Brussels Airlines: Montreal being considered again?

ac874 · Post by **ac874** » 17 Sep 2007, 06:47

To all.

I have first hand knowledge that the CEO of Aeroports de Montreal, and CEO of Brussels Airlines will meet next week to discuss the topic of potential Brussels Airlines service to Montreal for summer 2008.

If two executives are meeting as such, there must be something going on behind the scenes.

AirDupont · Post by **AirDupont** » 17 Sep 2007, 08:05

It's indeed good to have this info but B Air won't fly there before they have acquired their 5th A330. As you noticed the winter schedule is filled up and doesn't permit any other new destination.

DannyVDB · Post by **DannyVDB** » 17 Sep 2007, 08:34

This might indicate:

- or they have an eye on a fifth A330/B767/... (maybe they will be able to make use of the Hewa Bora B767-200?)
- or they are just discussing slots for a (near) future route

Anyway would be good to see such developments. On the other hand I would rather see Boston working (could be code-shared with Hainan, Ethiad, Jet Airways, AA).

Does anyone know if Air Transat will continue service to Montreal during the winter season?

Regards,
Danny

Desert Rat · Post by **Desert Rat** » 17 Sep 2007, 09:14

That would be a great news....

and if they could sign a codeshare agreement with Westjet, would be even better....

AirDupont · Post by **AirDupont** » 17 Sep 2007, 11:13

Air Transat's flights are just during the summer season.

TUB001 · Post by **TUB001** » 17 Sep 2007, 12:23

Desert Rat wrote:
and if they could sign a codeshare agreement with Westjet, would be even better....

Yep, Westjet is a really great airline. I flew with them twice and I must say I'm still impressed by the quality of their service (and of course, of their very nice fleet

).

TWA · Post by **TWA** » 17 Sep 2007, 15:27

I really hope they will fly to YUL on own metal.

The 5th A333, would that be the last remaining ex Sabena A333 now operated by HiFly?

Jetairfly · Post by **Jetairfly** » 17 Sep 2007, 16:41

Hello everybody,

I really believe that Montréal would be a interesting destination to serve from Brussels. Sabena served Montréal Mirabel from 1957 until 1993. It started serving Montréal Dorval from May 1998 when two MD-11 aircraft joined the fleet and some more long-haul destinations were added to their network. At one point, Sabena had four flights a week to Canadian city.

I personally believe that Brussels Airlines will add another Airbus A330 to their fleet quite soon. Hifly is currently operating some flights for the Australian and British (?) army. The company's website mentions that their sole Airbus is available for wet lease from October 2008. Some sources claim that an ex-Virgin Atlantic Airbus Airbus A340-300 would be added to the fleet in the first quarter of 2007, but that hasn't happened so far.

Air transat serves Brussels from Montreal thrice a week, but only from April until October. Reliable sources claimed that Skyservice wanted to link Quebec and Brussels during summer 2007, using mainly their boeing 757-200's. (Things have obviously gone wrong at some point here!)

If they eventually decide to add another A330 to the SN-fleet, I wouldn't be surprised if some new routes were added to the network. Lagos, Lome Abijan and Ouagadougou could become rewarding destinations. Dallas and Boston, two destinations which seemed to be doing well under Sabena could obviously be added if the demand proves to be strong enough.

Greetings,
Jetairfly

Air Key West · Post by **Air Key West** » 17 Sep 2007, 21:07

If b.air decided to fly to North America, would it not be better to fly to MIA rather than YUL. MIA is a major hub for AA with whom b.air has already code share flights and would be a good destination all year round (with AA connections to the Caribbean and Central America) whereas YUL would not attract many pax in winter and will probably not offer any connections (thus, probably a lower pax load factor). I would opt for Miami.

Ducatibiker · Post by **Ducatibiker** » 17 Sep 2007, 22:13

Jetairfly wrote:Hello everybody,

I really believe that Montréal would be a interesting destination to serve from Brussels. Sabena served Montréal Mirabel from 1957 until 1993. It started serving Montréal Dorval from May 1998 when two MD-11 aircraft joined the fleet and some more long-haul destinations were added to their network. At one point, Sabena had four flights a week to Canadian city.

I personally believe that Brussels Airlines will add another Airbus A330 to their fleet quite soon. Hifly is currently operating some flights for the Australian and British (?) army. The company's website mentions that their sole Airbus is available for wet lease from October 2008. Some sources claim that an ex-Virgin Atlantic Airbus Airbus A340-300 would be added to the fleet in the first quarter of 2007, but that hasn't happened so far.

Air transat serves Brussels from Montreal thrice a week, but only from April until October. Reliable sources claimed that Skyservice wanted to link Quebec and Brussels during summer 2007, using mainly their boeing 757-200's. (Things have obviously gone wrong at some point here!)

If they eventually decide to add another A330 to the SN-fleet, I wouldn't be surprised if some new routes were added to the network. Lagos, Lome Abijan and Ouagadougou could become rewarding destinations. Dallas and Boston, two destinations which seemed to be doing well under Sabena could obviously be added if the demand proves to be strong enough.

Greetings,
Jetairfly

*YMX - Mirabel was open in Q4 of 1975, in time for the Montreal Olympics of 1976. YUL was then used for North American flights.
*The flight to Montreal was discontinued because of the short alliance with Air France but it performed quite well

TWA · Post by **TWA** » 17 Sep 2007, 22:44

MIA and MCO ... I still remember the very popular and almost always overbooked flights during the citybird era.

