Traffic chaos hits Brussels Airport

Brussels Airport was cut off from the city for a short time on Monday morning, at least for travellers hoping to make the journey by road. The A201, which connects the airport at Zaventum to the Brussels Ring, was closed to traffic for over an hour because of a gas leak in one of the airport buildings.

During the closure it was impossible for people to enter or leave the airport by car, and traffic remained congested for much of the morning. Travellers were advised to take the train instead of driving, an option usually chosen by only 20% of passengers.

For those stuck in the traffic jams the choice was to wait or walk. TV news reports showed some passengers wheeling their luggage along the hard shoulder in order not to miss their flights.

Airlines did what they could to accommodate late arrivals. "No flights had to be cancelled, since all the crews arrived on time," Brussels Airlines told Le Soir. "The first flights departed on time, and we then delayed the take-off times of our aircraft as much as possible to allow passengers to catch their flights."

Photo by Laurie Dieffembacq/Belga