Brussels Airlines customers now receive three options for neutralizing the CO2-emissions of their flight........

Within its efforts to make flying more sustainable, Brussels Airlines now offers its customers the option to neutralize the carbon emissions of their flights in the same transaction as their booking, with a single click. After flight selection, they can choose one of three options to fly CO2-neutral.

The first option is to use SAF that is currently produced from residual biogenic materials and directly reduces CO2 emissions. A second option is to support high-quality carbon offset projects run by the non-profit organization myclimate. These promote measurable climate protection by not only reducing CO2 but also locally improving the quality of life and biodiversity. The third option is a combination of the first two. What is new is that these options can now be selected while booking, making it more convenient and attractive for the customer. Payment is made when buying the flight ticket, thus making CO2-neutral flying for passengers significantly easier. Furthermore, Brussels Airlines encourages these options by awarding additional status and award miles to Miles&More members.

​Peter Gerber, CEO of Brussels Airlines said: "We want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to neutralize the CO2emissions of their flight. So far, less than one percent of online bookers used to take advantage of our long-standing option to fly carbon neutral. With the integration of the options in the booking transaction directly, I am sure that we will convince significantly more of our passengers to fly CO2-neutral and hereby making a contribution to more sustainable air travel."

Since launching the option on its website last Thursday, Brussels Airlines has seen a preliminary conversion rate of nearly 7%, above its initial target of 5%.

In the coming years, Brussels Airlines and the Lufthansa Group plan to offer customers significantly more sustainable travel options. The basis for this new service is the digital solution "Compensaid," developed in 2019 by Lufthansa Innovation Hub. Since 2019, Lufthansa Group has already been offsetting carbon emissions of its employees' business-related air travel by using myclimate carbon offset projects.

Forging ahead with a clear sustainable strategy

Brussels Airlines and the Lufthansa Group is making effective climate protection a major goal with a clearly defined path toward carbon-neutrality: compared to 2019, Lufthansa Group plans to half its net-carbon emissions by 2030, and by 2050, the Lufthansa Group plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. This will be done by continually optimizing flight operations, using SAF, and using innovative procedures that make flights more environmental-friendly. But first and foremost, the largest progress will be made through accelerating fleet modernization.

To that end, Brussels Airlines will welcome three brand new A320neo aircraft to its fleet in 2023, with 30% less CO2 emissions and fuel use per seat, compared to the A319 aircraft they will replace.

Brussels Airlines is the home carrier of Belgium and one of the four network airlines of the Lufthansa Group. It connects the European capital from Brussels Airport with over 85 destinations, 17 of which are in Sub Saharan Africa. The company employs 3,100 people and operates 41 aircraft.

Want me in your inbox? Follow here for email updates Air101 here.

Net Loss of €62 millions for Brussels Airlines.....

Brussels Airlines ended the first quarter of 2022 with a loss of 62 million euros, an improvement of 11% compared to the previous year. Traditionally the lowest-performing period of the year in the aviation industry, the first quarter was still impacted by the consequences of the Covid pandemic.

Brussels Airlines' revenue increased by EUR 102 million or 185% year-on-year to EUR 157 million in the first quarter of 2022 (previous year: EUR 55 million), thanks to a 160% increase in production (Available Seat-Kilometres). The first quarter of 2021 was highly impacted by the non-essential travel ban, which was put into place by the Belgian government, whereas the beginning of 2022 was suffering from rising COVID infection numbers caused by the Omicron variant.

Operating expenses went up by a total of EUR 97 million or 75% to EUR 227 million (previous year: EUR 130 million), principally due to higher volume and price-related increase of fuel expenses, as well as higher volume related fees and charges. The Adjusted EBIT in the reporting period amounted to EUR –62 million (previous year: EUR –70 million).

Nina Oewerdieck, Chief Financial Officer at Brussels Airlines said:  “In the first quarter we still felt the impact of the pandemic, although we were able to increase our offer by 160%. The direct impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war remained very limited for us so far, as Brussels Airlines did not have any planned operations to or over the affected region. What we do feel is the fuel price increase, although for now we are still well protected for a large part thanks to our hedging policies. We are now looking ahead to a high-demand summer as people return to travelling after the pandemic.”

