Air Belgium: a rebirth?

[Flanker2]

At this point, I don't see the point of starting up this year.
It's almost March and as previous posters, I think that starting sales and marketing up now for June/July is just too late for a new carrier that nobody knows about. 6 months is the minimum in my opinion.

They might as well regroup and start-up next year, there is no point in launching after the summer.

[brusselsairlinesfan]

At this point, I don't see the point of starting up this year.
It's almost March and as previous posters, I think that starting sales and marketing up now for June/July is just too late for a new carrier that nobody knows about. 6 months is the minimum in my opinion.

They might as well regroup and start-up next year, there is no point in launching after the summer.

100% agree... unfortunately... unless they have kinda "special sales plan"!

[sn26567]

I guess that the roadblock is the AOC. As long as the Belgian Administration doesn't deliver the AOC, Air Belgium cannot start selling seats. The same applies to VLM.

[AAI]

I expect VLM will fly again in the beginning of the summer season

[luchtzak]

The winner of the uniform contest is known https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air-bel ... r-contest/

Now back to the real stuff: AOC and starting operations in June, tight schedule that is ...

[sn26567]

I had a long chat with Niky Terzakis, CEO of Air Belgium, yesterday at the uniform design contest event at Maison Natan.

Air Belgium had received more than 500 pilot applications and the selection process of flight crew is ongoing. Still no AOC, but the complete dossier has been duly submitted to the Belgian CAA. Air Belgium still expects to take off at the end of June, but that leaves little time to launch the commercial operations, for which all staff is ready after the AOC is granted.

The four aircraft are also in the process of being readied: one is store in Lourdes, one in Finland (ex-Finnair) and two are in heavy maintenance.

Finally, Niky Terzakis didn't want to comment about VLM's plans, but his face expressed exactly what he thought...

[JustPlanes]

I had a long chat with Niky Terzakis, CEO of Air Belgium, yesterday at the uniform design contest event at Maison Natan.

Air Belgium had received more than 500 pilot applications and the selection process of flight crew is ongoing. Still no AOC, but the complete dossier has been duly submitted to the Belgian CAA. Air Belgium still expects to take off at the end of June, but that leaves little time to launch the commercial operations, for which all staff is ready after the AOC is granted.

The four aircraft are also in the process of being readied: one is store in Lourdes, one in Finland (ex-Finnair) and two are in heavy maintenance.

Finally, Niky Terzakis didn't want to comment about VLM's plans, but his face expressed exactly what he thought...

Thats very cool to hear!! I remember when we filmed the old Air Belgium a long long time ago
At least the Air Belgium plan seems more realistic than what VLM put out there. I do hope Air Belgium has some sort of plan to feed their flights because I have my doubts about the Belgian market being enough to fill those A340s. In the meantime I want to wish Niky and Air Belgium all the best. Will be nice to see them in the air again and the A340 is a classy lady!

[SLM]

Hope to hear soon to which cities Air Belgium will fly! Good luck for Air Belgium.

[brabel]

And when will they decide abt BRU or CRL?

[sn26567]

And when will they decide abt BRU or CRL?

I didn't ask the question, because it looked so evident to me that it would be BRU

[SLM]

BRU would be great, fingers crossed!!!

[Yuqu12]

If the RWY in CRL cannot handle an A340, it seems quite obvious to me that it'll be BRU. Unless they suprise everyone and they choose LGG.

[Acid-drop]

I think they only wanted to put pressure on the walloon gov for the future...
It would be a lot cheaper for them maybe...

[N77014]

iMHO they should seriously consider major business destinations such as SIN and HKG in order to have some passengers on board paying premium fares. There is an interesting article in ATW this or last month about flying to secondary Chinese cities and the low yields/low revenues those destinations can only offer... And why not some US destinations (BOS ? LAX ?), wouldn't there be more to get than Xian or Chengdu ?

[DeltaWiskey]

Since they are backed by Chinese investors, I guess it makes a lot of sense that they will start with the Chinese market first.

Also, Belgium (or any other European hub) is not very well positioned for China - US connections, on top of that, they will have to compete with Chinese, Korean and Japanese carriers.

[N77014]

Makes sense indeed, although I hope for them they will have some "freedom" in determining which destinations might be best... And I did not mean connecting pax from China to the US, but pure BRU-BOS/LAX/xxx v.v. O/D-passengers... there must be more of those than people dreaming of going to Hangzhou or Harbin... no ? Not sure about business travellers though, although I would be surprised if 2nd rang Chinese cities could fill A340's to/from Brussels with this kind of passengers. Time will tell, but time is ticking as well... We're almost April, a June start is in less than 3 months...

[Airbus330lover]

2 rang chinese cities ...... have more people than belgium

[Desert Rat]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c ... lt-up_area

I would select first Tianjin, it used to be where the Belgian concession was located...)...

It is true indeed that second tier cities are huge and the potential is almost end-less, if they use the right travel agencies' to develop the business of course!

[Airbus A330]

Skyliner reported something interesting this week...

"Airbus A340 -313 921 OH-LQD Finnair ferried 22mar17 MLA-CBG for paint into? ex F-WWJK"

The first 343 being prepared

[brusselsairlinesfan]

It is high time!!!!