BRU winter 2010-2011: latest news, routes, airlines

[RoMax]

Anybody an idea how much SN got for the 4 new routes it recently launched, creating work for a couple of hundred people, both directly and indirectly, in Belgium alone, all while sustaining the jobs of almost ten thousand people working with and for SN?

ZERO euro!

Now, I ask you, why are our governments always so eager to fund foreign initiatives (which I have no problem with, BTW), yet don't like to take their wallets out to help Belgian airlines in the same way?

I should have thought being home-grown should always give you the edge with your own government, but apparently not so in Belgium, sadly. Too bad this country has so little confidence in its own capabilities and that of its own people/enterprises.

In this context, it is interesting to note how the Flemish government refused to help fund SN when it was set up in 2002... with almost 8 years of hinsight to provide guidance, it would indeed have been a complete waste of money, wouldn't it?

I agree, but it's just they way of working (and not only in Belgium). Attracting foreign companies is very important (especially from countries like China)and money is a very important factor in this. The money they give to foreign companies is just to get them here. A local company doesn't need to be attracted to Belgium/Flanders (because it's already here) so they don't get money altough they create hundreds of jobs.
BTW, VOKA (I suppose you know Voka)recently said that the Flemish government must invest more in developing Brussels Airport by attracting more foreign companies, so they can create more jobs.

btw, I don't say I totally agree with this way of working.

[tolipanebas]

BTW, VOKA (I suppose you know Voka)recently said that the Flemish government must invest more in developing Brussels Airport by attracting more foreign companies, so they can create more jobs.

I don't regularly agree with VOKA (as you probably all know), but they are right on this one!

Our governments should stop taking things which are home grown for granted and understand our companies need to fight very hard to remain competitive; as such, our governments should do more to help domestic initiatives and not only through improving the airport infrastructure, because that alone will not help.

As the success stories in the Gulf region have demonstrated, just having a geographical advantage and offering good airport facilities alone, will not really boost your country: only when you also have a strong home player, can you seriously start to think about attracting foreign companies.

If BRU wants to attract more Asian airlines or have more direct US routes even, it's not going to suffice to have a nice railway station and a clean terminal, it will also have to have an attractive and strong home carrier. In this context, it should be no surprise that now that SN is a STAR member, BRU is really finding it easier to attract more new long haul routes...

The clear failure of our government to understand that SN is as key to the airport's future, as the infrastructure itself, is so depressing! I should say a home airline IS infrastructure too!

[shockcooling]

not confirmed, but interesting.

in Dutch only http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/news/?ID=35567

[Established02]

> Het bedrijf is ook eigenaar van een aantal hotels in de regio Brussel.

Any idea what these hotels are (being owned by Hainan / HNA Group)?

[sdbelgium]

Any idea what these hotels are (being owned by Hainan / HNA Group)?

• Sodehotel (Sint-Pieters-Woluwe/Woluwe-St Pierre)
• Carrefour de l'Europe (Brussels)
• Hotel Data (Wavre)

[brusselsairlinesfan]

Seen by a french guy in love with Belgium and aviation (!) I still don t understand why the flemish govt didn t invest in SN 8 years ago : true economic/strategic disagreement or because this initiative to start a new SN sounded too "belgian"...

[Conti764]

The clear failure of our government to understand that SN is as key to the airport's future, as the infrastructure itself, is so depressing! I should say a home airline IS infrastructure too!

One thing a (healthy) Flemish government could do to aid home carriers at Brussels Airport imho is buying (or leasing) newly build or young second hard aircraft and (re)lease them at a very interesting rate to Belgian airlines hubbing from Brussels Airport.

Is such way it could be easier for SN to introduce newer and more efficient A330's into its fleet and replace the old 737's with new(er) A319/A320 aircraft faster, streamlining the fleet and increase effiency.

The same matters for Jetairfly of course.

[cnc]

The clear failure of our government to understand that SN is as key to the airport's future, as the infrastructure itself, is so depressing! I should say a home airline IS infrastructure too!

One thing a (healthy) Flemish government could do to aid home carriers at Brussels Airport imho is buying (or leasing) newly build or young second hard aircraft and (re)lease them at a very interesting rate to Belgian airlines hubbing from Brussels Airport.

Is such way it could be easier for SN to introduce newer and more efficient A330's into its fleet and replace the old 737's with new(er) A319/A320 aircraft faster, streamlining the fleet and increase effiency.

The same matters for Jetairfly of course.

are you insane?
they should support our carriers the normal way by not approving retarded laws, invest in infrastructure and PR

[Conti764]

are you insane?
they should support our carriers the normal way by not approving retarded laws, invest in infrastructure and PR

Why not? Of course 10 A330's a year is out of the question, but if SN could have a steady pace of adding one younger A330 and about two A319's to the fleet a year, it would mean a lot to them.

