Report: EgyptAir to lease 'Belgian' A330

[airmemphis]

A report today states EgyptAir will lease an A330 with a passenger capacity of approx 300 passengers from a Belgian airline during this year's Hajj season (November & December 2009). Will this be a Brussels Airlines A330-300 and if so which one? In the past the airline has leased a B767 from either Air Italy or Bravo Airlines.

In addition to this aircraft, the airline will also lease a B747-400 from Corsair over the same period (as they have done for the past 2 years). The 2 aircraft will allow the airline to increase the number of flights to JED and MED from the the current 7 daily to 25 for the Hajj period.

[sdbelgium]

That would seem very unlogical to me as SN is now struggling to operate all flights and do the light maintenance with the 4 planes right now and therefore employs a tight schedule. Furthermore, these planes are operating the ever so precious Africa flights and as they seem to be about the only part of the company that's making any profit, I cannot imagine SN giving them up to free up a plane to lease out. While the Winter months are relatively calmer periods, there still isn't room to free up a whole plane.

On the other side, since the report is explicitly talking about an A330 from a Belgian airline, SN is the only possibility. I can't even see any airlines remotely connected to Belgium operating A330s. If I recall correctly, SNs 333's have 284-285 seats, which is in the 300 range provided by the reporter.

Do you happen to have a link to that report?

[cyrano]

Unless an A330 is joining Brussels Airlines at the end of this year and they only plan to use it on new routes to Africa as from the summer season 2010! Remember OO-SFW...

[HighInTheSky]

Hmm, maybe they will reshuffle the schedueles and planes again like last winter for maintenance and perhaps free up an A330?
I do hope that there will be an extra A330, but I haven't heard anything yet about it...