​

This year, Brussels Airlines plans to bring back its capacity to 80% of 2019 levels, thanks to the addition of two medium haul aircraft and one additional long haul aircraft, to reinforce its position in West Africa and to further strengthen its hub in Brussels. Demand is expected to be very high as the pandemic restrictions dissipate around the world.

As of 1 July 2022, Tilman Reinshagen, currently Vice President Ground Operations Hub Airlines Frankfurt, will become a member of the Brussels Airlines Executive Board as Chief Operating Officer (COO); his appointment is still subject to the approval of the SN Airholding Board of Directors; he succeeds Edi Wolfensberger, who took over the position of COO at Eurowings as of 1 April 2022.

 

Brussels Airlines releases details of its first-quarter results.....

Brussels Airlines ended the first quarter of 2022 with a loss of 62 million euros, an improvement of 11% compared to the previous year. Traditionally the lowest-performing period of the year in the aviation industry, the first quarter was still impacted by the consequences of the Covid pandemic.

Brussels Airlines' revenue increased by EUR 102 million or 185% year-on-year to EUR 157 million in the first quarter of 2022 (previous year: EUR 55 million), thanks to a 160% increase in production (Available Seat-Kilometres). The first quarter of 2021 was highly impacted by the non-essential travel ban, which was put into place by the Belgian government, whereas the beginning of 2022 was suffering from rising COVID infection numbers caused by the Omicron variant.

Operating expenses went up by a total of EUR 97 million or 75% to EUR 227 million (previous year: EUR 130 million), principally due to higher volume and price-related increase of fuel expenses, as well as higher volume related fees and charges. The Adjusted EBIT in the reporting period amounted to EUR –62 million (previous year: EUR –70 million).

Nina Oewerdieck, Chief Financial Officer at Brussels Airlines said:  “In the first quarter we still felt the impact of the pandemic, although we were able to increase our offer by 160%. The direct impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war remained very limited for us so far, as Brussels Airlines did not have any planned operations to or over the affected region. What we do feel is the fuel price increase, although for now we are still well protected for a large part thanks to our hedging policies. We are now looking ahead to a high-demand summer as people return to travelling after the pandemic.”

​

This year, Brussels Airlines plans to bring back its capacity to 80% of 2019 levels, thanks to the addition of two medium haul aircraft and one additional long haul aircraft, to reinforce its position in West Africa and to further strengthen its hub in Brussels. Demand is expected to be very high as the pandemic restrictions dissipate around the world.

As of 1 July 2022, Tilman Reinshagen, currently Vice President Ground Operations Hub Airlines Frankfurt, will become a member of the Brussels Airlines Executive Board as Chief Operating Officer (COO); his appointment is still subject to the approval of the SN Airholding Board of Directors; he succeeds Edi Wolfensberger, who took over the position of COO at Eurowings as of 1 April 2022.

 

Lufthansa Group Executive Board promotes Tilman Reinshagen to post of Chief Operating Officer of Brussels Airlines

Lufthansa Group Executive Board promotes Tilman Reinshagen to the post of Chief Operating Officer of Brussels Airlines to start on 1st July, the group confirmed earlier this month.

Forty-year-old Tilman Reinshagen is currently Vice President of Ground Operations Hub Airlines Frankfurt and was chosen by the Lufthansa Group Executive Board as the new Brussels Airlines COO because of his abilities.  He will join Brussels Airlines as of July 1st to head the operational departments of the Belgian airline (Flight Operations, Maintenance & Engineering, Ground Operations). Mr Reinshagen’s appointment is pending the approval of the SN Airholding Board of Directors.

Making his first steps in aviation in 2003 as a passenger service agent and later as a management trainee, Tilman Reinshagen has built up an extensive experience in aviation operations, working in different companies of the Lufthansa Group. After his role as Station Manager Frankfurt for SWISS, he moved to Lufthansa as Process and Quality Manager Spain & Portugal. In 2013, he started at LSG, the aviation catering company of the Lufthansa Group, as Managing Director LSG Düsseldorf, followed by his role as Director Operations Frankfurt International.

.In 2017, Tilman Reinshagen left the Lufthansa Group to join the management team at Apple, before returning to the Lufthansa Group in 2019, leading the Ground Operations of the largest Lufthansa Group station in Frankfurt in his current role today.

#

Peter Gerber, Chief Executive Officer of Brussels Airlines said: “I am very happy that Tilman will join the Management Board of Brussels Airlines. With his vast experience inside and outside the Lufthansa Group and his strong leadership skills, I am convinced that he will successfully lead our operational teams and contribute to our readiness for future challenges.”

