Brussels Airlines scraps wet-lease contract with CityJet for 5 CRJ900s and cancels 8 destinations until Summer 2021

Brussels Airlines has decided to cancel eight routes until 31 March 2021, in view of the rapidly declining demand due to the coronavirus crisis, says Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.

The eight routes that are no longer served this summer are Seville, Valencia, Bristol, Hanover, Moscow, Billund, Marrakesh and Santorini. This review of the Brussels Airlines flight offer is now progressing faster due to the coronavirus crisis. Parent company Lufthansa already indicated yesterday that “the restructuring programmes already initiated at Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines will be further intensified due to the coronavirus crisis. Among other things, both companies are working on reducing their fleets“.

“It concerns eight routes that we have decided not to start due to the corona crisis. We don’t expect demand to come back anyway,” spokeswoman Kim Daenen explained to the newspaper. “In addition, we have already cancelled a contract with an external partner, CityJet, which means we have five fewer aircraft in the summer.” Brussels Airlines indeed wet-leases five Bombardier CRJ900 from CityJet for its lighter routes.

Customers who have booked a trip to one of those destinations will be contacted to find a solution.

Brussels Airlines reported on Monday that it would resume its flights with a limited schedule on May 15 at the earliest.