Brussels Airlines
Encyclopedia
Brussels Airlines is a flag carrier
airline
headquartered in the b.house on the grounds of Brussels Airport
and in Diegem
, Machelen
, Belgium and a subsidiary of Lufthansa
. It is the largest airline based in Belgium, operating to over 65 destinations in 20 Europe
an countries as well as long-haul flights to East, Central and West Africa. It operates charter services, maintenance and training of cockpit and cabin crew. The airline is a member of IATA
and the Association of European Airlines
(AEA) and Star Alliance
.
(SNBA) and Virgin Express
. On 12 April 2005, SN Airholding, the company behind SNBA, signed an agreement with Richard Branson
, giving it control over Virgin Express. On 31 March 2006 SNBA and Virgin Express announced their merger into a single company. On 7 November 2006, the new name, Brussels Airlines, was announced at a press conference at Brussels Airport. Brussels Airlines began operations on 25 March 2007.
In July 2008 it appeared that the Congolese project "AirDC" (launched together with Hewa Bora Airways
) had been delayed, as the Congolese government had not given the required authorisations to start the new airline with Mauritian registered aircraft (through the Brussels Airlines owned and Mauritius based Pan African Airlines Leasing Company Ltd).
On 15 September 2008 it was announced that Lufthansa
would acquire a 45% stake in Brussels Airlines with an option to acquire the remaining 55% from 2011. As a part of this deal Brussels Airlines would join Star Alliance
, which happened on December 9, 2009.
On 15 June 2009 Brussels Airlines announced that the European Commission
had granted approval for Lufthansa to take over Brussels Airlines. As a result of this clearance by the EU
, the road was cleared for Brussels Airlines to join Star Alliance
.
Since 25 October 2009 Brussels Airlines has been a member of Lufthansa's frequent flyer programme Miles & More
.
On 9 December 2009, Brussels Airlines became the 26th Star Alliance member during a ceremony at Brussels Town Hall.
On 15 December 2009, Brussels Airlines officially approved an extra A330. In July 2010, Brussels Airlines received this fifth leased A330.
On 15 December 2009, Brussels Airlines announced they were working on a new regional airline in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. The working name of the project is "Korongo". The main base of the airline will be at Lubumbashi
in Congo
. The airline will be launched in 2011. Brussels Airlines has cancelled the former airDC project, due to disagreements with Hewa Bora.
On 11 August 2010, Brussels Airlines and tour operator Club Med announced a new cooperation. As from April 2011, Brussels Airlines will transport 80% of all Club Med passengers out of Brussels
, both on existing regular Brussels Airlines routes as on new charter routes operated by Brussels Airlines. Brussels Airlines also announced that it will lease 2 Airbus A320
aircraft from January 2011.
On 26 August 2010, the company announced its new maintenance project. The contract with Sabena Technics for the A330 and Boeing 737 ended on 1 January 2011 and Brussels Airlines will then do the maintenance on the planes. To be able to do this, the move from Building 117 to hangar 41 was necessary. Also 73 people from Sabena Technics joined the Brussels Airlines maintenance staff.
, which has its registered office in Brussels
.
From 26 October 2008, the ICAO code was changed from DAT to BEL. On 3 June 2008, the CEO, Philippe Vander Putten
resigned. The board appointed Michel Meyfroidt and Bernard Gustin as Managing Directors. Since the Star Alliance -entry in 2009, Bernard Gustin & Michel Meyfroidt carry the titles 'Co-Chief Executive Officer'.
, Machelen
. The airline asked the Belgian design agency MAXIMALdesign to design the interior of the facility.
On medium- and long-haul flights (Africa and Tel Aviv) Brussels Airlines offers normal economy and business classes.
and Virgin Express
), they carried 5.9 million passengers. 2011 seems to show a steady progress towards the heights experienced in 2007, validating the refocus the company has been going through in terms of fleet operations and destinations, with the backing of Lufthansa serving as a caution for future policies.
me called Miles & More. Miles can be earned on all the flights operated by airlines which adhere to the programme, in addition to the Star Alliance member airlines.