- 

Want me in your inbox? Follow here for email updates site here.

Brussels Airlines launching a new Management Trainee programme.........

Brussels Airlines is looking for bright and motivated young graduates who want to develop a deep understanding of the aviation business and start a career within the company. Thanks to a 24-month rotational programme, three young talents will be immersed into the different operational and administrative departments that run the airline business.

Making use of the past crisis, Brussels Airlines is transforming into a future proof company. To support that transformation and create a sustainable future for Brussels Airlines, the company wants to hire three talented young graduates with an entrepreneurial and growth mindset,  who want to have an impact on the future of Belgian aviation.

Two-year programme

During three projects of eight months each, the management trainees will be able to work in the various departments of Brussels Airlines. Developing their project management skills, an exchange with management trainees of the Lufthansa Group and an intercontinental project in one of the airline’s African stations, will prepare the trainees to grow into a management position.

The different possible projects will be distributed depending on personal interest and growth opportunities of the management trainee.

Application process

Students who graduate in summer 2022 who have obtained a master degree and preferably also an MBA can apply on the website of Brussels Airlines.  A global mindset and desire to connect with people of all levels are a must.

Brussels Airlines is growing

In 2022, Brussels Airlines is growing again, while transforming into a future-proof airline that is ready to tackle the challenges ahead. One of the most interesting challenges in the coming years will be the path to becoming CO2-neutral by 2050. By 2023 the airline aims to become profitable and by 2024 the company is committed to reach an EBIT margin of 8% to fuel further growth and fleet renewal and to invest even further in a sustainable future. To reach its targets, Brussels Airlines is looking for motivated minds to make this transformation into a long-term profitable company with a sustainable future happen.

 

Follow this site here.

Brussels Airlines is gearing up for a busy Easter period........

Brussels Airlines notes a high demand for sunny destinations during the Easter holidays and expects this to only increase due to a large number of last-minute bookings. 

During the upcoming school holidays, the airline offers 80% of its European vacation offer compared to 2019. Across the total network, Brussels Airlines offers 75% of its 2019 capacity. It is also notable that Belgians are departing earlier and returning later than before.

Brussels Airlines is gearing up for a busy Easter vacation. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the focus is more than ever on leisure flights, as that segment rose sharply relative to business flights. The Belgian home carrier offers 80% of its 2019 leisure offer in Europe. The most popular destinations during the Easter holidays are located in the South of Europe. The top 5 is headed by Malaga, followed by Rome, Lisbon and Madrid. New to the top 5 this year is Copenhagen.

On the Brussels Airlines intercontinental network, the more touristic destinations are doing well as well as the popular Kinshasa in the VFR (visit friends and relatives) segment. At the top of touristic intercontinental destinations is New York, followed by Dakar (Senegal), Douala (Cameroon) and Entebbe (Uganda). The airline will offer 82% of its 2019 long-haul capacity during the upcoming holidays.

15 destinations return to the Brussels Airlines network as of March 27: Washington in the United States and a host of popular leisure destinations in Europe, including Athens, Naples, Florence, Catania, Palermo, Bari, Palma de Mallorca and Marrakesh in Northern Africa.

Brussels Airlines is still expecting a large number of last-minute reservations. As was the case for the carnival holidays, the airline estimates that two-thirds of passengers only book their trip in the last 6 weeks before departure. As a result, early deciders benefit from the cheapest fares relatively longer.

"In addition to the last-minute reservation trend that we have been noticing for two years, we also see that departing on Thursdays and returning on Mondays has become remarkably more popular. It seems that the “new way of working” as a result from the Pandemic has led to more flexibility for employees in managing their work-life balance”

•   Tom Maes, Head of Commercial Steering at Brussels Airlines

All fares at Brussels Airlines can still be rebooked, although the airline notices that there is less demand for this.

Towards the summer school holidays, Brussels Airlines also expects a high demand for leisure flights. The airline announced earlier that it is adding two additional aircraft to its fleet to meet the high demand.

Air101: Brussels Airlines adds two additional medium haul aircraft to its fleet this summer

Air101: Brussels Airlines to introduce 8 new routes this summer.

Air101: Inside Brussels Airlines: preparing for our gradual summer relaunch

Air101: How an airline prepares its fleet for hibernation........inside Brussels Airlines aircraft hibernation process - video and photos

Follow this site here.

