Brussels Airlines to Discontinue Birmingham-Brussels Route in 2025

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Brussels Airlines has announced that it will discontinue its direct flight service between Birmingham, United Kingdom, and Brussels, Belgium, from October 2025.

The decision marks the end of the only nonstop route linking the two cities, creating a gap in direct connectivity for travellers between the Midlands and the Belgian capital.

The airline, which had reinstated the route in October 2024 with six weekly flights, confirmed that the service will be removed from both its winter 2025/26 and summer 2026 schedules. In a statement to Sun Travel, a spokesperson for Brussels Airlines explained the move, stating, “Like many airlines, we constantly review our network. At the beginning of every season, some destinations might see higher frequencies, and we might decrease capacity to some other markets.” The airline emphasised that Birmingham will no longer be served as of Winter 2025, though operations will continue in other major British cities, including Manchester (13 weekly flights), London Heathrow (20 weekly flights), and Edinburgh.

The cancellation will affect travellers who relied on the 70-minute direct flight to reach Brussels. Passengers departing from Birmingham will now need to take connecting flights, likely through cities such as Munich, to reach their destination. The shift reflects a broader network optimisation strategy as Brussels Airlines, part of the Lufthansa Group, focuses on more commercially viable routes.

Despite this change, the airline is preparing for a robust summer season. Brussels Airlines is expanding its fleet to 50 aircraft, up from 44 last year, and expects to transport nearly 2 million passengers. The airline continues to see strong demand for flights to destinations in Spain, Greece, and Italy, with routes to Malaga, Barcelona, and Alicante among the most popular for Belgian travellers.

Tourism data from VisitBritain highlights the importance of connectivity between Belgium and the United Kingdom. In 2023, the UK welcomed approximately 867,000 visitors from Belgium, who spent an average of £555 per visit. Conversely, around 820,000 British tourists travel to Brussels annually, drawn by historic landmarks such as the Grand Place and culinary offerings including mussels with fries, Belgian waffles, and artisan chocolates.

For British travellers seeking an alternative, Bruges, named by Which? as the best Belgian city to visit by train, is a scenic option, just three and a half hours from London by rail. While the direct Birmingham-Brussels link may be coming to a close, strong transport ties between the two nations remain in place through other air and rail routes.