Published 18:14 April 2, 2016
Updated 20:46 April 2, 2016
Symbolic flights that will reopen airport’s operations on Sunday 3 April, are all three operated by Brussels Airlines, and will fly to Faro, Turin and Athens.
Only three, symbolic flights to Faro, Athens and Turin, will be the first ones to depart on Sunday, after Zaventem airport receives the “green light” from Belgian government to reopen.
According to Brussels airport CEO Arnaud Feist’s Saturday afternoon statements, the airport will only partially restore service two weeks after the two Brussels attacks explosions that killed 11 people, and the two suicide terrorists, Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui, that detonated the bombs at the Zaventem Brussels airport departure hall.
“I am very pleased and proud to be able to announce that tomorrow, Sunday 3 April, Brussels Airport will be able to welcome its first passengers after the devastating bomb attacks. I am extremely grateful to all airport staff, federal police and the federal government for their efforts and commitment. These flights are the first hopeful sign from an airport that is standing up straight after a cowardly attack. That we are able to make this start only 12 days after the devastating attacks is a sign of our collective strength at Brussels Airport”, said Feist, earlier on Saturday.
However, no public means of transport will be operating in the area, as the airport will only be reachable by car or taxi. “In the coming days, we will examine the possibility of restarting other means of transport, such as bus and train”, say Brussels airport officials. Additional security measures will be introduced at the entrance to the airport area and at the entrance to the check-in zone. “Brussels airport would recommend passengers to arrive at least 3 hours before the scheduled departure of their flight and have their identity papers and travel documents handy in the car and at the temporary check-in area” say officials, preparing passengers for extremely long checks and delays.
As for friends and family, dropping passengers will only be possible in front of parking P2, as all other parkings are closed for the moment, including the discount parkings at Brucargo. Passengers will be alone in the check-in area. and the parking’s route to the temporary check-in. The “Kiss and ride” lane will not be open. A special pick-up area has been created, where drivers can wait for the people they are meeting at P2 parking, the first 10 minutes is free of charge.
As Brussels Airport Company suggests, in the following days, the number of flights will be gradually increased and passenger flights will also land at Brussels Airport. The routes inside the airport’s building will apparently change, as departing passengers will be received in temporary constructions for check-in. Following check-ins, the route is to lead to the screening platform in the Connector Building. After this, airport’s normal routing for passengers will resume. Arriving passengers are to follow the usual routing, as security hazard is less. Baggage reclaim area was only slightly damaged by the attacks and has since been repaired, thus will be functional.
The symbolic flights that will reopen airport’s operations on Sunday 3 April, are all three operated by Brussels Airlines, will fly to Faro, Turin and Athens. In the following days, the number of flights will gradually be increased to the maximum capacity of the temporary structures, that is 800 departing passengers per hour. In the days to follow, some airlines, besides Brussels Airlines, will also commence their operations at Brussels airport, as the operation will continue in “limited capacity”. “I am very well aware that not every airline can or wants to return to Brussels airport. I personally promise that Brussels airport will do everything in its power to increase as quickly as possible the capacity of our airport and to quickly grow the economic activities of our airport”, underlined Feist.
The exact flight schedule for the coming days, is being set on the in consultation with the airliners. Brussels’ airport flight information is to be activated, but at the moment, passengers with questions about their flight are encouraged to contact their airline.
On the damaged departure hall, Brussels airport has already started the demolition work to remove all damaged elements in the departure hall and in the coming weeks the “strategic plan” for the reconstruction of the departure hall will be put to action. In the second stage, the work will focus on a comprehensive reopening of the departure hall. However, timing for this has not yet been fixed, but Brussels airport is looking at a reopening before the start of the summer holidays at the end of June, beginning of July.
Brussels Zaventem airport symbolic reopening on Sunday
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