--- iata: CRL name: Brussels South Charleroi Airport city: Charleroi country: Belgium lastUpdated: '2026-09-02' officialWebsite: 'https://www.brussels-charleroi-airport.com/en' sources: - 'https://www.brussels-charleroi-airport.com/en' - >- https://www.brussels-charleroi-airport.com/sites/default/files/2026-08/CHAIR-25-34327-Template%20Rapport%20annuel%202025-UK-sl-260626-r2.pdf - 'https://www.brussels-charleroi-airport.com/en/lounge' - 'https://www.brussels-charleroi-airport.com/en/parking-access' - >- https://www.brussels-charleroi-airport.com/en/general-policy-liquids-carry-baggage - 'https://www.brussels-charleroi-airport.com/en/welcome' - 'https://www.brussels-charleroi-airport.com/en/commercial-aviation' - >- https://eparking.charleroi-airport.com/booking/itemhome.aspx?domaineid=2&lg=EN&qty=2 - 'https://www.flibco.com/en/shuttle/bus-brussels-charleroi-airport' - 'https://www.flibco.com/en/vip-package' - >- https://www.letec.be/View/Connection_with_Brussels_South_Charleroi_Airport/459 - 'https://www.letec.be/View/The_united_travel_document/317' - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/belgium/brussels-south-charleroi/crl1-the-lounge - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/belgium/brussels-south-charleroi/crl2-the-lounge - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels_South_Charleroi_Airport' quickFacts: - >- Belgium’s second-busiest airport after BRU; marketed as “Brussels South” but sits at Gosselies ~46 km / ~60 km road south of central Brussels — plan ~55–70 minutes door-to-door, not a city-airport hop - >- Official 2025 traffic: 11,256,026 passengers (+7% vs 2024) despite seven interprofessional strikes that stranded ~180,000 passengers; average load factor ~88%; ACI Europe Level 4+ Airport Carbon Accreditation - >- IATA CRL / ICAO EBCI; elevation ~185–187 m; single runway 06/24 — commercial ops data lists 2,550 × 45 m; Ryanair operating base plus Wizz Air, Pegasus, Volotea, Air Corsica and other LCCs/leisure carriers - >- Two connected passenger halls (Terminal 1 main + Terminal 2 peak/overflow); Schengen-focused LCC field — check live screens for your T1 vs T2 assignment before buying lounge access - >- Classic EU 100 ml liquids (airport liquids page); paid Fast Track €6 (under-5 free); peak-period banner asks passengers to arrive 3 hours before departure; new security routing in use - >- Dual “The Lounge” product (T1 + T2), Schengen only, 05:00–21:00, max 3 h; walk-up €30 / online €28; Priority Pass / Diners accepted — T2 needs a landside Ticketing Desk door-code voucher before security bentoTips: - label: Transport title: Flibco to Bruxelles-Midi — book online detail: >- The default Brussels link is the Flibco coach from Terminal 1 curb to Bruxelles-Midi/Zuid (Rue de France stop): every ~20 minutes, ~55 minutes typical, open day ticket, from €14.99 online (airport parking-access page) with on-the-day prices often higher (Flibco FAQ cites ~€19-class fares depending on package/timing). Miss a delayed flight connection and the open day ticket lets you board the next coach. For Charleroi itself use TEC A1 to Charleroi-Central (~15–20 min, every ~15 min 04:30–23:30) with the €6 Airport ticket — Classic/Express day tickets are not valid on A1. summary: Flibco Midi ~55′ from €14.99 online; TEC A1 €6 to Charleroi-Central. category: timing - label: Security title: €6 Fast Track + classic 100 ml bag detail: >- Official welcome/e-parking pages sell Fast Track for €6 (QR by email; lane activates ~15 minutes after purchase; under-5 free). Fast Track sits between the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 check-in islands. Liquids still follow classic EU rules on the airport liquids page — ≤100 ml containers in one resealable ~1 L / ~20×20 cm bag. Peak banners tell you to arrive 3 hours early; new security facilities have changed the passenger route — follow live signage, not memory from a prior trip. summary: Fast Track €6; still pack the 100 ml liquids bag. category: terminal - label: Lounge title: Buy the correct terminal — T2 needs a landside code detail: >- Both halls host “The Lounge” (Schengen only, 05:00–21:00, max 3 h). Airport pricing: €28 online / €30 at the desk; children under 5 free; Priority Pass / Diners Club accepted. Terminal 1 lounge is the extended ~200 m² runway-view room after Duty Free toward the food-court level (Priority Pass: right of Mamma Napoli). Terminal 2: stop at the landside Ticketing Desk first for a door-code voucher — Priority Pass warns you cannot enter without it. Lounge booking does not lock your terminal; assignment can change. summary: PP/paid lounge in T1 & T2; collect