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Brussels Airport (EBBR), at Zaventem in Flemish Brabant, is Belgium's principal international airport and the country's busiest, sharing its runway complex with the Belgian Air Force base at Melsbroek. For a simulator pilot it offers a demanding but rewarding destination, with three long paved runways, full ATC services, ILS approaches and a layered radio environment typical of a major European hub.
Brussels Airport serves the Brussels Capital Region, Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant from its site at Zaventem, about 12 kilometres northeast of Brussels city centre. It is operated by the Brussels Airport Company and is the home base for Brussels Airlines and TUI fly Belgium, as well as a hub for Air Belgium and Singapore Airlines Cargo. The airfield shares its runways with the adjoining Melsbroek Air Base, home of the Belgian Air Force's 15th Air Transport Wing, giving the field a mixed civil-military character that makes it an interesting study for anyone flying a heavy or business aircraft into Belgium.
The airport lies in the municipality of Zaventem in Flemish Brabant, roughly 12 kilometres northeast of Brussels. As Belgium's principal international gateway it sits within controlled airspace with a full radar and approach service, reflected in the range of approach, director and ground frequencies listed below.
Brussels Airport has three physical runways, all hard-surfaced and lit. The longest, 07L/25R, is about 11,077 feet (07L) and 10,938 feet (25R) in length, with an ILS available on the 25R approach. The second, 07R/25L, runs to roughly 10,118 feet (07R) and 10,515 feet (25L), with ILS serving 25L. The shorter cross runway, 01/19, is about 9,646 feet (01) and 9,074 feet (19), with ILS approaches published for both directions. Field elevation is 135 feet.
Brussels Airport is served by a comprehensive set of frequencies. Approach is on 118.255 MHz. ATIS is broadcast on 121.755 MHz, with separate departure ATIS on 132.475 MHz and arrival ATIS on 121.95 MHz. Clearance delivery is on 126.63 MHz. Ground movements are split between 118.055 MHz (Ground North) and 121.88 MHz (Ground South). Tower operations are divided by runway in use: 118.605 MHz covers runways 07R/25L and 01, while 120.78 MHz covers 07L/25R or 19. Melsbroek Operations uses 140.575 MHz, and ABELAG UNICOM operates on 130.55 MHz.
The airfield's origins lie in 1940, when the German occupying force requisitioned around 600 hectares of farmland at Steenokkerzeel as a back-up airfield, establishing Fliegerhorst Melsbroek with three runways arranged in a triangle: 02/20, 07L/25R and 12/30, the latter two still forming part of today's layout. After the liberation on 3 September 1944 the site passed to the British, and when the old civilian aerodrome at Haren proved too small, Belgian authorities adopted Melsbroek as the new national airport. A new terminal opened in 1948, the same year runways 02/20 and 07L/25R were lengthened, and the civil aerodrome was officially opened by Prince Charles, Count of Flanders, on 20 July 1948. A new 07R/25L runway was built in 1956 and later extended to around 10,500 feet. In April 1956 the Belgian government decided to build a new airport using the same runways but with terminal buildings sited at Zaventem rather than Melsbroek; the grass runway 12/30 was removed to make way for the new terminal, and the rebuilt airport was inaugurated on 5 July 1958 in time for that year's World's Fair. The Melsbroek buildings remain in use by the Belgian Air Force to this day, with Zaventem Airport and Melsbroek Air Base continuing to share the same runways. Subsequent decades saw expansion of terminal and cargo facilities, a new terminal in 1994, and recognition as Best Airport in Europe in 2005. On 22 March 2016 the departures hall suffered severe damage from two terrorist bomb blasts, closing the airport until 3 April 2016; it returned to full operations later that year, recording 90,000 passengers in a single day by 29 July 2016.
Brussels Airport remains Belgium's principal international airport and a major hub, home base for Brussels Airlines and TUI fly Belgium, and a hub for Air Belgium and Singapore Airlines Cargo. Its runways continue to be shared with Melsbroek Air Base, the Belgian Air Force's transport wing, giving the airfield a dual civil-military role. As a large controlled aerodrome with full ATC coverage, radar approach and multiple ILS-equipped runways, it functions as a major traffic hub rather than a general aviation field, and pilots should expect standard commercial airport procedures and prior coordination requirements when planning a visit.