AirDupont · Post by **AirDupont** » 17 Sep 2007, 23:13

More holiday destinations then Montreal. No Cargo and probably also too far for the A333's that SN has.

Stij · Post by **Stij** » 18 Sep 2007, 21:50

TWA wrote:MIA and MCO ... I still remember the very popular and almost always overbooked flights during the citybird era.

Off topic, I know!!!

Used to work there, can't remember we overbooked. Anyhow, never had complaints about that. Emergency landings and delays of that MD11 on the other hand...

Cheers,

Stij

Ducatibiker · Post by **Ducatibiker** » 18 Sep 2007, 22:04

Air Florida (US Low Cost Carrier which operated between 1971 and 1984) had a flight between Brussels and Miami.

ERICAIRLINES · Post by **ERICAIRLINES** » 18 Sep 2007, 23:11

no cargo to yul?? come on !!!
Mia,mco etc please forget all these destinations..no market from BRU...pure leisure,low yield..not even VFR like for yul...yul was very often operated daily by sabena with very often md 11 equip or a340/330...overbooked from carnival to 15 nov ..and then from 15 dec to 15 jan..only two low periods:
15/11-15/12 and 15/01 to carnival date(different every year)...don't forget that Montreal has head offices of IATA,OACI and SITA...Bombardier,alcan,quebecor,bell helicopter,pratt whithney, royce,cae elec etc....+ 50 international organizations....it is the third city in terms of international conventions and meeting,in north america
3.8 millions inhabitants in metro area+rest of quebec+ottawa+eastern provinces...problem is that AC is a Star alliance company,though no real codeshare agreement possible..but never know...
One of the three daily flights from cdg to yul is full of bru pax!!why should we leave them to AF?
People from the very near US border(platsburg,burlington,..) are also using YUL as their main international airport....only one hour drive ...Lot of african and beyond Bru pax demand...+vfr+leisure and some business and mice ...and you got a good mix...
Boston would also be a good second choice
Jfk,yul,ord,bos are historic destinations since the 60's/70's from bru..then came iad,atl,ewr...

No market for cvg,phl,dtw,yyz,mia,sfo,lax,mco,iah...and there will never be one.
Lax flights of 9w(forseen in 2008) will only have a dozens seats to sell from bru...

AF/KL/BA/LH/LX/AC/TS/OK/OA etc are eating all the pax to Europe and beyond...

Air Key West · Post by **Air Key West** » 19 Sep 2007, 18:57

I can agree with most of your aguments, ericairlines, but I still think it will be difficult to fill the plane to YUL on a daily basis if b.air operates it alone (without code share). The clever thing to do would perhaps be to make connections possible with 9W flights, but this (at first glance) seems very difficult for operational reasons without long transit times in BRU from/to India. 9W is flying to Toronto (YYZ ?), so indeed why not b.air to YUL ?
Montreal is a nice city. And MIA (my first suggestion) may be out of range for an A330. However, I think MIA has optential too with an AA code share and the potential of the AA hub at MIA. But you are right in saying it will probably be mainly tourist traffic (but these are the pax targeted by b.air, they don't target high revenue business class pax).

lumumba · Post by **lumumba** » 20 Sep 2007, 11:09

Hi Key west.
Why will be the transit so long 2 to 3 hours is normal in cdg for you bags they need at least 2 hours.
Regards
Pat

Air Key West · Post by **Air Key West** » 20 Sep 2007, 12:01

A transit time of 2 hours for intercontinental flights is ok and normal. But business travellers don't want to spend three to four hours in transit (as might be the case for a b.air YUL flight connecting with India flights). Have you ever lingered in an airport for three to four hours to catch a connecting flight after having already spent the night in a plane ? Most people don't want it and long transit times are a definite deterrent for business travellers who pay a lot for their business class tickets and don't want, in addition, to waste three or four hours in an airport. I agree with you : in CDG and LHR (for instance) they need at least two hours to transfer your luggage, but we're talking about BRU (smaller and better airport). And even larger airports like FRA and MUC will usually do a good job in transferring you and your luggage in less than two hours between intercontinental flights.

ERICAIRLINES · Post by **ERICAIRLINES** » 20 Sep 2007, 16:23

Very strange is the fact that Air India has just launched non stop flights from India to New york..and according to reports on airliners.they are far from being sold out....fares are a bit more expensive than those of 9w....
It seems that the 2 hours transit time at BRU does not bother 9w pax...and the transit formalities are not so easy for the moment...
Who has freshs news from AI loads to the states ?

Air Key West · Post by **Air Key West** » 21 Sep 2007, 17:14

Air India's Mumbay-New York flights is 16 hours. I personally would not want to sit in an aircraft for 16 hours nonstop (even in C or F). But imagine sitting in a small economy class seat for 16 hours... To me Jet Airways's strategy is much better : the transit in Brussels gives them the possibility to offer more connections (5 flights out of India to 5 destinations in North America represent 25 possible connections) and for passengers, it's probably good (and healthy - remember the deep vein thrombosis cases ?) to get out of the plane somewhere (in this case in BRU) and stretch your legs.