The use of languages at Belgian airports

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Conti764
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The use of languages at Belgian airports

Post by Conti764 »

crew1990 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 12:13 Yes indeed French and English is the most used languages in CRL are you surprised, was you maybe expecting that everyone speak Polish maybe? By the way have a try to speak French in our dear National Airport you would be surprised how people react to you. And can we speak about Antwerp Aerodrome? Do you think they speak something else than flemish there. I see lot of frustration in you message sorry that a Walloon airport have so much succes
First of all, French being negatively received at BRU is utter BS. Especially since a very large part of the staff is natively French speaking.
And Antwerp is nowhere near the size or the importance of CRL and caters for business demand to/from Antwerp.

crew1990
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by crew1990 »

Conti764 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 14:38
crew1990 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 12:13 Yes indeed French and English is the most used languages in CRL are you surprised, was you maybe expecting that everyone speak Polish maybe? By the way have a try to speak French in our dear National Airport you would be surprised how people react to you. And can we speak about Antwerp Aerodrome? Do you think they speak something else than flemish there. I see lot of frustration in you message sorry that a Walloon airport have so much succes


First of all, French being negatively received at BRU is utter BS. Especially since a very large part of the staff is natively French speaking.
And Antwerp is nowhere near the size or the importance of CRL and caters for business demand to/from Antwerp.

With all my respect, most of the check in agent, police, duty free people... etc are flemish and many of them don't even speak french... but yes you are right at starbucks they are mainly french speaker

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luchtzak
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by luchtzak »

Who cares about the language ? I have never felt insulted or strange that a worker speaks another language. My experience: in most case they make an effort to address you in your language. Charleroi or Brussels.

crew1990
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by crew1990 »

I don't care neither as I'm bilingual, but it seems to be a dramatic issue for some member not to be adressed in Flemish while beeing in a Walloon airport. But when it's about OST or ANT, there no problem. I just don't like bad faith.

crew1990
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by crew1990 »

crew1990 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 17:07 I don't care neither as I'm bilingual, but it seems to be a dramatic issue for some member not to be adressed in Flemish while beeing in a Walloon airport. But when it's about OST or ANT, there no problem. I just don't like bad faith.
ANR*

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Conti764
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by Conti764 »

crew1990 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 16:48
Conti764 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 14:38
crew1990 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 12:13 Yes indeed French and English is the most used languages in CRL are you surprised, was you maybe expecting that everyone speak Polish maybe? By the way have a try to speak French in our dear National Airport you would be surprised how people react to you. And can we speak about Antwerp Aerodrome? Do you think they speak something else than flemish there. I see lot of frustration in you message sorry that a Walloon airport have so much succes


First of all, French being negatively received at BRU is utter BS. Especially since a very large part of the staff is natively French speaking.
And Antwerp is nowhere near the size or the importance of CRL and caters for business demand to/from Antwerp.

With all my respect, most of the check in agent, police, duty free people... etc are flemish and many of them don't even speak french... but yes you are right at starbucks they are mainly french speaker
Police is legally obligated to be Flemish (native Dutch speaking).
In the national airport, every public servant should speak at least both main national languages, but there is a huge deficit in staff so the government can't afford to be picky when it comes to selecting police officers to work at BRU. Unfortunately.

If you go 'behind the scenes' a vast majority of staff is french speaking.

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sn26567
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by sn26567 »

Conti764 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 18:19 If you go 'behind the scenes' a vast majority of staff is french speaking.
Really? To settle the issue, some official figures:

The airport employs workers from all provinces of the country, the centre of gravity being in the provinces of Flemish Brabant (40%) and Antwerp (17%), followed by the Brussels-Capital Region (16%) and East Flanders (10%). Almost three out of four workers (74% or 17,006 workers) live in the Flemish Region. The Brussels-Capital Region provides 3,617 workers and the Walloon Region 2,398. The workers live near the airport (municipalities of Zaventem, Vilvorde, but also Machelen, Steenokkerzeel, Kortenberg and Kampenhout). Large groups of workers also commute from Brussels-City and Schaerbeek, but also Leuven, Antwerp and Mechelen.

In the aeronautics cluster, workers come first from the Flemish Region (74%), then from the Walloon Region (15%) and finally from the Brussels-Capital Region (12%). In the cluster of other airport-related activities, the order is reversed: Brussels workers outnumber Walloon workers (17% against 7%) and thus 76% from the Flemish region. In the business cluster, 25.3% of workers come from Brussels. This cluster has fewer workers from the Flemish Region (66%) and the Walloon region (9%).

Source: aviato.be
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flightlover
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by flightlover »

sn26567 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 21:15
Conti764 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 18:19 If you go 'behind the scenes' a vast majority of staff is french speaking.
Really? To settle the issue, some official figures:

The airport employs workers from all provinces of the country, the centre of gravity being in the provinces of Flemish Brabant (40%) and Antwerp (17%), followed by the Brussels-Capital Region (16%) and East Flanders (10%). Almost three out of four workers (74% or 17,006 workers) live in the Flemish Region. The Brussels-Capital Region provides 3,617 workers and the Walloon Region 2,398. The workers live near the airport (municipalities of Zaventem, Vilvorde, but also Machelen, Steenokkerzeel, Kortenberg and Kampenhout). Large groups of workers also commute from Brussels-City and Schaerbeek, but also Leuven, Antwerp and Mechelen.

