Air Belgium: a rebirth?

[Nevihta]

Little bit disappointed about the A340 though. I was hoping for a Boeing 777. It's always Airbus, Airbus, Airbus with the Belgian airlines...

TNT/ASL Belgium also is an all-boeing fleet, 737, 757, 747, 777...

[Boavida]

I read this on the Airliners.net forum:

- Air Belgium plans to fly with 4 Airbus 340-300 (built in 2008), currently stored in Tarbes, Lourdes. Those A340s were formerly flying for Finnair
- Future fleet expansion: 2 additional Airbus A350 and 2 extra Boeing 777X aircraft
- Future destinations: intra-European flights.

Where does this info come from? Is this official?

[pitrixplanespotting]

It should be awesome

[sean1982]

I read this on the Airliners.net forum:

- Air Belgium plans to fly with 4 Airbus 340-300 (built in 2008), currently stored in Tarbes, Lourdes. Those A340s were formerly flying for Finnair
- Future fleet expansion: 2 additional Airbus A350 and 2 extra Boeing 777X aircraft
- Future destinations: intra-European flights.

Where does this info come from? Is this official?

sorry but this kinda makes me go
I don't see any future in this whatsoever

[Acid-drop]

Source Link ?
Edit: found it
http://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1341329

[sn26567]

I read this on the Airliners.net forum:

- Air Belgium plans to fly with 4 Airbus 340-300 (built in 2008), currently stored in Tarbes, Lourdes. Those A340s were formerly flying for Finnair
- Future fleet expansion: 2 additional Airbus A350 and 2 extra Boeing 777X aircraft
- Future destinations: intra-European flights.

Where does this info come from? Is this official?

Before being on A.net this information was on Luchtzak, from reliable sources

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air-bel ... formation/

[Acid-drop]

André i think it would be good to update the forum when you make a news. Many people missed that one i think.

Reliable source you say ?
So everything is known except the airport ?

[Yuqu12]

Well the faxct that they'll be flying an A340 can you find on their site as they're searching pilots for that type of plane. And I do believe the information posted on this website if they state that it comes from a reliable source.

Btw: did somebody else notice that literally all other big newspapers from Belgium posted this information after it appeared on luchtzak? It's quite clear where they get their inspiration

[Acid-drop]

Renting a340 is nothing crazy.
Buying an a350 and/or a 777X is something else... unless they talk about many many years in the future (doesn't cost much to plan plans right ?)

[Bralo20]

I read this on the Airliners.net forum:

- Air Belgium plans to fly with 4 Airbus 340-300 (built in 2008), currently stored in Tarbes, Lourdes. Those A340s were formerly flying for Finnair
- Future fleet expansion: 2 additional Airbus A350 and 2 extra Boeing 777X aircraft
- Future destinations: intra-European flights.

Guess those 4 A340-300's will be these ones then:

MSN835, first flight april 2007
MSN844, first flight june 2007
MSN921, first flight april 2008
MSN938, first flight july 2008

Though this last one is still actively flying for AY. The other (ex-) AY planes are all 10 years older.

[DeltaWiskey]

777X won't happen for at least 5 years, A350 not for the next 3-4 years. The article clearly says that they are additional frames, not replacement aircraft. So in 6-7 years time, they'll have, 4 A340, 2 A350 and 2 77X. That's a lot of widebody capacity to be based in Belgium (without a feeder network). I am sceptic and have my doubts, but I wish Air Belgium all the best.

[luchtzak]

A chance to win 10.000€

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air-bel ... w-outfits/

[luchtzak]

First flight not before june 2017 (website Air Belgium)

[Yuqu12]

I guess a clear indication can be when their A340's will be leaving Lourdes or when they finally release the airport which will serve as their hub.

[Passenger]

A chance to win 10.000€
https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air-bel ... w-outfits/

I find it very strange. An airline that wants to make money gives away 10.000 Euro, even before the first Euro has been earned? A lot of cheap charter tickets have to be sold to regain that money.

Looks like a poor copy/paste from this competition:
http://www.hkairlines-campaign.com/unif ... -brief.php

[Flanker2]

There is one thing that bugs me.