Miles can also be earned thanks to Brussels Airlines' non-airline partners.
Brussels Airlines customers have been able to earn Miles and More benefits since October 25, 2009,
when Brussels Airlines' former frequent flyer programme, Privilege, ended and became Miles & More
. There was a conversion of Privilege Gold members into Miles & More
Frequent Travellers, while Privilege Platinum card holders became Miles & More
Senators. Privilege miles were converted on a 1 to 1 basis.
On 5 July 2010, the fifth Airbus A330-300 entered into service. Brussels Airlines increased their frequency to Abidjan
(up to 6 weekly) and added Accra
, Cotonou
, Ouagadougou
and Lomé
as new destinations.
Brussels Airlines is adding more American destinations to their network. Potential destinations include New York JFK, San Francisco and Boston
. They have to get permission from the United States and they expect this to take 12 to 18 months. In July 2011, Brussels Airlines confirmed the commencement of non-stop flights to the United States from 2012 onwards. New York is the most likely destination to be added to the network. However, Brussels Airlines co-CEO Bernard Gustin has not confirmed this.
Since 10 January 2010, BMI Regional
has operated from Bristol Airport
and Newcastle Airport
on behalf of Brussels Airlines, three times a day with an Embraer ERJ 145 to Brussels Airport and Brussels Airlines replaced its double daily flights to London Gatwick with four daily flights to London Heathrow, previously operated by BMI
.
Hannover is currently operated by a Bombardier Q400 of Tyrolean Airways.
Starting September 2011, Brussels Airlines is going to fly to their 21st African destination: Bamako, Mali.
The 3rd of June 2012 Berlin-Tegel Airport will be replaced by Berlin Brandenburg International Airport as Tegel Airport will be closed. The airline is also studying a potential North African expansion, with a direct link to Cairo International Airport
and another to Alexandria International Airport
being considered on the long term, in addition to the Moroccan links that have been opened in 2010. This has been confirmed on November 22nd 2011, when a new collective agreement regarding staff relations and working hours was confirmed by the company regarding the Egyptian destinations, The launch dates are set to be announced during December.
At the end of November 2011, reports have confirmed a general reorganization of the companies destinations and "modus operandi" regarding them. The strongest signs of this change are to be found with the suppressions of flights to Palma de Mallorca and Sevilla. Less frequencies will be operated to Athens and Lisbon, On the other hand, more flights will be operated to Scandinavian airports, Moscow, Eastern European airports and Morocco, meaning that the only fleet changes resulting from this reform will be three mid-range planes whose leasing contracts will expire next year, meaning three Boeing 737's, which will accelerate the Airbus transformation of the mid-range fleet of the company. Finally, another long-haul African destination and, officially, an American destination have been programmed by Brussels Airlines. All those changes seem to indicate a desire by Brussels Airlines to operate more professionally through the creation of a professional feeder network in Europe and North America for long-haul flights to Africa, thus resulting in less flights to touristic destinations and more flights to "professional" destinations. Such a plan, according to the company, should permit the company to return to profit by 2014 and increase its share at Brussels Airport, in line with the 10% increase seen in 2011.
(*) Star Alliance
members
As Brussels Airlines joined Star Alliance
, some code-share agreements with non-Star Alliance partners were terminated and replaced by Star Alliance members.
As of August 2011, the Brussels Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 13.5 years:
"Korongo". The last remaining (OO-DJF) has been scrapped.
During 2009, the airline tested the fuel burn reduction of the AeroTech Services B737 Wing Modification on one B737-400. After realizing favorable results, the airline modified three more B737s in May and June 2010.
On 1 and 2 February 2010, Boeing 737-400
OO-VEJ was ferried to the USA (Phoenix
) to return to its lessor. On 22 February, Boeing 737-400
OO-VBR was ferried to Macau to return to the lessor.
During 2010, two Airbus A319 aircraft (OO-SSC and OO-SSD) joined Brussels Airlines' fleet. OO-SSC is Brussels Airlines first Star Alliance logo jet.
