Brussels Airlines profit halves despite more flights and passengers
Brussels Airlines reported a sharp drop in profit for 2025, even though the airline carried more passengers and increased the number of flights.
The Belgian carrier remained operationally profitable for the third year in a row. However, its adjusted operating profit (EBIT) fell by half compared ot 2024 to 28 million euros.
In 2025 the airline expanded its capacity as planned. It operated more than 68,500 flights, an increase of 11 per cent from the previous year. Passenger numbers rose by 10 per cent to over 9.1 million. Revenue grew 7 per cent to 1.6 billion euros.
Despite this growth, several disruptions hurt profitability. The airline said national union strikes disrupted flights seven times, costing about 15 million euros. There were also drone sightings and a cyberattack at Brussels Airport, which caused further operational problems.
Additional issues affected the airline’s long-haul fleet. Some aircraft were grounded longer than expected due to scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. According to parent company Lufthansa, these problems cost around 19 million euros, partly because the airline had to lease another long-haul aircraft.
Chief executive Dorothea von Boxberg said the company remained resilient despite the setbacks. However, she added that the airline needs “stronger profits to fund investments in new aircraft, better services and improved connectivity for Belgium”.
The airline aims for an operating margin of 8 per cent to support those investments. In 2025 the margin fell to 1.7 per cent, down from 3.8 per cent in 2024.
Finance chief Nina Öwerdieck said the year was “clearly a step backwards” but the goal remained unchanged. The airline hopes to exceed its 2024 results in 2026 and return to its path towards the 8 per cent margin target.
© BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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