BRUSSELS, 9th July, 2026 (WAM) — Belgium ranked as the European Union’s third-largest country for air freight in 2025, surpassing several larger member states, according to figures published today by Belgium’s national statistical office, Statbel.
Statbel said that more than two million tonnes of freight and mail passed through Belgian airports during the year, marking an increase of around 13 percent compared with 2024.
Belgium ranked third in the EU behind Germany, which topped the list with 4.8 million tonnes, and France with 2.2 million tonnes. It was followed by the Netherlands with 1.4 million tonnes, Spain with 1.3 million tonnes and Italy with 1.2 million tonnes.
The statistical office attributed the strong performance primarily to the high level of activity at Liège Airport and the Brucargo air cargo centre at Brussels Airport.
In the passenger transport sector, Belgian airports also recorded a new all-time high in 2025, handling just over 36 million passengers, up 3.6 percent from the previous year and surpassing the pre-pandemic record of 35.5 million passengers set in 2019.
Belgium ranked 12th among EU member states for passenger traffic. Across the European Union as a whole, the number of passengers travelling through airports exceeded one billion in 2025, with Spain, Germany, Italy and France recording the highest levels of air passenger traffic.
Source: Emirates News Agency