The first Airbus A320
for Brussels Airlines joined the fleet in February 2011 and made its first commercial flight on 23 April 2011. In April 2011, a second A320
was delivered. These two A320s (registered OO-SNA and OO-SNB) are the ex D-ALTC and D-ALTD of Air Berlin.
In March 2011, Boeing 737-300
OO-LTM ended commercial service for Brussels Airlines and was painted in Korongo Airlines
livery.
Brussels Airlines also took delivery of 4 Airbus A319
in 2011: OO-SSR and OO-SSQ (coming from Mexicana), OO-SSU and OO-SSV (coming from easyJet).
With improving financial performances, rising cash reserves and a desire to reduce costs more rapidly, Brussels Airlines has accelerated their fleet replacement plan by ordering no more than 12 planes during the final days of August 2011. Six A319s, four A320s and 2 A330-200s will be added to the fleet in the coming two years, with an additional 2 regional planes. Such a plan will maybe complete the exit of the Boeing aircraft from the fleet, plus accelerate the replacement of the Avro RJ85. The Avro RJ100 will be kept for some time, due to higher seat capacity.
.
On the Airbus A330-300 fleet, Brussels Airlines has a personal IFE
system in business class. In economy there are some video screens in the cabin. As from November 2011 until March/April 2012 Brussels Airlines will introduce a new interior on the A330-300 fleet. The new economy seats will feature AVOD personal inflight entertainement 9 inch screens. Also business class will get new seats with an improved AVOD IFE system with 15 inch screens.
The two Airbus A330-200's that will come from Swiss will get the new interior later in 2012. So by the end of 2012 the whole long haul fleet will be fitted with new seats with a new AVOD IFE
system.
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
headquartered in the b.house on the grounds of Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport is an international airport northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is partially in Zaventem and partially in the Diegem area of Machelen, both located in the Flemish Region of Belgium.Brussels Airport currently consists of 54 contact gates, and a total of 109 gates...
and in Diegem
Diegem
Diegem is a town in the municipality of Machelen, Flemish Brabant, Belgium.Its gothic church, inaugurated in 1543, in the centre of town, has a conspicuous tiered spire....
, Machelen
Machelen
Machelen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Diegem and Machelen proper. On January 1, 2006 Machelen had a total population of 12,500...
, Belgium and a subsidiary of Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
. It is the largest airline based in Belgium, operating to over 65 destinations in 20 Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries as well as long-haul flights to East, Central and West Africa. It operates charter services, maintenance and training of cockpit and cabin crew. The airline is a member of IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
and the Association of European Airlines
Association of European Airlines
The Association of European Airlines is a non-profit industry organisation, bringing together 36 major European Airlines as the voice of the European Airline Industry for more than 50 years...
(AEA) and Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
.
History
Brussels Airlines was created following the merger of SN Brussels AirlinesSN Brussels Airlines
SN Brussels Airlines was a national airline of Belgium, which mainly operated from Brussels Airport. SNBA was the trading name of the Belgian airline Delta Air Transport. SNBA was a full-service airline, connecting Brussels with the rest of Europe. It also flew to Africa, continuing Sabena's...
(SNBA) and Virgin Express
Virgin Express
N.V. Virgin Express S.A. was an airline created within the Virgin Group. It operated flights mainly to southern Europe from its hub at Brussels Airport. Ticket sales were mainly through the Internet...
. On 12 April 2005, SN Airholding, the company behind SNBA, signed an agreement with Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
, giving it control over Virgin Express. On 31 March 2006 SNBA and Virgin Express announced their merger into a single company. On 7 November 2006, the new name, Brussels Airlines, was announced at a press conference at Brussels Airport. Brussels Airlines began operations on 25 March 2007.
In July 2008 it appeared that the Congolese project "AirDC" (launched together with Hewa Bora Airways
Hewa Bora Airways
Hewa Bora Airways was an airline based in Barumbu, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was one of Congo's largest airlines and operates regional and domestic services. Its main base was N'djili Airport. "Hewa Bora" is Swahili for "Fresh Air". The company was on the European Commission's...
