Charleroi's new terminal

summersso · Post by **summersso** » 07 Jan 2007, 14:06

Has a date been fixed for the opening of the new terminal at BCSA? They've been saying 2007, then autumn 2007 for a long time now...

Where can one find more information about the new terminal? For example,
- will there be a rail connection?
- will they improve access to the airport by allowing other coach companies like Terravision to operate, like at STN? (return coach currently costs as much as the flights...!)
- will Ryanair expand at the terminal or is this just another rumour? Could CRL become like Frankfurt-Hahn?!

airazurxtror · Post by **airazurxtror** » 07 Jan 2007, 14:24

There is a virtual visit of the new terminal, lasting 3 min, and pictures of the work in progress (made last november) on :
http://www.charleroi-airport.com/BSCA/s ... &Key=menu6
(still quite a lot of work to do, of course).
To the best of my knowledge, no rail link is planned at present...
It is rumoured that Ryanair will open new lines once the terminal is operational (still foreseen in 2007).

Acid-drop · Post by **Acid-drop** » 07 Jan 2007, 14:59

they always said they will try to open for the 1st sept 2007.
We'll see.

No rail connection is planed yet. They talked about it, but it's gonna take 5-10 years to take the political decision, to make the plans and to build it.

The capacity of the new terminal will be 3 millions people, that's only 1 millions more than the current trafic (but the terminal was made for 1 millions only).

airazurxtror · Post by **airazurxtror** » 07 Jan 2007, 15:28

According to David Gering (Ryanair), CRL with its new terminal has a 5 million pax per year potential.
There could be up to 15 or 20 Ryanair destinations.
http://www.7sur7.be/hlns/cache/fr/det/a ... RPArtikels
According to minister Antoine (13 dec 06), the new terminal works are on schedule and the opening is still foreseen in september 2007, if not earlier...
http://www.charleroi.eu/SiteResources/D ... &listerep=

Jacob330 · Post by **Jacob330** » 07 Jan 2007, 16:00

I read somewhere (don't remember where) that ryanair thinks that there is a market for twice as much flights as there are now on CRL. So they will definitely base some more aircraft at the airport in the near future.
Maybe also wizzair adds some more routes to Eastern Europe...
And with the longer runway, maybe Oasis Hong Kong comes to CRL

(just daydreaming)

BTW: on the pictures the new terminal looks really good!!

Charlie Roy · Post by **Charlie Roy** » 07 Jan 2007, 16:06

Latest rumours now indicate the following new Ryanair destinations from Charleroi (from Autumn 2007):

- Liverpool (reintroduction in time for Capital of Culture 2008)
- Bologna Forli (1 daily flight)
- Oslo Torp
- Morocco (I would expect RAK 1-3-5-7, FEZ -2-4-6-)
- Poland (Any of Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Warsaw, Lodz are likely)
- Slovenia (Rumours would suggest Maribor)
- Reus (A new Ryanair base in Reus will link to Charleroi)
- Santiago de Compostela
- Porto

Jacob330 · Post by **Jacob330** » 07 Jan 2007, 16:10

Charlie Roy wrote: - Poland (Any of Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Warsaw, Lodz are likely)

Sounds all great! But in the case of Warsaw, would they fly on exactly the same route as Wizzair?
But still, very good news for CRL and Belgian aviation. 2007 will be a good year

Charlie Roy · Post by **Charlie Roy** » 07 Jan 2007, 16:10

There was also talk of Wizz Air setting up a new base in Bratislava in 2007, and at that moment introducing a route from Bratislava to Charleroi.

