TNT Airways/ASL Airlines Belgium news 2016

[Nevihta]

and no more BA146 at TNT (they used it also for pax).

[Passenger]

I seem to remember that TNT at one time did passenger charter flights. Do they still do that?

No. Their Boeing 737 QC (quick change) aircraft are now full cargo.

and no more BA146 at TNT (they used it also for pax).

Indeed. And passengers didn't really liked those QC's. Their floor was much heavier then in a normal pax version, so the QC's burned a lot more fuel then normal B734/BAe146. Most of the times, they couldn't make it nonstop to/from the Greec islands. Otherwise, TNT-pax was reliable and nice to work with.

[SLM]

Maybe ASL Airlines Belgium can start with passenger charter flights?

[Passenger]

Maybe ASL Airlines Belgium can start with passenger charter flights?

A charter airline needs clients (touroperators), and there are none at the moment. The landscape has changed, compared to the Sobelair/TNT era: number 1 and 2 have enough own metal, and the number 3 and 4 from the past (Best Tours and Intercomfort) are replaced by one Dutch touroperator.

Jetair has a short haul and a long fleet, and can use other TUI airlines when necessary.

Thomas Cook has only A320’s, but is very happy with its collaboration with Brussels Airlines. And for long haul, they have Condor (= own group).

Number 3, Sundio/Sunweb, has no own fleet. But contrary to Best Tours and Intercomfort, Sundio/Sunweb has no long haul program. Sunweb Belgium could become a client for a new TNT charter operation, but it’s risky. Sunweb’s only priority is the price and they use Transavia and cheap foreign charters. TNT can compete to Transavia, but they never can be cheaper then Onur Air and SunExpress.

On top of that, Jetair and Thomas Cook won’t give up control of the travel chain – the “vertical integration”: own travel agencies, own touroperator, own airline, own hotels. So there won’t be any charter business coming from them.