) had been delayed, as the Congolese government had not given the required authorisations to start the new airline with Mauritian registered aircraft (through the Brussels Airlines owned and Mauritius based Pan African Airlines Leasing Company Ltd).
On 15 September 2008 it was announced that Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
would acquire a 45% stake in Brussels Airlines with an option to acquire the remaining 55% from 2011. As a part of this deal Brussels Airlines would join Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
, which happened on December 9, 2009.
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
had granted approval for Lufthansa to take over Brussels Airlines. As a result of this clearance by the EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, the road was cleared for Brussels Airlines to join Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
.
Since 25 October 2009 Brussels Airlines has been a member of Lufthansa's frequent flyer programme Miles & More
Miles & More
Miles & More is the largest traveler loyalty program in Europe with 20 million members as of February 2011. It offers rewards to passengers of the Star Alliance travelling on certain types of tickets...
.
On 9 December 2009, Brussels Airlines became the 26th Star Alliance member during a ceremony at Brussels Town Hall.
On 15 December 2009, Brussels Airlines officially approved an extra A330. In July 2010, Brussels Airlines received this fifth leased A330.
On 15 December 2009, Brussels Airlines announced they were working on a new regional airline in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. The working name of the project is "Korongo". The main base of the airline will be at Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, second only to the nation's capital Kinshasa, and the hub of the southeastern part of the country. The copper-mining city serves as the capital of the relatively prosperous Katanga Province, lying near the Zambian border...
in Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. The airline will be launched in 2011. Brussels Airlines has cancelled the former airDC project, due to disagreements with Hewa Bora.
On 11 August 2010, Brussels Airlines and tour operator Club Med announced a new cooperation. As from April 2011, Brussels Airlines will transport 80% of all Club Med passengers out of Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, both on existing regular Brussels Airlines routes as on new charter routes operated by Brussels Airlines. Brussels Airlines also announced that it will lease 2 Airbus A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft from January 2011.
On 26 August 2010, the company announced its new maintenance project. The contract with Sabena Technics for the A330 and Boeing 737 ended on 1 January 2011 and Brussels Airlines will then do the maintenance on the planes. To be able to do this, the move from Building 117 to hangar 41 was necessary. Also 73 people from Sabena Technics joined the Brussels Airlines maintenance staff.
Company
Brussels Airlines is the operating name of Delta Air Transport S.A./N.V.Delta Air Transport
Delta Air Transport was an airline headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, operating scheduled and chartered flights, mostly on short-haul routes...
, which has its registered office in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
From 26 October 2008, the ICAO code was changed from DAT to BEL. On 3 June 2008, the CEO, Philippe Vander Putten
Philippe Vander Putten
Philippe Vander Putten is a Belgian businessman. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Brussels Airlines.-Education:Vander Putten earned a masters degree in Management at the IAG of the Université catholique de Louvain...
resigned. The board appointed Michel Meyfroidt and Bernard Gustin as Managing Directors. Since the Star Alliance -entry in 2009, Bernard Gustin & Michel Meyfroidt carry the titles 'Co-Chief Executive Officer'.
Head office
The company is headquartered in the b.house (Building 26) in the General Aviation Zone on the grounds of Brussels Airport and in DiegemDiegem
Diegem is a town in the municipality of Machelen, Flemish Brabant, Belgium.Its gothic church, inaugurated in 1543, in the centre of town, has a conspicuous tiered spire....
, Machelen
Machelen
Machelen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Diegem and Machelen proper. On January 1, 2006 Machelen had a total population of 12,500...
. The airline asked the Belgian design agency MAXIMALdesign to design the interior of the facility.
Service
On European flights, the airline offers three types of tickets - b.flex economy+, b.light economy, and b.business (business class):- b.flex economy+ is the more expensive ticket, offering full service, such as free newspapers and catering.
