Reopening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

[Passenger]

BrusselsAirport.be is back online (= the normal website), with BrusselsAirport2203.be as dedicated website for information related to the re-opening.

http://www.brusselsairport.be

http://www.brusselsairport2203.be

[ostair]

TAROM has cancelled their remaining flights from OST to return to BRU on 05/04.

[ostair]

Any idea which companies have decided to return to BRU and when?

Not eveyone wishes to return asap to BRU.
Royal air Maroc is in negociations with Antwerp airport management.

[koninckske]

Also HOP! might (re)start the Lyon flights from ANR. They received only one slot for a single daily NTE-BRU

[SFM]

On the 6th of April, SN plans to fly to IAD again (ex-BRU).
Furthermore (also from BRU): +/- 60 European flights, 6 to Africa, and 1 JFK.

[sean1982]

Ryanair will be back with 4 aircraft in BRU from friday finally!!

[Conti764]

When I see so relatively much flights returning, aren't they already running close to max. (reduced) capacity by Friday? And then there still is no United (3 widebodies), no ANA,...

[Jetter]

United wil probably return pretty quick, but ANA is likely to stay away for a while imo.

[Charlie Roy]

Aer Lingus returns tomorrow, April 5th, but will only operate Dublin 6x weekly (instead of 15x weekly) until May 1st. They will only operate their evening flight, everyday except Saturdays.

[SN501]

...
One thing for sure, SN will come out of this crisis with a SOLID reputation as a fantastic Belgian airline, that made us all proud. A stark comparison with the government and other official instances.

"The government"... Which government? This government-Michel, the previous government Di Rupo or the government of the Brussels Capital Region?

All official instances handled it very well, I think. Except for the MIVB/STIB perhaps, who didn't find it necessary to close their underground network immediately after the bomb blasts at Brussels Airport were known.

The only organization making me not proud at all, is one private organization: the police union. They abused the bomb attacks to take passengers as hostage, with only aim to show their force. Without those union, the airport would have opened at least four days earlier and would be as safe as it is today.

Agreed. And also the public transports: together with the police union(s), they have made BRU accessible only to young, non-handicaped, athletes.

STIB/MIVB or any other public operator couldn't take the responsability to close the netwok without a direct insctruction from the government or any other official authority. Closing a metro network during rush hours is not the easiest thing and causes crowded stations during their evacuation. That can be easily targeted by terrorists. Only an official decision from the authority (based on information they only have) can be applied by the operator in that circumstances.

As same as airlines and the airport that make massive and impressive efforts as discussed in this topic, I would like to highlight the fact that public transport are doing their utmost as well. However, official decisions can prevent them from the delivering of a normal service. I must say I'm a litte bit frustrated especially when you see that operators such as STIB or SN are working day and night to resume a normal service as fast as possible... For instance, see the metro network that are only still open from 7 AM to 7 PM while the exploded train has been removed from Maelbeek station a few hours after the end of the police investigation on site.

[torchus]

Ryanair will be back with 4 aircraft in BRU from friday finally!!

Which destinations? Flying on Monday to Berlin ...

[sean1982]

FR is looking now which flights will be restarted and at which frequency. Will be communicated soon I guess. If you dont hear anything about changes it will be BRU

[Inquirer]

The reintroduction of flights seems to go quick and smooth so far. Good to see progress!

There seems to be a clear order of priority: first Brussels Airlines, then other based airlines, then the rest.
Could it thus be that if a ryanair, vueling etc flight isn't operated by a Bxl based plane, chances are high it will not operate from BRU? Or would those drop some other flights just to keep every destination on offer?

Another related question:
I got the difference in airport taxes back from B.air when my flight got rerouted via much cheaper LGG. How are other companies handing this: all rerouted people should roughly get some 20 euro back, no?

[webstermc]

This morning, there was again a traffic jam at the A201 towards the airport. It seems that everyone is taking the first exit (Zaventem Centrum) for going to the airport

But the fly over is open, but because there is a police truck wit a big 'X' on the emergency lane (I think this is for the camera with licence plate recognition), everyone thinks this fly over is closed...

I'm going to the 'Da Vinci Laan' in Zaventem an need to take that roundabout and lost > 20 minutes in this unnecessary traffic jam...

Maybe the signalisation must be adapted?

[SN539]

Departing from BRU this morning. Very smooth check in procedure in the temporary installations. Around 35 min all include (I have checked bagage ) from the entrance of the tent to the Connector. My impression is that the temporary installations are far from full capacity for the timing.
The big problem remains the access to the airport. No public transport and more than 30 min queuing on the highway to reach the airport . Contrôle of every car by FEDPOL. If this situation doesnt improve in the next days just forget more reopening.

Smiling People by BAC and B Lines. Congratulations for the huge work of those last days. They really builded up a small terminal in a few days !

Last thing. .. Is it forbidden for people of G4S and FEDPOL to smile ? Looks like all normal citizens of this country are considered as potential terrorists .

[sn26567]

This morning, Lufthansa became the first foreign airline to return to BRU after the attacks.

[Charlie Roy]

The lack of public transport is a scandal. They should allow all De Lijn buses and the one STIB/MIVB bus that typically operate to the airport to operate again, even if they need to foresee a new bus stop area.

[b720]

that s my problem. I have a flight scheduled tomorrow at 20:40 from BRU, I can not get to the airport. Don't have a car, and refuse to pay a taxi from Antwerp. I'm cancelling my flight, and just purchased a ticket from ANR to GVA on Chalair. I will keep doing that until They at least operate the Antwerp - Bru airport express (bus). I do not get it, how can they open an airport with no public transport? it is 14 days now, they have not figured out where they can park the buses yet? People can walk a 100 m, they need to climb 50 steps anyway. This is beyond scandalous, this is abuse.

[sn26567]

Information from SAS:

Brussels airport has partly reopened with very limited capacity. All SAS flights are cancelled on April 5 and during the period April 6 – May 1 SAS will operate with limited frequency between Scandinavia and Brussels. In addition SAS introduces a new temporary route to Liege from Copenhagen.

We kindly ask our passengers to contact their travel agency or SAS Customer Support to rebook their flights. Passengers travelling to and from Brussels in the period March 22 – May 1 may rebook the ticket to Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris or Liege free of charge with a new date of travel before May 31.

Temporary restrictions at Brussels airport

• Passengers must be at the airport at least 2 hours before departure time.
• Passengers are strongly encouraged to check-in online and bring their printed boardingpass. Mobile Boardingpass is not permitted.
• Unaccompanied Minor is not permitted.
• Pet in cabin is not permitted.

[Passenger]

...
I do not get it, how can they open an airport with no public transport? it is 14 days now, they have not figured out where they can park the buses yet? People can walk a 100 m, they need to climb 50 steps anyway. This is beyond scandalous, this is abuse.

I disagree. If Brussels Airport was allowed to, they would certainly allow public transport. However, it's the Federal Police who decides about the access and the parkings now.

Private coach operator De Decker-Van Riet would love to re-open their Airport Express to Antwerp, specially because the trains are not running so their bus is the cheapest way to get to/from downtown Antwerpen (including Antwerpen Centraal railway station).

Meanwhile, it seems that the NMBS/SNCB has finalized repairs at the underground railway station. Can someone confirm?