Brussels Airlines adds two additional medium haul aircraft to its fleet this summer

Brussels Airlines has decided to add two aircraft to its medium-haul fleet this summer season. This growth comes earlier than foreseen in its transformation plan (and state loan agreement) as it sees an opportunity in the increasing demand for summer. With one extra Airbus 319 and one extra A320, Brussels Airlines wants to cater to the high demand for leisure travel and defend its position in the market as Belgium’s home carrier.

On the European network, Brussels Airlines noted a significant increase in leisure demand for summer: 75% more requests from tour operators, 140% more requests for charter business compared to 2020, and the expectation that this touristic demand will even further increase leading up to the summer.

Within the scope of Reboot Plus, Brussels Airlines rightsized its short- and medium-haul fleet from 42 aircraft in 2019 to 30 in 2020. With especially touristic markets recovering quicker than initially forecasted, the airline decided to expand its capacity to reap this additional summer demand: The lease of one A319 will therefore be extended to October 2022 and the phase-in of one A320 will be advanced to June 2022 in order to offer 80% of the 2019 summer production.

“We see clear signals that this crisis is slowly but surely coming to an end. The leisure segment in the market recovered more quickly than originally expected and we also see a slow but steady increase in the demand for corporate travel. By 2024 we should again reach the level of 2019 if it comes to the demand in the business travel segment. This is definitely the right time to increase our market share and once again confirm our position as Belgium’s home carrier.”

Peter Gerber, CEO Brussels Airlines, "This fleet expansion will give the company’s pilots, who currently have a part-time contract as was foreseen in its transformation plan in 2020 in order to keep all pilots on board, the possibility to return to a full-time working regime two years earlier than foreseen. On the cabin crew side, recruitments are ongoing. As it was promised in 2020, Brussels Airlines first contacted its ex-colleagues who did not see their contract prolonged that year due to the pandemic and the Reboot Plus program. 135 out of the 165 colleagues who were asked to return have accepted to work again for Brussels Airlines."

In December, Brussels Airlines already announced growth on its intercontinental sector, especially in Africa, thanks to a 9th A330  aircraft. This additional plane allows Brussels Airlines to increase frequencies to several of its destinations in Sub Sahara Africa and to resume its flights to Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and Conakry (Guinée), which were discontinued in 2020.

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

Brussels Airlines to introduce 8 new routes this summer.

This coming summer season, starting on March 27, Brussels Airlines will offer 85 destinations, with a focus on leisure. Newcomers in the airline’s summer portfolio compared to last year are Arrecife -Lanzarote, Chania in Crete, Egypt's Hurghada Resort, Lesbos - Mytilene, Samos, Marrakesh and Rabat (Morocco) and Munich.

After a winter that was still heavily impacted by the global pandemic, Brussels Airlines predicts a very busy summer season.

“The booking figures clearly show a great willingness to travel. Compared to the summer of 2021, we also see that passengers start to book longer in advance again, especially for the school holiday periods. Spain, Portugal, Italy and the Greek Islands are expected to be the most popular destinations this summer season. That’s why we are happy to add the islands Lesbos and Samos in Greece to our network, but also Lanzarote and Crete will be an added value in our vacation portfolio.”

• Jan Derycke, Head of Network and Planning Brussels Airlines

 

66 Medium haul destinations with focus on leisure travel

With a broad range of popular holiday destinations, the Belgian company wants to provide its customers a positive outlook for the coming summer. On top of the year-round destinations like Alicante, Madrid, Lisbon, Milano, Rome and many more, the airline relaunches a series of summer holiday destinations:

In Greece, Athens and Greek islands Crete (Heraklion and Chania), Cos, Rhodes, Corfu, Zakynthos, Lesbos and Samos will again be connected to Brussels. In Italy the airline will land again in Bari, Catania, Florence, Napoli, Olbia and Palermo. Spanish leisure routes Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca will join the network while flights to the Canary islands Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote will be continued from the winter season. Brussels Airlines will also start flying to Croatian destinations Dubrovnik and Split again as well as to Russian destinations Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. The Egyptian destination Hurghada will be continued after winter and also Marrakesh in Morocco will join the summer schedule. During the peak season, Moroccan destinations Tangier, Rabat and Nador will be connected to Brussels too.