- b.light economy is the cheapest option, with a buy on boardBuy on boardIn commercial flight, buy on board is a system where food or beverages are paid for on board; often food or beverages are not included in the ticket price for certain fare classes....
programme offering snacks and drinks for purchase. - b.business is a full service Business class on the European network. It offers premium meals, VIP-parking and free champagne.
On medium- and long-haul flights (Africa and Tel Aviv) Brussels Airlines offers normal economy and business classes.
Traffic
Brussels Airlines transported 4.89 million passengers (passengers of charter flights are not included) in 2010, this is a 4.4% increase compared to the 4.7 million in 2009. Brussels Airlines had 5.46 million passengers in 2008 and in the first year of operations (2007) as Brussels Airlines (after the merger between SN Brussels AirlinesSN Brussels Airlines
SN Brussels Airlines was a national airline of Belgium, which mainly operated from Brussels Airport. SNBA was the trading name of the Belgian airline Delta Air Transport. SNBA was a full-service airline, connecting Brussels with the rest of Europe. It also flew to Africa, continuing Sabena's...
and Virgin Express
Virgin Express
N.V. Virgin Express S.A. was an airline created within the Virgin Group. It operated flights mainly to southern Europe from its hub at Brussels Airport. Ticket sales were mainly through the Internet...
), they carried 5.9 million passengers. 2011 seems to show a steady progress towards the heights experienced in 2007, validating the refocus the company has been going through in terms of fleet operations and destinations, with the backing of Lufthansa serving as a caution for future policies.
Frequent flyer programme
Brussels Airlines is an integrated partner of Lufthansa's frequent flyer programFrequent flyer program
A frequent flyer program is a loyalty program offered by many airlines. Typically, airline customers enrolled in the program accumulate frequent flyer miles corresponding to the distance flown on that airline or its partners. There are other ways to accumulate miles...
me called Miles & More. Miles can be earned on all the flights operated by airlines which adhere to the programme, in addition to the Star Alliance member airlines.
Miles can also be earned thanks to Brussels Airlines' non-airline partners.
Brussels Airlines customers have been able to earn Miles and More benefits since October 25, 2009,
when Brussels Airlines' former frequent flyer programme, Privilege, ended and became Miles & More
Miles & More
Miles & More is the largest traveler loyalty program in Europe with 20 million members as of February 2011. It offers rewards to passengers of the Star Alliance travelling on certain types of tickets...
. There was a conversion of Privilege Gold members into Miles & More
Miles & More
Miles & More is the largest traveler loyalty program in Europe with 20 million members as of February 2011. It offers rewards to passengers of the Star Alliance travelling on certain types of tickets...
Frequent Travellers, while Privilege Platinum card holders became Miles & More
Miles & More
Miles & More is the largest traveler loyalty program in Europe with 20 million members as of February 2011. It offers rewards to passengers of the Star Alliance travelling on certain types of tickets...
Senators. Privilege miles were converted on a 1 to 1 basis.
Destinations
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
(up to 6 weekly) and added Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, Cotonou
Cotonou
-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
, Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
and Lomé
Lomé
Lomé, with an estimated population of 737,751, is the capital and largest city of Togo. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé is the country's administrative and industrial center and its chief port. The city exports coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm kernels...
as new destinations.
Brussels Airlines is adding more American destinations to their network. Potential destinations include New York JFK, San Francisco and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. They have to get permission from the United States and they expect this to take 12 to 18 months. In July 2011, Brussels Airlines confirmed the commencement of non-stop flights to the United States from 2012 onwards. New York is the most likely destination to be added to the network. However, Brussels Airlines co-CEO Bernard Gustin has not confirmed this.
Since 10 January 2010, BMI Regional
BMI Regional
British Midland Regional Limited is a British regional airline based in Aberdeen, Scotland. BMI Regional is a wholly owned subsidiary of British Midland International operating scheduled passenger services primarily within the UK...
has operated from Bristol Airport
Bristol Airport
Bristol Airport may refer to:* Bristol Airport, serving Bristol, England, United Kingdom ** Bristol Airport , a docu-soap based on events at Bristol Airport...
and Newcastle Airport
Newcastle Airport
Newcastle International Airport is located in Woolsington in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, north-west of the city centre. In 2010 it was the 11th busiest airport in the United Kingdom....
on behalf of Brussels Airlines, three times a day with an Embraer ERJ 145 to Brussels Airport and Brussels Airlines replaced its double daily flights to London Gatwick with four daily flights to London Heathrow, previously operated by BMI
Bmi (airline)
British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa...
