re just trying to choose between the international airports in Belgium. This shortlist has all the information you need on the different airports for your flight to or from the country.

The main commerial international airports in Belgium

1. Brussels (BRU)

When it comes to its airport Brussels has it all covered. With flights to over 200 destinations and flights for over 24 million people each year, Brussels Airport (BRU) is the 24th busiest airport in Europe. Here’s some need-to-know information about Belgium’s largest national airport:

It’s also known as Zaventem Airport because of its location in the municipality of Zaventem, 12km / 7.5 miles to the northeast of the Belgium capital.
You can also find Leuven close by, at just 20 km / 12.4 miles away.
Brussels Airport is the base for TUIfly Belgium and Brussels Airlines. Most main European and international airlines service it too, including Easyjet, Ryanair, Vueling, British Airways, Air France, Tunisair, United Airlines, and many more.
There’s easy access to and from the capital’s center with six trains per hour, a regular shuttle bus, as well as public buses all over the city.
You can find most destinations in Belgium and further afield, through regional train lines and coaches.
The airport makes use of three runways.
There’s just one terminal building (split into two “piers”) which houses a wide range of amenities here, from major shopping brands and chocolatiers to plenty of different cuisines.
Open 24 hours.

2. Charleroi (CRL)

Charleroi is another of the airports in Brussels, being the second largest airport in Belgium with over 8 million passengers per year. It services the more budget airlines, with over 112 destinations. Although it’s easy to find compared to other Belgium airports, it does get busy at peak times. Here’s some information:

Its other name is Brussels South (being 46 km / 28.5 miles south of Brussels) or Gosselies Airport.
The French border isn’t far at just 50 km / 31 miles.
Charleroi Airport is a base for Ryanair, TUIfly, and Wizzair. Other airlines on the list include Air Corsica, Pegasus Airlines, Belavia, and more.
Charleroi is not a hub so doesn’t do transfer flights.
Charleroi has two terminals and one runway.
You can find a small selection of restaurants and duty-free shops.
Baggage trolleys are no longer provided for use at Charleroi.
There’s a regular shuttle bus between Charleroi Airport and Brussels leaving every 20 to 30 minutes. Tickets for this can be bought cheaper in advance online.
There’s also a bus and train that runs into Charleroi itself from the airport.
Open from 6 am to 11 pm.

3. Liège (LGG)

Liège Airport (formerly known as Liège-Berset) is another airport used mainly for air freight, being Belgium’s second-largest cargo airport, and the 7th biggest in the whole of Europe. There are still some passenger flights running from Liège however:

Liège comes in third after Brussels and Charleroi airports in Belgium when it comes to passenger flight numbers.
There’s a travel agency (and currency exchange), supermarket, winery, restaurants and duty-free.
Airlines that offer seasonal flights include TUIfly and Jetairfly among others.
Liège is a good launchpad for getting to other cities in Belgium and Europe.
Bus number 57 runs between the airport and the city’s central train station, while bus 53 will get you to the city center from the airport.

4. Ostend-Bruges (OST)

This is mainly a cargo one but it does have some international passenger flights too. It’s located near the coastal town of Ostend in West Flanders. Here’s what you need to know:

Ostend is only 6 km / 3.7 miles away, and Bruges is just 25 km / 15.5 miles away.
There are regular buses (number 6) into Ostend which leave every 10 minutes (every 20 minutes at the weekend). For those wanting to get to Bruges, you’ll have to hop on one of these buses and then get a train to Bruges from there.
As it’s just a little airport there aren’t tons of facilities. However, you will still find a few eateries and duty-free shops.
Open between 7 am and 10 pm.

5. Antwerp (ANR)

Last of all: Antwerp. It’s the second biggest city in Belgium when it comes to population, and found to the North of the country. Its international airport is not very big and has just one small passenger terminal for flights:

Antwerp Airport is found in the southern suburbs, not far from the city center. The Belgium/ Dutch border is a mere 15 km / 9.3 miles to the North.
It doesn’t have many facilities to make use of. It does, however, have a nice restaurant/ bar that overlooks the runway. You’ll find a small shop and food market, but no duty-free options here yet.
It’s a base for the airline CityJet, and a couple of other airlines have flights from here.
There’s a bus station right outside the terminal with access into town. From the bus station in the middle of Antwerp, you can travel onwards to Amsterdam, Bruges, Paris, and many other places in Europe.

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