Brussels Airlines says airport shutdown costs it 5m euros a day

[FRANKFURT] Belgium's Brussels Airways, 45-per cent owned by Deutsche Lufthansa, is chalking up 5 million euros (US$5.6 million) in daily costs from the closure of its Brussels hub after last week's attacks.

Both the expenses from rerouting passenger traffic and lost revenues are weighing on the bottom line, a Brussels Airways spokesman said.

Belgium's regional airports in Antwerp and Liege offer only limited short-haul capacity as an alternative, he said.

Brussels airport on Tuesday began trying out a make-shift check-in area that could allow a limited restart of passenger flights in the coming days to end the airport's shutdown after suicide bombers struck Belgium's capital a week ago.

Brussels Airlines last week restarted some commercial flights from Belgium via Liege and Antwerp.

REUTERS