VLM supported by Chinese money is looking for A330 pilots to fly to China.
Air Belgium supported by Chinese money wants to fly A340's to China.
It's almost like a race of who's going to make it first.

There is only one suitable airport for this operation and it's BRU, with codeshares with SN.
LGG or OST only works out if the full aircraft can be filled by Chinese travel agencies, which could be possible but will it be profitable? They wouldn't do it unless they think they could, obviously. I wish them good luck.
If this is the case though, I wonder why these Chinese interests don't build these operations out of China, using the lower cost base available there. Politics perhaps?

Will follow.

[BRU]

Traffic rights?! Chinese governement controls them directly, that is why for example no other Chinese carrier can fly to Belgium with passengers except Hainan. By setting this up in Belgium they can make use of Belgian traffic rights and they do not get in conflict with any Belgian carrier flying to China. Would be different compared to other European countries too.

[Inquirer]

There is one thing that bugs me.
VLM supported by Chinese money is looking for A330 pilots to fly to China.
Air Belgium supported by Chinese money wants to fly A340's to China.
(...)
I wonder why these Chinese interests don't build these operations out of China, using the lower cost base available there?

Very valid question indeed, Flanker2!
I've been baffled by this too: it's not really making a lot of economic sense to execute this type of business plan on the Belgian side of the transportation chain, regardless whether the plan itself is making any sense.

Traffic rights?! Chinese government controls them directly, that is why for example no other Chinese carrier can fly to Belgium with passengers except Hainan. By setting this up in Belgium they can make use of Belgian traffic rights and they do not get in conflict with any Belgian carrier flying to China.

If that's the case, then will there not be similar limitations on the Belgian side, meaning only one of the projects can go ahead in the end? Also, is it a fact only 1 airline from each country may fly?
And will this limitation last for much longer if it is, given the pace at which the economy of the PRC is expanding? If an airline is (re)built solely on political grounds, then I fear for its longevity, as i can imagine that the day the limitation is lifted, operations are immediately shifted back to China proper by the investors in order to make full benefit of the much lower costs there...

[BRU]

If that's the case, then will there not be similar limitations on the Belgian side, meaning only one of the projects can go ahead in the end? Also, is it a fact only 1 airline from each country may fly?
And will this limitation last for much longer if it is, given the pace at which the economy of the PRC is expanding? If an airline is (re)built solely on political grounds, then I fear for its longevity, as i can imagine that the day the limitation is lifted, operations are immediately shifted back to China proper by the investors in order to make full benefit of the much lower costs there...

Depends on the bilateral agreement in place. This is the same reason why for example Qatar Cargo is choosing LUX as their European Hub: because they have these almost unlimited flights and 5th freedom rights, which they do not have somewhere else. So is a very important factor.

Secondly, it is also how the civil aviation grants the obtained rights to their respecive airlines. For BRU, which they consider a secondary hub, they only allow one Chinese carrier to operate. For other cities that might be more. So although technically it is possible according to the bilateral agreement to have more Chinese carriers operating flights, the governement is blocking that.

[nordikcam]

If that's the case, then will there not be similar limitations on the Belgian side, meaning only one of the projects can go ahead in the end? Also, is it a fact only 1 airline from each country may fly?
And will this limitation last for much longer if it is, given the pace at which the economy of the PRC is expanding? If an airline is (re)built solely on political grounds, then I fear for its longevity, as i can imagine that the day the limitation is lifted, operations are immediately shifted back to China proper by the investors in order to make full benefit of the much lower costs there...

Depends on the bilateral agreement in place. This is the same reason why for example Qatar Cargo is choosing LUX as their European Hub: because they have these almost unlimited flights and 5th freedom rights, which they do not have somewhere else. So is a very important factor.

Secondly, it is also how the civil aviation grants the obtained rights to their respecive airlines. For BRU, which they consider a secondary hub, they only allow one Chinese carrier to operate. For other cities that might be more. So although technically it is possible according to the bilateral agreement to have more Chinese carriers operating flights, the governement is blocking that.

Does it mean we will never see an China Eastern or Air China Aircraft at BRU because HU is operating ?