.
Hannover is currently operated by a Bombardier Q400 of Tyrolean Airways.
Starting September 2011, Brussels Airlines is going to fly to their 21st African destination: Bamako, Mali.
The 3rd of June 2012 Berlin-Tegel Airport will be replaced by Berlin Brandenburg International Airport as Tegel Airport will be closed. The airline is also studying a potential North African expansion, with a direct link to Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport is the busiest airport in Egypt and the primary hub for Star Alliance member EgyptAir. The airport is located to the north-east of the city around from the business area of the city.The airport is administered by the Egyptian Holding Co...
and another to Alexandria International Airport
Alexandria International Airport
Alexandria International Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles west of the central business district of Alexandria, in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. The airport is operated by the England Authority, also known as the England Economic and Industrial Development...
being considered on the long term, in addition to the Moroccan links that have been opened in 2010. This has been confirmed on November 22nd 2011, when a new collective agreement regarding staff relations and working hours was confirmed by the company regarding the Egyptian destinations, The launch dates are set to be announced during December.
At the end of November 2011, reports have confirmed a general reorganization of the companies destinations and "modus operandi" regarding them. The strongest signs of this change are to be found with the suppressions of flights to Palma de Mallorca and Sevilla. Less frequencies will be operated to Athens and Lisbon, On the other hand, more flights will be operated to Scandinavian airports, Moscow, Eastern European airports and Morocco, meaning that the only fleet changes resulting from this reform will be three mid-range planes whose leasing contracts will expire next year, meaning three Boeing 737's, which will accelerate the Airbus transformation of the mid-range fleet of the company. Finally, another long-haul African destination and, officially, an American destination have been programmed by Brussels Airlines. All those changes seem to indicate a desire by Brussels Airlines to operate more professionally through the creation of a professional feeder network in Europe and North America for long-haul flights to Africa, thus resulting in less flights to touristic destinations and more flights to "professional" destinations. Such a plan, according to the company, should permit the company to return to profit by 2014 and increase its share at Brussels Airport, in line with the 10% increase seen in 2011.
Codeshare agreements
Brussels Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:(*) Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
members
|
Bmi (airline) British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa... * Croatia Airlines Croatia Airlines d.d. is the national airline and flag carrier of the Republic of Croatia. Based in Buzin, Zagreb, the airline is a member of Star Alliance and operates domestic and international services. Its main base is Zagreb Airport, with focus cities being Dubrovnik and Split... * Continental Airlines Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc... * Cyprus Airways Cyprus Airways is the national airline of Cyprus, a public limited company with its head offices located in the capital of the island, Nicosia. It operates scheduled services to 41 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and the Gulf. It flies from both airports of the island, Larnaca and Paphos,... EgyptAir EgyptAir is the flag carrier airline of Egypt and a member of Star Alliance. The airline is based at Cairo International Airport, its main hub, operating scheduled passenger and freight services to more than 75 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas... * |
Estonian Air AS Estonian Air is Estonia's national carrier, owned by the Estonian state. The airline is based in Tallinn, Estonia. It is a regional airline feeding into the Scandinavian Airlines System network via Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen from Estonia.... Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopian Airlines , formerly Ethiopian Air Lines, often referred to as simply Ethiopian, is an airline headquartered on the grounds of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It serves as the country's flag carrier, and is wholly owned by the Government of Ethiopia... * (future) Etihad Airways Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates. Established in July 2003 and based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihad commenced operations in November 2003.... Hainan Airlines Hainan Airlines Company Limited is an airline headquartered in the HNA Development Building in Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China. It is the largest privately-owned air transport company and the fourth-largest airline in terms of fleet size in the People's Republic of China... Jet Airways Jet Airways is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is India's largest airline and the market leader in the domestic sector. It operates over 400 flights daily to 76 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, with secondary hubs at Delhi,... LOT Polish Airlines Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. , trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the flag carrier of Poland. Based in Warsaw, LOT was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Using a fleet of 55 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to 60 destinations in Europe,... * |
Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating... * Malmö Aviation Malmö Aviation is a regional airline based in Malmö, Sweden. It operates scheduled services within Sweden from Stockholm, as well as scheduled international services to Belgium and France. Its main base is Malmö Airport, with a hub at Stockholm-Bromma Airport.... Royal Air Maroc Royal Air Maroc is the flag carrier airline of Morocco, headquartered on the grounds of Casablanca-Anfa Airport in Casablanca... RwandAir RwandAir is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Kigali International Airport in Kigali, Rwanda. It is the national carrier operating services to East Africa, Central Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa and the Middle East.-History:... Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets... * Spanair Spanair is a Spanish airline, with its head office in the Spanair Building in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona. It was, until 2009, a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines, which now holds slightly under 20% of the company. Spanair provides a scheduled passenger network within Spain and... * |
Swiss International Air Lines Swiss International Air Lines AG is the principal airline of Switzerland operating scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Its main hub is Zurich Airport... * TAROM S.C. Compania Națională de Transporturi Aeriene Române TAROM S.A., doing business as TAROM Romanian Air Transport, is the flag carrier and oldest currently operating airline of Romania. The brand name is an acronym for... (SkyTeam SkyTeam SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands... ) TAP Portugal TAP Portugal, commonly known as TAP, is the national airline of Portugal. It has its head office in Building 25 on the grounds of Portela Airport in Lisbon, and has been a member of the Star Alliance since 14 March 2005, the same day on which the company celebrated its 60th anniversary... * United Airlines United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental... * US Airways US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country.... * |
As Brussels Airlines joined Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
, some code-share agreements with non-Star Alliance partners were terminated and replaced by Star Alliance members.
Fleet
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Routes | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Y | Total | |||||
| Airbus A319-100 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
10 | 5 | 0 | 141 142 |
141 142 |
Europe, Asia, North Africa | 1 aircraft painted in Star Alliance livery Aircraft livery Aircraft livery is a paint scheme applied to an aircraft, generally to fuselage, wings, empennage , or jet engines. Most airlines have a standard paint scheme for their aircraft fleet, usually prominently displaying the airline logo or name. From time to time special liveries are introduced, for... |
| Airbus A320-200 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
2 | 4 | 0 | 168 | 168 | Europe, Asia | |
| Airbus A330-200 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 182 | 230 | Africa | Ex-Swiss HB-IQA, HB-IQC |
| Airbus A330-300 | 5 | 0 | 30 | 254 | 284 | Africa | |
| Avro RJ85 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 82 | Europe | To be phased out by end of 2012 |
| Avro RJ100 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 97 | 97 | Europe | To be phased out (long-term) |
| Boeing 737-300 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 142 | 142 | Europe | To be phased out by end of 2012 Replacement : A319-100 |
| Boeing 737-400 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 164 165 |
164 165 |
Europe | To be phased out Replacement : A320-200 |
| Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 70 | 70 | Europe | Operated by Tyrolean Airways |
| Embraer ERJ-145 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 49 | Europe | Operated by BMI Regional BMI Regional British Midland Regional Limited is a British regional airline based in Aberdeen, Scotland. BMI Regional is a wholly owned subsidiary of British Midland International operating scheduled passenger services primarily within the UK... |
| Total | 50 | 14 | |||||
History
Brussels Airlines previously operated 6 BAe 146-200s. These aircraft exited service in 2008 and 4 of them were up for sale. Two of them (OO-DJG, OO-DJH) have been sold. One of them (OO-DJE) is still stored at Brussels Airport. Two other (OO-DJJ & OO-MJE) were mentioned for AirDC , but that project has been cancelled. Instead they will go to the new airline Brussels Airlines is going to start in CongoDemocratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
"Korongo". The last remaining (OO-DJF) has been scrapped.