19 long haul destinations with the restart of Washington

On the intercontinental network, Brussels Airlines will reopen Conakry (Guinea) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) in Africa and will resume flights to Washington D.C. during the summer season. In total, the Belgian airline offers 19 long haul destinations, including 17 in Sub Sahara Africa and 2 in the US (New York and Washington).

New route Brussels – Munich

For the first time, Brussels Airlines will operate flights between Brussels and Munich. The Belgian airline will operate two flights a day, while Lufthansa continues to operate 5 daily frequencies. The first Brussels Airlines flight to Munich will take off on March 27^th.

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

Brussels Airlines takes 153,000 COVID-19 vaccines to Uganda

On Wednesday 22 September, 153,000 COVID-19 vaccines arrived safely in Entebbe, Uganda with Brussels Airlines flight SN455. The Brussels Airlines aircraft carrying the donation by the Belgian government of 153,000 doses of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine was awaited at the airport in Entebbe by Rudi Veestraeten - Ambassador of Belgium to Uganda, Tom Vanneste – Resident Representative of ENABEL and Geert Lemmen – Country Manager Uganda for Brussels Airlines. After the transportation of the vaccines by air, ENABEL takes further care of the logistic aspects. The donated doses will allow vaccinating teachers, meaning schools in Uganda can reopen again.

Geert Lemmen, Country Manager Uganda at Brussels Airlines said: “Brussels Airlines is the gateway to Africa, and we are proud to help the Belgian Government in the fast transportation of this vaccine donation to Uganda. Thanks to the close cooperation with the representatives of the Belgian government in both Belgium and Uganda, we can contribute to the increase of the vaccination rate in Africa and do our bit to help in reopening the schools here in Uganda. We look forward to shipping more vaccine donations in the near future.”

In the coming weeks, Brussels Airlines will transport another 190,000 Astra-Zeneca vaccines donated by the Belgian government within the framework of the COVAX initiative, in cooperation with UNICEF.

 

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

Brussels Airlines sees 30 to 40% growth in corporate travel out of Belgium

Since mid-august, Brussels Airlines notes a light increase in corporate travel out of Belgium. With a weekly increase in bookings between 30 and 40%, the airline expects to welcome around 28,000 corporate passengers out of Brussels in September. While corporate travellers normally book two to three weeks in advance, the trend of the last minute bookings since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis has changed the booking timing to only two to three days ahead of their travel date.

    

    Corporate travel out of Belgium slowly starts to pick up again

    Weekly increase in bookings of 30 to 40%

    Brussels Airlines expects companies to ease restrictions in their travel policies as of October

    European destinations most popular for business traffic

    Higher demand for flights to USA due to easing of travel restrictions for fully vaccinated passengers

    Need for flexibility higher than ever before

Increasing demand for corporate travel

Some sectors are resuming corporate travel faster than others. The first sectors to pick up business travel again are the European and other political institutions, universities and the Marine business, followed by the automotive industry, international construction companies and producers of building materials. Also NGO’s and insurance companies performing repatriations represent a significant share of Brussels Airlines’ corporate customers.

While many multinationals still apply a (partial) homeworking policy, the airline expects its major corporate customers to ease their travel policies as of October.

Popular business destinations

Kim Daenen named as new Head of Corporate Communications at Brussels Airlines

Kim Daenen has been appointed as the new Head of Corporate Communications at Brussels Airlines, directly reporting to Peter Gerber, CEO of the company. She hereby succeeds Wencke Lemmes who has taken up the role of Head of Customer Experience, Product & Marketing since May 15th. In her new role, Wencke will remain responsible for Public Affairs and Lobbying, a function she took on recently.

Kim Daenen, who has a Master’s degree in Translation & Business Communication as well as a Master’s degree in Journalism, started her journey at Brussels Airlines in 2009. As part of the e-commerce department and later as the airline’s Social Media Manager, she contributed to the airline’s online reputation and developed its social media communication strategy. In 2014, Kim Daenen joined the Corporate Communications department of Brussels Airlines as a Media Relations Manager and Spokesperson, managing and building further on the reputation of the Belgian airline. With her vast experience in internal and external communications, crisis communication and public relations and her extensive knowledge of the company and the aviation sector, Kim will further develop the public relations and communication strategy of Brussels Airlines.

