Brussels Airport Reviews 

I took a camera with 2 external batteries with me on my flight to Hungary a few days ago. Both batteries were in good shape when arriving to the airport. During security control, my bag was checked by a person of the security team. This person did a wrong manipulation with the camera by lifting it *from the battery* (instead of the camera): this broke the battery, as the connection between it and the camera is quite delicate.
I went to the security desk to ask for a reimbursement and received a complaint number. After 5 messages back-and-forth with the complaint service, I understood they don't want to believe it's the security's fault that the battery is broken and hence don't want to reimburse anything.
This is utterly insulting to my knowledge of my camera system and meticulous usage of my camera equipment, which I keep in good condition all the time. As a long time (20+ years) user of the Brussels Airport and Brussels Airlines, this is the first time anything is broken, and I'm in utter disbelief and very disappointed by the bad faith given by the complaint service.

Brussels Airport consistently fails to meet acceptable service standards. I travel through this airport twice a week, and the experience is repeatedly disappointing. Security queues are excessively long and poorly managed, causing unnecessary stress and delays.

Passenger services are limited, with very few bars or amenities available. Most lounges are closed, and even the proposed alternatives are frequently unavailable. Additionally, a significant number of escalators and moving walkways are out of service, which greatly affects passenger flow and accessibility.

For an airport of this size and importance, the overall organization and maintenance are inadequate. Substantial improvements in operations, staffing, and infrastructure are urgently needed.

Of course, leave it to the Belgians to organize anything! Over the holidays, with the biggest influx of people, they’ve only got 4 of the 12 automatic passport machines working (why invest in technology if they can’t handle it in the first place??) and only 2 agents to deal with EU passports. Creating, of course, long queues, kids screaming etc even got the EU line which should in theory go really fast. Such incompetence is difficult to beat anywhere in the world….

As an EU citizen, I am ashamed that the immigration procedures at airport, in the city which is the seat of most EU institutions is so badly organised. I flew in from UK and had a connecting flight to another EU country. There were two booths open at the immigration (joint for EU and non-EU citizens) with one of them manned by a guy who spent considerable time playing with his phone. No priority lanes, no electronic gates. Some of the passengers would be processed for more than 15 minutes, completely blocking both booths. There was nobody one could talk to in case of a tight connection. Nobody who would help elderly or families with children. I used to be dismayed by some of the US immigration practices when landing to their airports. But even the worst experience there doesn't compare to what I've seen here.

Dear Belgian friends, don't you realise that you represent not just yourself but the whole of Europe. Is this really the impression about all of us you want to convey to the visitors? We all deserve better than that. Pull your act together!

Disgustingly long queue at immigration. Definitely won't be coming here again.

Avoid at all costs !! We spent 2 hours at immigration when both arriving and departing. We spent $0 in the airport as there was not time. A disaster for the EU !!!

Extremely disappointing experience in an endless, painful and slow queue at passport control. Snails have moved faster. There are only 1 or 2 people attending the passport control desks. I am disgusted at this ridiculous airport. It would be quicker to have died and been reborn as an item after the passport control area, than to have been in this queue. 0 stars.

literally the worst airport ever. every time i come here the staff is rude, not attentive and there is always some sort of issue with delays.

Slowest immigration check. Longest queue. No signs where you find your luggage.

Stood in a que for over an hour just trying to get through, no e gates no speed or urgency

My experience at Brussels Airport was nothing short of shocking. What should have been a routine transit turned into an encounter filled with racial profiling, unnecessary escalation, and blatant misuse of authority by certain members of security and police.

As an African traveller, I was singled out, spoken to rudely, and treated with suspicion for no valid reason. Security personnel acted as though the “power” they believe they hold gave them license to intimidate and belittle. Their behaviour was unprofessional, disrespectful, and completely uncalled for.

One of the most absurd incidents was their claim that they needed to throw away drinks bought from a duty-free shop in Africa. Isn’t the entire point of duty-free that it’s internationally recognized? Or do they believe Africa isn’t part of the same system?
Is Africa not a signatory to the Geneva Convention like other nations?
Is Africa not a member of the United Nations?

The implication was insulting — as if duty-free goods from African airports are somehow invalid or inferior.

The escalation, rudeness, and aggressive attitude displayed were completely unnecessary and left a lasting negative impression. For travellers, especially Black and African travellers, this environment does not feel safe, fair, or welcoming.

My advice?

If you can avoid Brussels Airport — avoid it.
No traveller deserves to be treated with disrespect or discrimination.

Brussels? Don’t bother.

Writing this from the queue at the airport as I'm so bored..an hour in and nowhere near the front..

I have never known anything as bad as this for a "modern" country..

Never again..

Extremely long queuing over 1 .25 hours to get through security
No help for people in danger of missing flights
Zero support

Standard of food available very poor.
Limited fresh and small choice

Shambolic. Genuinely this place is lost in the dark ages and an utter disgrace. Longest security queues I can remember in the last 5-7 years of frequent business travel across the UK and Europe.

This is the worse airport around. While the UK has left the EU we still offer ALL EU citizens the use of our E-Gates to speed up your journey. However the fully brutal experience of the airport in Brussels makes you wait in lines for over 2 hours. Because they sell cheap landing slots and have the border staff change over at PEEK times. Absolutely disgusting service. Shame on you Brussels show your true colours.

When we walked to the exit, there was the biggest line ever just to exit!!! Such bad organized, we walked a mile to get to the exit point, and then waited in the line for hours. Worst experience ever!!😠 will never come back to this airport

Arrived at around 7.45 am from Singapore. We were one of the first off the plane, were not to far back in queue at passport control for all non EU travellers. it took just over 1 and a half hours to clear customs. It seemed like only 2 customs officers operating and whole process was manual. Some people taking ages to be processed while we on Australian passport took less than a minute. When we finally got through, the remaining queue was still longer than when we joined, so I expect some people would have taken over 3 hours to get through.
This is just not good enough for city which is capital of EU.

If I could give this airport a ZERO I would. Or minus 5 star if that were an option. Wherever possible there was a HUGE long queue. Passengers were understandably uptight as they watched their flight time get increasingly nearer. There was a lot of unrest in the queues.
My friend and I were at the airport in plenty of time - we’d stayed at the Sheraton Airport hotel the night before.
It took us over 2 1/2 hours to get through to our gate.
The BA staff lady said it’s always this bad.
Don’t use this airport if you have a weak heart, or don’t want to miss your flight.
Hurrah - we landed at Heathrow T5 and were through, with luggage, within 15 mins MAX

Took us 2.5 hours to get from check-in to the gate. Only just made our flight. People were literally screaming at each other as panicking passengers were pushing past each other to reach the front of the queue. Too few staff around to manage the situation. Terrible experience. Won’t be going back in a hurry.

Utterly dysfunctional and disheartening experience at Brussels Airport.

Crowd control is nonexistent—immigration queues stretched for nearly three hours, with people constantly cutting in line while staff stood by and did absolutely nothing. The lack of order or communication turns the hall into chaos, and eventually, frustrated passengers start taking it out on each other. It’s a breakdown of basic management and decency.

Customs officers moved at a glacial pace, seemingly indifferent to the mess around them. Staff at the tax refund counter were openly rude and unhelpful, treating travelers as an inconvenience rather than guests.

For a country that prides itself on hospitality and efficiency within the EU, this airport is a complete embarrassment. If Belgium’s government wants to improve its international image, fixing this airport’s appalling operations and accountability should be their first priority.