What retard law is the Flemish government imposing on SN/BRU?

[LJ]

Anybody an idea how much SN got for the 4 new routes it recently launched, creating work for a couple of hundred people, both directly and indirectly, in Belgium alone, all while sustaining the jobs of almost ten thousand people working with and for SN?

ZERO euro!

Now, I ask you, why are our governments always so eager to fund foreign initiatives (which I have no problem with, BTW), yet don't like to take their wallets out to help Belgian airlines in the same way?

We all know that this isn't allowed by EU law......

Anyway, before we get too much off topic, for which airlines is the Flemish government also prepared to pay (or did it already pay)? Looks like BRU-HKG isn't foreseen as a big money maker as HK Airlines apparently needs the subsidy to make BRU work from HKG. Who's next? ANA, Asiana or Korean? I reckon from now they'll ask money before starting any service to BRU.

Oh BTW I reckon that this also ends any discussion regarding subsidies given to certain other airlines operating to airports other than BRU??

[regi]

Anybody an idea how much SN got for the 4 new routes it recently launched, creating work for a couple of hundred people, both directly and indirectly, in Belgium alone, all while sustaining the jobs of almost ten thousand people working with and for SN?

ZERO euro!

Now, I ask you, why are our governments always so eager to fund foreign initiatives (which I have no problem with, BTW), yet don't like to take their wallets out to help Belgian airlines in the same way?

We all know that this isn't allowed by EU law......

Anyway, before we get too much off topic, for which airlines is the Flemish government also prepared to pay (or did it already pay)? Looks like BRU-HKG isn't foreseen as a big money maker as HK Airlines apparently needs the subsidy to make BRU work from HKG. Who's next? ANA, Asiana or Korean? I reckon from now they'll ask money before starting any service to BRU.

Oh BTW I reckon that this also ends any discussion regarding subsidies given to certain other airlines operating to airports other than BRU??

You mean the subsidy for Ryanair to come maybe to Oostende, which has changed already in Osten-Bruges Airport, and where Ryanair has been already , and where there is no idea when they will start again - if they would restart at all.

[regi]

BTW, VOKA (I suppose you know Voka)recently said that the Flemish government must invest more in developing Brussels Airport by attracting more foreign companies, so they can create more jobs.

I don't regularly agree with VOKA (as you probably all know), but they are right on this one!

Our governments should stop taking things which are home grown for granted and understand our companies need to fight very hard to remain competitive; as such, our governments should do more to help domestic initiatives and not only through improving the airport infrastructure, because that alone will not help.

As the success stories in the Gulf region have demonstrated, just having a geographical advantage and offering good airport facilities alone, will not really boost your country: only when you also have a strong home player, can you seriously start to think about attracting foreign companies.

If BRU wants to attract more Asian airlines or have more direct US routes even, it's not going to suffice to have a nice railway station and a clean terminal, it will also have to have an attractive and strong home carrier. In this context, it should be no surprise that now that SN is a STAR member, BRU is really finding it easier to attract more new long haul routes...

The clear failure of our government to understand that SN is as key to the airport's future, as the infrastructure itself, is so depressing! I should say a home airline IS infrastructure too!

depressing infrastructure? Full with pubs, oyster bars, chocolate manufacturing on site, à la carte restaurants, modern terminals,...Can you tell us why you think BRU has depressing infrastructure?

[radzinx]

According to airliners.net:
As from IATA Winter schedules of this year Hong-Kong Airlines (part of HNA Group) is to launch a thrice weekly flight beteween Brussels and Hong-Kong with their new A330. It will be their second long-haul route after Moscow.

That was revealed this morning in two Belgian newspapers.They will already launch a cargo A330 flight in September.

HX will launch pax flights 3x a week from HKG to BRU in addition to 3 freight flights a week. Both the pax as the cargo flight will be operated by a A330/A330F

For the launch of the HKG route they will get a financial support of the Flemish Govt (up to 1.5m Euros)

If it appears to be true then Great! Was waiting for that route

Merged your post in this forum where the discussion is already open for this flight, Brubiac

[sn26567]

For the launch of the HKG route they will get a financial support of the Flemish Govt (up to 1.5m Euros)

... under the condition that the money be spent in Belgium. It seems that the 1.5 MEUR previous subsidy (for cargo flights) has all been spent in China, which was not exactly the purpose of the Flemish Govt.