“With our turnaround plan REBOOT Plus, a new Brussels Airlines will emerge, in which change will be the one constant. To make this new Brussels Airlines and the profound investments in our future a success, transparent and extensive communication will be key. We are convinced that Kim is the perfect fit for this challenge and will make the communications and public relations strategy future-proof.”

- Peter Gerber, CEO Brussels Airlines

“Our company has gone through tremendous change in recent years and will continue to do so. In the coming months and years, one of our key priorities will be to transparently communicate our sustainability ambitions. Next to this, our focus will continue to be on our Belgian ambassadorship, our key market Africa and our ongoing improvements and investments to become a structurally sustainable company, offering perspectives to our employees and stakeholders.”

- Kim Daenen, Head of Corporate Communications at Brussels Airlines

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

More flights for Brussels Airlines this winter

Brussels Airlines sees an increase in the demand for winter-sun destinations from both individual passengers and travel agents.

As of 30 September Brussels Airlines adds Marrakech to its flight offer.

As from 31 October also flights to winter-sun destinations Lanzarote & Hurghada.

Additional flights to Tenerife and Gran Canaria during school holidays.

In the aftermath of a rainy summer in Belgium, during which the flights to vacation destinations in Southern Europe were particularly successful, Brussels Airlines notices that also in the coming months there is a demand for holiday destinations in the sun. The airline wants to meet this demand with extra flights to winter-sun destinations.

As from 30 September, Marrakech will for the first time be part of Brussels Airlines' offer. The Moroccan city will be connected twice a week with flights on Thursdays and Sundays. Thanks to the low chance of precipitation, this city with its wide variety of cultures is the ideal destination for either a weekend or a longer vacation in the sun.

For the first time since March 2020, Hurghada is again part of the Brussels Airlines network. As from 31 October, the Red Sea resort will be served three times a week (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday).

With the addition of Lanzarote as from 31 October, Brussels Airlines strengthens its presence on the Canary Islands, where it will also fly to Tenerife and Gran Canaria this winter. To these last two destinations additional frequencies are added during the Belgian school holidays. With flights on Thursdays and Saturdays, Lanzarote is the ideal destination for both short and longer winter vacations in the sun.

The complete winter offer of Brussels Airlines will follow in the course of September. 

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

Brussels Airlines makes travelling easier with document check at home and interactive travel map

Brussels Airlines wants to make travelling by air easy and accessible again by helping its guests to bring the right documents. Because of the constantly changing travel restrictions and the many differences in the documents asked by immigration offices in and outside of Europe, travelling abroad requires a lot of paperwork. Since the beginning of the travel restrictions, Brussels Airlines has made many efforts to inform its guests about the necessary documents. The document checks currently performed at the different airports are causing enormous complexity for both customers and airline staff. That is why the airline launches two specific initiatives to inform its guests even better and offers the possibility to verify travel documents at home instead of the airport. That way, travellers can avoid long waiting times at the airport check-in counters.

Document check at home

As of 18 August, Brussels Airlines will allow its guests travelling to France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece to have their necessary health documents checked remotely (after a successful test phase on flights to/from Spain since 11 August). With this new service, the airline wants to make travelling easier and more accessible and limit the queues at the airport check-in counters. Guests eligible for the document check at home will receive an invitation to upload their documents through notification emails sent 6, 3 and 1 days before departure.

Three Airbus A320neo to join the Brussels Airlines fleet in 2023

Lufthansa Group Executive Board and the Board of Directors of SN Air holding have authorised the allocation of three Airbus A320neo to Brussels Airlines. With these new state-of-the-art aircraft, Belgium’s home carrier makes an essential step in the further modernisation of the airline’s fleet and herewith significantly lowers the CO2- and noise emissions on its medium-haul network. It’s the very first time in the history of Brussels Airlines, that the company will phase in brand new aircraft, coming right from the manufacturer.  

Peter Gerber, CEO of Brussels Airlines said: “As a responsible airline with ambitious sustainability targets, it’s crucial for us to continue our path of further modernizing our fleet. Thanks to our mother company Lufthansa, we are for the very first time in our 19 year-long history able to replace the older A319 Airbus with three modern and fuel-efficient aircraft that will leave the Airbus factory by summer 2023. Compared to our A319 aircraft, the three A320neo will allow a noise contour reduction of 50% and reduce fuel use and CO2 emissions by 11% per flight. Thanks to the higher seating capacity of this ultra-modern Airbus, the fuel use and CO2 emissions per seat decrease with 30%”.