In the aeronautics cluster, workers come first from the Flemish Region (74%), then from the Walloon Region (15%) and finally from the Brussels-Capital Region (12%). In the cluster of other airport-related activities, the order is reversed: Brussels workers outnumber Walloon workers (17% against 7%) and thus 76% from the Flemish region. In the business cluster, 25.3% of workers come from Brussels. This cluster has fewer workers from the Flemish Region (66%) and the Walloon region (9%).

Source: aviato.be
One note though, living in a dutch speaking region does not imply that they speak dutch (as a first language).

Lux_avi
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by Lux_avi »

crew1990 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 17:07 I don't care neither as I'm bilingual, but it seems to be a dramatic issue for some member not to be adressed in Flemish while beeing in a Walloon airport. But when it's about OST or ANT, there no problem. I just don't like bad faith.
I'm a french speaker by the way. Just saying ;)
It's all about passengers flying with Air Belgium... not about me.

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Conti764
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by Conti764 »

sn26567 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 21:15
Conti764 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 18:19 If you go 'behind the scenes' a vast majority of staff is french speaking.
Really? To settle the issue, some official figures:

The airport employs workers from all provinces of the country, the centre of gravity being in the provinces of Flemish Brabant (40%) and Antwerp (17%), followed by the Brussels-Capital Region (16%) and East Flanders (10%). Almost three out of four workers (74% or 17,006 workers) live in the Flemish Region. The Brussels-Capital Region provides 3,617 workers and the Walloon Region 2,398. The workers live near the airport (municipalities of Zaventem, Vilvorde, but also Machelen, Steenokkerzeel, Kortenberg and Kampenhout). Large groups of workers also commute from Brussels-City and Schaerbeek, but also Leuven, Antwerp and Mechelen.

In the aeronautics cluster, workers come first from the Flemish Region (74%), then from the Walloon Region (15%) and finally from the Brussels-Capital Region (12%). In the cluster of other airport-related activities, the order is reversed: Brussels workers outnumber Walloon workers (17% against 7%) and thus 76% from the Flemish region. In the business cluster, 25.3% of workers come from Brussels. This cluster has fewer workers from the Flemish Region (66%) and the Walloon region (9%).

Source: aviato.be
I stand corrected. Thanks for the figures.

I always had the impression that the numbers were more equal.

longwings
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by longwings »

Conti764 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 14:38
crew1990 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 12:13 Yes indeed French and English is the most used languages in CRL are you surprised, was you maybe expecting that everyone speak Polish maybe? By the way have a try to speak French in our dear National Airport you would be surprised how people react to you. And can we speak about Antwerp Aerodrome? Do you think they speak something else than flemish there. I see lot of frustration in you message sorry that a Walloon airport have so much succes
First of all, French being negatively received at BRU is utter BS.
I have gone through the airport often enough to know your exhortation needs its qualification. Staff not on government payroll will speak any language you throw at them and then some. Border police will speak Dutch all day if they can get away with it...

As for ANR, it's a regional airport. Dutch and English are good enough, as would be French and English for CRL or LGG. They choose to do more, good on them, but not expected (by me).

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Conti764
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by Conti764 »

longwings wrote: 30 Oct 2021, 03:58
Conti764 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 14:38
crew1990 wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 12:13 Yes indeed French and English is the most used languages in CRL are you surprised, was you maybe expecting that everyone speak Polish maybe? By the way have a try to speak French in our dear National Airport you would be surprised how people react to you. And can we speak about Antwerp Aerodrome? Do you think they speak something else than flemish there. I see lot of frustration in you message sorry that a Walloon airport have so much succes
First of all, French being negatively received at BRU is utter BS.
I have gone through the airport often enough to know your exhortation needs its qualification. Staff not on government payroll will speak any language you throw at them and then some. Border police will speak Dutch all day if they can get away with it...

As for ANR, it's a regional airport. Dutch and English are good enough, as would be French and English for CRL or LGG. They choose to do more, good on them, but not expected (by me).
It's the law. Police officers are to be from the Dutch (taalrol, I don't know how to translate in proper English). Speaking French isn't obligated. It's handy, but the airport police is not in the position to select on language skills.

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Conti764
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Re: Air Belgium in 2021

Post by Conti764 »

PttU wrote: 19 Nov 2021, 21:12 Half-on-topic
Conti764 wrote: 14 Nov 2021, 17:12 They lack over a hundred officers and have virtually no condidates to fill the gap.
Any ideas why? I'd assume it's not too bad of a job or a workplace?
It's federal police. Cadets who leave the academy are mostly formed for the local police, where they often get better offices, better systems, better cars,... And for many it's the distance from home on top of that.

And many freshly out of school cadets still have this naive idea they're going to make the world a better place and prefer either to work closer to home, or look for a more action packed career in especially Brussels, where they are given extras on top of their wages which can have them make up to about 300 euro's more then other officers, not including overtime, weekends, holidays,...
They'd spent up to 7 years in Brussels, earn big money and then transfer closer to home with a bag filled of experience.

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