T2 door code before security. category: status - label: Money title: Skip the Brussels taxi unless splitting detail: >- Metered/rank taxis to central Brussels commonly land around €90+ for the ~60 km run and are rarely worth it versus Flibco. Use the official rank outside arrivals; ignore touts inside. For Charleroi centre a short taxi is reasonable. Poppy car-sharing spaces sit in Express parking; bike/moto parking in P2 level 0 is free per the airport access page. summary: Flibco beats ~€90 Brussels taxis; official rank only. category: food lounges: - name: The Lounge (Terminal 1) zone: Schengen airside hours: '05:00-21:00' access: - Paid walk-up (€30) / online (€28) - Priority Pass - Diners Club bestFor: - Priority Pass holders on T1 departures - Short Schengen waits summary: >- Extended ~200 m² Schengen lounge after Duty Free on the food-court level (near Mamma Napoli) with runway views. Fine for a quiet seat and a drink before a Ryanair/Wizz bank; food is basic lounge fare, max stay 3 hours, and it only serves Terminal 1 departures. verdict: depends terminal: Terminal 1 amenities: - Soft drinks and snacks - Beer and wine - Wi-Fi - Runway views - Flight information - name: The Lounge (Terminal 2) zone: Schengen airside hours: '05:00-21:00' access: - Paid walk-up (€30) / online (€28) - Priority Pass (door-code voucher required) - Diners Club bestFor: - Passengers already assigned to T2 - Priority Pass with time to visit Ticketing Desk summary: >- Smaller Schengen lounge after T2 security/Duty Free (turn right). Critical gotcha: register at the landside Ticketing Desk for a keypad door-code voucher before you clear security — Priority Pass lists this as mandatory. Same €28/€30 paid rates and 3-hour cap as T1. verdict: depends terminal: Terminal 2 amenities: - Soft drinks and snacks - Alcoholic drinks (standard) - Wi-Fi - Flight information waterOptions: - kind: purchase name: Landside retail bottled water zone: landside price: Typically ~€2–€3.50 for 0.5 L (shelf price varies) summary: >- No reliable public drinking fountains are published for CRL; buy a sealed bottle landside before Fast Track/security so you are not stuck with airside markups only. location: Shops and cafés before security in the main check-in hall terminal: Terminal 1 landside isBestValue: true - kind: purchase name: Airside café / shop bottles zone: airside price: Typically ~€3–€4.50 for 0.5 L summary: >- Traveler reports note cafés (including Camden Food Co.–class outlets when open) may refill empty bottles on request, but that is courtesy — not a published fountain network. Carry an empty bottle through screening as backup. location: After security near Duty Free and the food-court level terminal: Terminal 1 airside - kind: free name: Lounge water (with access) zone: airside price: Free with lounge access summary: >- Soft drinks and water are part of the lounge offer for eligible guests; useful if you already paid €28/€30 or hold Priority Pass. location: Inside The Lounge after your paid or Priority Pass entry terminal: The Lounge T1 or T2 isBestQuality: true airportistScore: 6.1 slug: crl region: Europe --- > Markdown for [/airports/crl](/airports/crl). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/crl) - [Lounge directory](/airports/crl/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL) Charleroi, Belgium · Europe Belgium’s hard-working LCC gateway: 11.3M passengers, €6 Fast Track and twin Priority Pass lounges, undercut by the misleading “Brussels South” name and a coach-only link to the capital. ## Airportist Score **6.1 / 10** - Comfort: 5.4 - Navigation: 6.8 - Food: 5.2 - Transport: 6.0 - Disruption resilience: 5.5 ## At a glance - Passengers: 11.3M - Terminals: 2 linked halls (T1+T2) - Typical security: 22 min - On-time: 72% - Disruption: normal ## Best for - Ryanair/Wizz point-to-point leisure fares - Priority Pass holders who know the T2 door-code ritual - Travelers heading to Charleroi or southern Belgium ## Watch out for - Not near central Brussels — Flibco ~55–60 min to Midi - Peak queues and Belgian strike days (~180k pax affected in 2025) - Classic 100 ml liquids; T2 lounge needs landside voucher ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/crl/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/crl/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/crl/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/crl/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/crl/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/crl/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/crl/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/crl/reviews.md)