Free rebooking option to be extended says Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines and all Lufthansa Group airlines make it possible for their passengers to plan their trip with peace of mind as they extend the free rebooking option. Since the end of August 2020, all fares of Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Eurowings can be rebooked to a new date and or destination without a rebooking fee. Uptil now, this fare offer was valid for (re-)bookings until the end of May. Now the offer is being extended again: all airline fares can be rebooked free of charge as often as desired up to July 31, 2021. After that date, one more rebooking is possible free of charge.

Lufthansa Group Airlines had already made it possible for its customers to rebook their tickets without a rebooking fee for tickets bought until the 31st of May. The suspension of the rebooking fee is now prolonged until the 31st of July, meaning that passengers of Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa and Swiss can rebook their tickets as often as desired until the 31st of July and one more time after that date. Travel dates can be postponed up to one year after the originally planned travel date.

Brussels Airlines continues its Belgian Icons series

Six years ago, Brussels Airlines launched its first Belgian Icon with a single hand-painted aircraft carrying a never-seen-before livery. Together with Moulinsart, the airline created Rackham, an aircraft livery dedicated to the world-famous Belgian cartoon character Tintin, covered in a 37m long black shark based on the original drawing by the hand of Hergé. The Belgian Icon series is one of many ways how the airline wants to show ambassadorship for its country. The airline will continue to bring the best of Belgium to the world.

As Rackham – which is still one of the most photographed planes in the world – has reached its repainting deadline, Moulinsart and Brussels Airlines agreed to prolong their partnership and restore the aircraft painting in its original state, meaning that Rackham will stay in the airline’s fleet for at least 5 more years. While the painting on the outside remains almost identical, the interior of the aircraft will be upgraded with more Tintin illustrations by the hand of Hergé. With the renewal of its first Belgian Icon, Brussels Airlines confirms its continued ambassadorship for Belgium. Moreover, the airline aims at always counting at least five Belgian Icons in its fleet.

Brussels Airlines reports loss of 70 million euro in first quarter

As a result of the Corona crisis, Brussels Airlines reports an adjusted EBIT of EUR -70 million for the first quarter, only a 9% decrease compared to the same period last year, which included January and February 2020, two “normal” months  before the Coronavirus reached Europe. The first quarter is traditionally the lowest performing one of the year in the aviation industry. The Belgian airline’s revenue fell by 76% year-on-year to EUR 55 million, while operating costs were brought down by 59% to EUR 130 million, in part due to lower production, but also thanks to cost-saving measures in its Reboot Plus program.

 

Brussels Airlines to offer 79 destinations in total this summer - including new routes to Bordeaux, Tangier, Nador and Al Hoceima

With travel restrictions evolving and vaccination programs underway, the demand for air travel is slowly picking up. Brussels Airlines has redesigned its network to meet this demand, especially for holiday destinations. Next to the reopening of its leisure destinations, Brussels Airlines also launches flights to Bordeaux in France and Tangier, Nador and Al Hoceima in Morocco. With the opening of these new destinations, the airline emphasizes its important position on the leisure and VFR (Visit Friends and Relatives) market.

Over the past six months, the airline operated a network that focused on essential travel, mainly with flights to and from Africa. Today the airline gives its leisure customers a positive outlook on the summer, together with partners and tour operators. Over the coming months, the airline expects an increase in demand for air travel during the summer holidays. On top of the destinations the airline offers today, following destinations will join the network in the coming months:

Opening in May 2021:

Austria: Vienna      

Greece: Heraklion, Kos, Rhodes

Israel: Tel Aviv        

Italy: Bologna, Napoli, Rome

Scotland: Edinburgh      

Slovenia: Ljubljana

Spain: Bilbao, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia

Opening in June 2021:

Angola: Luanda                    

Armenia: Yerevan

Czech Republic: Prague      

Croatia: Dubrovnik, Split

England: Birmingham          

France: Bordeaux

Greece: Corfu, Zakynthos    

Hungary: Budapest

Italy: Bari, Catania, Florence, Milan Linate, Palermo

Lithuania: Vilnius      

Morocco: Nador, Tangier

Norway: Oslo      

Poland: Krakow, Warsaw

Russia: Moscow Sheremetyevo, Saint Petersburg

Sweden: Gothenburg

United States: New York, Washington D.C.