http://hnonline.sk/1-10138500-18904830-k0S000_detail-34
"Wizzair Plans to Fly to 13 Destinations from Bratislava Next Year
Hungarian low-cost airlines Wizzair may join the group of air companies operating from Bratislava airport next year. “We are holding very intensive negotiations with this company. Wizzair is planning to fly to 13 destinations from Bratislava,” Bratislava airport executive director Milan Kajan told the press on Monday. These should also include destinations to which no air company currently runs flights from Bratislava, for example Stockholm, Malmo, Glasgow, Liverpool or Dortmund. But it also wants to operate flights to destinations already served from Bratislava, for example London, Paris, Barcelona, Athens, Rome and Brussels. "

airazurxtror · Post by **airazurxtror** » 07 Jan 2007, 16:11

As regards the rail link :
There has been a railway station at Gosselies (not far from the new air terminal). But that line used to go to Châtelineau-Châtelet (on the Charleroi-Namur line), not to Charleroi-Sud.
The rail link must lead to Charleroi-Sud station, from where there are lines to :
- Mons, Tournai and Lille
- Maubeuge, Saint Quentin, Paris.
- Namur (branching to Luxembourg), Liège and Germany or Netherland
- Brussels, Antwerp and the Netherland
But a new track must be built, perhaps joining the Charleroi-Brussels line at Roux or Courcelles.
It would be costly. Does the air traffic warrant it ?

summersso · Post by **summersso** » 07 Jan 2007, 19:34

Ryanair are pressuring Warsaw to re-open the Modlin airfield as a low-cost airport and I've read that this could happen as early as spring 2008, so perhaps yes, they'll compete with Wizzair. I'd expect Wizz to also move to Modlin too. But I expect they're more likely to start a connection to Wroclaw or Gdansk. Krakow would be great but we've already got SkyEurope heading there.
http://www.pasazer.com/czytaj.php?lp=2135

As an occassional user of BSCA my biggest qualms are getting to/from the airport and the cost.
*An overpriced hourly coach service to Brussels taking 45 minutes is poor. Compare this to STN, GRO, CIA (to name but a few airports) where there are plenty of different coach companies offering their services at more reasonable rates.
*Even the TEC bus to Charleroi-Sud only goes every hour or so!

If CRL really intend to serve three million people per year, and say one million intend to travel to/from Brussels that's an average of 2,700 people per day - then they require a minimum of 40 coaches each direction - ie, departures every 20 minutes. A rail line or a free shuttle bus to a hastily erected platform on a regional line would be a good idea - take Berlin Schoenfeld as an example... What's the point of having an airport people can't get to?!

Acid-drop · Post by **Acid-drop** » 07 Jan 2007, 22:42

Well,

I use BSCA several times a year and I always go there by train from Liège. I find the bus relation from the train station of charleroi-sud to the terminal quite good actually. There is 2 bus an hour, it's quite cheap and fast.

So yes of course a train station next to the terminal would be better, but it would actually be only a bit better in my opinion.

For 10 euro, you get a ticket bus + train. With that, you can reach any train station of the country. It's a better service than in many other ryanair airport.

Jacob330 · Post by **Jacob330** » 07 Jan 2007, 23:21

About the possible route to Warsaw: i really hope Ryanair is not going to compete with Wizzair on that route. Like said before: there is plenty of choice for a new route to Poland: Gdansk, Wroclaw, Lodz, Poznan...

IMHO the bus connection to the railwaystation of Charleroi is pretty good, but when i took them, they were always overcrowded... Maybe some more busses an hour?

summersso · Post by **summersso** » 08 Jan 2007, 00:45

Ok, maybe I was a bit harsh criticising the TEC connection to Charleroi-Sud...

I arrived in BCSA from Casablanca on a Sunday in December and found there was no TEC bus for an hour, and then I'd have to wait 30 odd minutes for a connecting train to Brussels. I think that's what annoyed me most! The 10euros bus+train ticket to anywhere in Belgium is a pretty good deal though, true. If you're coming from Liege by public transport you've not much choice other than this.

But... if Charleroi airport insist on calling themselves Brussels-South (not Liege-West) and boast that they're only 46km from the Grand Place then customers shouldn't have to wait 45 minutes for a coach to depart (as I did on that Sunday in December and one evening in November returning from BGY) and then face a 45 minute drive to Brussels.

stefanel · Post by **stefanel** » 08 Jan 2007, 11:59

I hope we get new destinations and not double ones.