[Desert Rat]

This is not an exemple of " goed bestuur"...

p.s.:Happy national day to the Flemish nation citizens

[JOVAN]

The clear failure of our government to understand that SN is as key to the airport's future, as the infrastructure itself, is so depressing! I should say a home airline IS infrastructure too!

depressing infrastructure? Full with pubs, oyster bars, chocolate manufacturing on site, à la carte restaurants, modern terminals,...Can you tell us why you think BRU has depressing infrastructure?

Indeed SN should be the key player, and therefore supported, LIKE ANY OTHER FLAG-CARRIER IN ANY EUROPEAN COUNTRY.

And the BRU infrastructure indeed still has some VERY DEPRESSING spots: the arrival area is chaotic, noisy and as soon as you come out of the building : DIRTY, STINKING and ZERO MAINTAINED area.

Welcome to Belgium.

[regi]

The clear failure of our government to understand that SN is as key to the airport's future, as the infrastructure itself, is so depressing! I should say a home airline IS infrastructure too!

depressing infrastructure? Full with pubs, oyster bars, chocolate manufacturing on site, à la carte restaurants, modern terminals,...Can you tell us why you think BRU has depressing infrastructure?

Indeed SN should be the key player, and therefore supported, LIKE ANY OTHER FLAG-CARRIER IN ANY EUROPEAN COUNTRY.

And the BRU infrastructure indeed still has some VERY DEPRESSING spots: the arrival area is chaotic, noisy and as soon as you come out of the building : DIRTY, STINKING and ZERO MAINTAINED area.

Welcome to Belgium.

Ok, outside the building it could be better. The road surface is too bumpy to drive chariots to the parking area. It all looks a bit chaotic.
But arrivals is chaotic as well ? There is just 1 exit, so simple for waiting people. There are seats available, a snackbar, it is not dirty. But during busy moments waiting people get nervous to see their friends/relatives arrive.
ATM, exchange, car rental, toilets, all simple to reach within a 1 - 2 minute walk.

[tolipanebas]

may I point out some of you need to read more carefully what is written, before commenting?

The clear failure of our government to understand that SN is as key to the airport's future as the infrastructure itself, is so depressing.

So it's the failure to understand which is depressing, NOT the infrastructure like many here have incorrectly assumed, for whatever reason.

If you want my point of view on the instrastructure at BRU, I'd rate it is adequate.
Not great, but not bad either: some parts are good (like the A terminal), yet other parts are messy, like the cramped check in area with its low ceilings...
Seen much worse (LHR, FRA), yet seen much better (MUC, OSL, MAD) as well, to limit the scope to Europe.

I remain committed however: good infrastructure and location alone is NOT sufficient to attract many airlines; the best example of this is AUH. Located near Dubai, equally well positioned as gateway between South East Asia and Europe, offering great incentives to foreign airlines to stop there, no slot restrictions... In fact, one could argue it was a place better than DXB for stop overs even, yet for decades AUH had nothing but an oversized but sleeping airport, dwarfed in traffic by that of it's next door neighbour DXB.
Only the creation of Etihad has quickly put AUH on the map and attracted many new foreign airlines to the place.
IMHO, this is but one proof that a home carrier with an attractive network is a key part of the basic infrastructure an airport needs to have in order to attract intercontinental traffic.

[jan_olieslagers]

The road surface is too bumpy to drive chariots to the parking area.

"chariots"? luggage trolleys? baggage carts?
FYI chariots are horse-drawn, and one must admit the amenities for horses are non-existant at most major airports. Perhaps they have them in the US'an mid-west?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chariot

[Atlantis]

The clear failure of our government to understand that SN is as key to the airport's future, as the infrastructure itself, is so depressing! I should say a home airline IS infrastructure too!

depressing infrastructure? Full with pubs, oyster bars, chocolate manufacturing on site, à la carte restaurants, modern terminals,...Can you tell us why you think BRU has depressing infrastructure?

Indeed SN should be the key player, and therefore supported, LIKE ANY OTHER FLAG-CARRIER IN ANY EUROPEAN COUNTRY.

And the BRU infrastructure indeed still has some VERY DEPRESSING spots: the arrival area is chaotic, noisy and as soon as you come out of the building : DIRTY, STINKING and ZERO MAINTAINED area.

Welcome to Belgium.

Ok, outside the building it could be better. The road surface is too bumpy to drive chariots to the parking area. It all looks a bit chaotic.
But arrivals is chaotic as well ? There is just 1 exit, so simple for waiting people. There are seats available, a snackbar, it is not dirty. But during busy moments waiting people get nervous to see their friends/relatives arrive.
ATM, exchange, car rental, toilets, all simple to reach within a 1 - 2 minute walk.

Please stay one topic.

Finaly SN understood that there was a need to work with waves in their departing schedule. This is also more important to the future new players on the Brussels Airport tarmac.