Opening in July 2021:

Italy: Olbia (Sardinia)

Opening in August 2021:

Germany: Frankfurt (new destination)

Opening in September 2021:

Switzerland: Basel

 

New destinations: Bordeaux, Tangier, Nador and Al Hoceima

In addition to the reopening of a large part of its network, Brussels Airlines is also thrilled to add four destination to its portfolio: Bordeaux in France and Al Hoceima, Tangier  and Nador in Morocco. These last three destinations will be offered in cooperation with ML Tours. The first flight to Bordeaux will take off on June 20, with two weekly flights on Fridays and Sundays. Nador and Tangier will join the network as of June 26 and 27 respectively. Nador will be connected with Brussels Airport twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays, while flights to Tangier will be operated every Wednesday and Sunday. Flights to Al Hoceima will exclusively be bookable through ML Tours.

Next to Bordeaux, Tangier, Nador and Al Hoceima, also Frankfurt joins the Brussels Airlines network for the first time, as the airline announced on February 24th. The first flight from Brussels to Frankfurt will take off on August 2nd.

Africa and North Atlantic

Washington DC and New York are planned to be operated as of June 14. These will be the first North-Atlantic flights of Brussels Airlines since March 21st, 2020. Montreal is planned to join the network on June 15, but given the current travel restrictions in Canada these plans might still alter.

As for the African network, Brussels Airlines gradually increases its flight frequencies to all its African destinations as of mid June, when West African destinations Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Accra (Ghana), Banjul (Gambia) and Dakar (Senegal) are planned to be offered on a daily basis. In Central and East Africa Douala and Yaounde (both in Cameroon), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Entebbe (Uganda) are also foreseen to be served daily. Luanda joins the network again after more than a year. As of June 15, the Angolan city will be served three times weekly. 

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Inside Brussels Airlines: preparing for our gradual summer relaunch

With vaccination programs underway in many countries and demand for travel slowly starting to pick up for summer Brussels Airlines prepares its operations for a gradual build-up of its flight offer.

At an airline, such a buildup does not happen overnight and it takes several months to prepare. We not only need to get our planes ready to hit the skies again, but we also need to get our cabin and cockpit crew and our Ground Operations colleagues back up to speed and fully trained after a period of inactivity.

Training our pilots, crew and ground staff

In aviation, nothing is left to chance and safety is at all times the highest priority. Therefore, our Training department worked out a very thorough and intensive training program to make sure we fully prepare our pilots to take off again. The first group started their training at the beginning of April. For each pilot, the program takes approximately one month to complete and includes 14 hours of theoretical training, including self-study and classroom trainings to review all flight and aircraft procedures, 12 hours of simulator and  10 to 20 flights with an instructor, depending on the experience of the pilot. Last but not least, every pilot performs a line check before they are released to fly on their own again. In total 150 pilots need to go through this complete training and we expect to finish the training program by summer. Our 400 other pilots have continuously been trained during the past months.

As for our cabin crew, as of 1 May, 130 cabin colleagues who have been in full temporary unemployment will gradually be retrained for flying duties with seven to ten days of refresher courses, depending on the type of flights they operate (short haul or long haul), and several familiarization flights to have all safety procedures and Corona-related hygiene measures fresh in mind when they welcome our passengers on board again.

New logistics building at Brussels Airport

Construction News from Brussels Airport -  The airport has unveiled its newest logistics building at Brucargo West. The new complex with 50,000m² of warehouses, 10,000m² of office space and direct airside access is quite impressive.

The driving principle in the building’s design? Sustainability! The building is energy & water efficient. Part of the roof surface is laid out as a green roof while the entire surface is designed to be fitted out with solar panels in the future and the building is equipped with LED lighting. Rain gardens and infiltration wells improve rainwater infiltration and rainwater pits were installed for harvesting and reusing rainwater. Furthermore, depending on the usage and orientation, rooms are heated or cooled by heat pumps, which also supply the climate ceilings in the offices.

The new logistics building is also especially suitable for the handling of pharma, and in particular vaccines, which is one of the niche markets we have specialised in and for which Brussels Airport is recognised as one of the leading airports in the world.

The new building that accommodates the offices & warehouses of Expeditors, Kuehne+Nagel and Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), is a true landmark on the Brussels Airport site, with a sleek, modern and eco-friendly architectural touch!

More top stories you might be interested in.....