The coach is overpriced. I NEVER take it. 11€ for such a short distance.

There are exactly 55 km to the Grand-Place. I checked it last time. 46km is a lie, even by the national road it's more.

The TEC timetable is unconvenient for the trains from and to... Brussels!!! That's ludicrous as it's the main final destination. It's a 20 minute wait at least... I hope they improve their schedule.

summersso wrote:Ok, maybe I was a bit harsh criticising the TEC connection to Charleroi-Sud...

I arrived in BCSA from Casablanca on a Sunday in December and found there was no TEC bus for an hour, and then I'd have to wait 30 odd minutes for a connecting train to Brussels. I think that's what annoyed me most! The 10euros bus+train ticket to anywhere in Belgium is a pretty good deal though, true. If you're coming from Liege by public transport you've not much choice other than this.

But... if Charleroi airport insist on calling themselves Brussels-South (not Liege-West) and boast that they're only 46km from the Grand Place then customers shouldn't have to wait 45 minutes for a coach to depart (as I did on that Sunday in December and one evening in November returning from BGY) and then face a 45 minute drive to Brussels.

bruworld · Post by **bruworld** » 08 Jan 2007, 13:32

for the new routes from CRL i would like to know if nantes(NTE) is a possible destination ?

Charlie Roy · Post by **Charlie Roy** » 13 Jan 2007, 19:52

Charlie Roy wrote:Latest rumours now indicate the following new Ryanair destinations from Charleroi (from Autumn 2007):

- Liverpool (reintroduction in time for Capital of Culture 2008)
- Bologna Forli (1 daily flight)
- Oslo Torp
- Morocco (I would expect RAK 1-3-5-7, FEZ -2-4-6-)
- Poland (Any of Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Warsaw, Lodz are likely)
- Slovenia (Rumours would suggest Maribor)
- Reus (A new Ryanair base in Reus will link to Charleroi)
- Santiago de Compostela
- Porto

Latest update to the above list:

- This article ( http://www.elperiodicodearagon.com/noti ... kid=291886 ) suggests a new Charleroi to Zaragoza route with Ryanair
- This article ( http://wiadomosci.onet.pl/1464354,10,1, ... ,item.html ) about Ryanair's 2007 plans for Poland suggests that we can discount the idea of a Charleroi to Warsaw route as Ryanair have no significant plans to expand at Warsaw in 2007. Instead they will wait a few years for the construction of a new low cost airport.
Charleroi to Katowice is another possiblity as Ryanair are currently in negotiations with this airport...

Updated list:
- Liverpool (reintroduction in time for Capital of Culture 2008)
- Bologna Forli (1 daily flight)
- Oslo Torp
- Morocco (I would expect RAK 1-3-5-7, FEZ -2-4-6-)
- Poland (Any of Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Katowice, Lodz are likely)
- Slovenia (Rumours would suggest Maribor)
- Reus (A new Ryanair base in Reus will link to Charleroi)
- Santiago de Compostela
- Porto
- Zaragoza

Jacob330 · Post by **Jacob330** » 13 Jan 2007, 20:35

A lot of new destinations. How many extra aircraft are they going to base at CRL?

And aren't they increasing the number of flights to Madrid, Marseille and London?

loutri666 · Post by **loutri666** » 17 Jan 2007, 13:51

Jacob330 wrote:A lot of new destinations. How many extra aircraft are they going to base at CRL?

Hello !

According to "Radio Contact", Ryanair is going to base 15 aircraft at CRL when the new terminal will be operational !

No word about future destinations.

Greetings, Seb

bruworld · Post by **bruworld** » 17 Jan 2007, 13:58

how many aircrafts are already based at CRL?

Buzz · Post by **Buzz** » 17 Jan 2007, 14:21

bruworld wrote:how many aircrafts are already based at CRL?

4 at the moment I believe.