During 2009, the airline tested the fuel burn reduction of the AeroTech Services B737 Wing Modification on one B737-400. After realizing favorable results, the airline modified three more B737s in May and June 2010.
On 1 and 2 February 2010, Boeing 737-400
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
OO-VEJ was ferried to the USA (Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
) to return to its lessor. On 22 February, Boeing 737-400
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
OO-VBR was ferried to Macau to return to the lessor.
During 2010, two Airbus A319 aircraft (OO-SSC and OO-SSD) joined Brussels Airlines' fleet. OO-SSC is Brussels Airlines first Star Alliance logo jet.
The first Airbus A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
for Brussels Airlines joined the fleet in February 2011 and made its first commercial flight on 23 April 2011. In April 2011, a second A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
was delivered. These two A320s (registered OO-SNA and OO-SNB) are the ex D-ALTC and D-ALTD of Air Berlin.
In March 2011, Boeing 737-300
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
OO-LTM ended commercial service for Brussels Airlines and was painted in Korongo Airlines
Korongo Airlines
Korongo Airlines , is a proposed airline, which will be based at Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, operating scheduled regional passenger flights...
livery.
Brussels Airlines also took delivery of 4 Airbus A319
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
in 2011: OO-SSR and OO-SSQ (coming from Mexicana), OO-SSU and OO-SSV (coming from easyJet).
With improving financial performances, rising cash reserves and a desire to reduce costs more rapidly, Brussels Airlines has accelerated their fleet replacement plan by ordering no more than 12 planes during the final days of August 2011. Six A319s, four A320s and 2 A330-200s will be added to the fleet in the coming two years, with an additional 2 regional planes. Such a plan will maybe complete the exit of the Boeing aircraft from the fleet, plus accelerate the replacement of the Avro RJ85. The Avro RJ100 will be kept for some time, due to higher seat capacity.
Livery and call sign
The aircraft livery consists of a 'dotted B' logo on the tail, a light blue belly covering the whole aircraft's length, with the name 'Brussels Airlines' written in dark blue on the upper fuselage, preceded by the airline's 'b' logo. Most planes have an altered 'b' logo after superstitious travellers complained about the thirteen dots bringing bad luck. The logo now contains fourteen dots. The Brussels Airlines call sign is BEE-LINE.Inflight Entertainment
Brussels Airlines has two inflight magazines. For the European network there is b-there! which is a monthly magazine. On the African network, the magazine is named b-spirit! and is published every two months. Both magazines are available on board or as a PDF download through their respective websites. The magazines are also available as a freely downloadable application for Apple's iPadIPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
.
On the Airbus A330-300 fleet, Brussels Airlines has a personal IFE
Ife
Ife is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria. Evidence of inhabitation at the site has been discovered to date back to roughly 560 BC...
system in business class. In economy there are some video screens in the cabin. As from November 2011 until March/April 2012 Brussels Airlines will introduce a new interior on the A330-300 fleet. The new economy seats will feature AVOD personal inflight entertainement 9 inch screens. Also business class will get new seats with an improved AVOD IFE system with 15 inch screens.
The two Airbus A330-200's that will come from Swiss will get the new interior later in 2012. So by the end of 2012 the whole long haul fleet will be fitted with new seats with a new AVOD IFE
Ife
Ife is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria. Evidence of inhabitation at the site has been discovered to date back to roughly 560 BC...
system.
See also
- List of airports in Belgium
- Transport in BelgiumTransport in BelgiumTransport in Belgium is facilitated with well-developed road, air, rail and water networks. The rail network has of electrified tracks. The road network has of roads among which of motorways, of main roads and of other paved roads. Urban rail network is also developed in Brussels, Antwerp and...
External links
- Official website
- Official mobile website
- b.There! inflight magazine
- b.Spirit! inflight magazine
- Partner Website
- Brussels Airlines at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....