Air Belgium: a rebirth?

[luchtzak]

Air Belgium comments on the launch of Cathay Pacific Hong Kong - Brussels, the airline added that the first Air Belgium aircraft will arrive in the next 10 weeks!

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air-bel ... ls-launch/

[quixoticguide]

Air Belgium comments on the launch of Cathay Pacific Hong Kong - Brussels, the airline added that the first Air Belgium aircraft will arrive in the next 10 weeks!

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air-bel ... ls-launch/

Personally I think if Air Belgium wants to launch HKG they need to act fast and make their flight bookable asap

[Bralo20]

If Air Belgium wants to start than the best solution is to start as a virtual airline, have another company fly the routes with AB planes and have another company with a valid AOC sell the tickets. Air Belgium can obviously buy or lease planes and register them as their own, you don't need an AOC for that, just like you don't need a drivers license to register a car. Maybe they can convince HiFly to operate for them or another company but if they want to do something with that plane they'll claiming to receive in the next 2,5 months they'll better do something or it will be sitting there gaining dust and the costs for AB will rise since they'll obviously are going to pay the lessor, parking costs, insurance, etc...

[JOVAN]

Maybe AirBelgium should look West.

Destinations like Mexico-City, LA, Montreal : good pricing policy & advertisements will attract passengers.

Nowadays you have so many young travellers looking for this kind of destinations.

The China routes are also interesting, but for (cheap) Chinese tourists who come shopping in Europe.
Anyway, there are maybe 50 cities in China with more inhbitants than Hong Kong . That is still a huge market.

Hope AB will succeed, and I hope we will not have to find out later that they did not get their AOC because of tricky maneuvres by the Aviation authorities, in favour of foreign airlines.

Smell something ???????????

[sn26567]

Hope AB will succeed, and I hope we will not have to find out later that they did not get their AOC because of tricky manoeuvres by the Aviation authorities, in favour of foreign airlines.

Smell something ???????????

Not so. Air Belgium says that the delays are dues to internal processes, not to the BCAA.

And, by the way, AB is Air Berlin, not Air Belgium Even if the code might become available soon

[Bralo20]

Not so. Air Belgium says that the delays are dues to internal processes, not to the BCAA.

And, by the way, AB is Air Berlin, not Air Belgium Even if the code might become available soon

You know that "delays due internal processes" are even worse compared to a delay within the BCAA? Virtually they are saying that they messed up and that their application was denied and thus needing to redo their homework in order to obtain an AOC.

[Stij]

You know that "delays due internal processes" are even worse compared to a delay within the BCAA? Virtually they are saying that they messed up and that their application was denied and thus needing to redo their homework in order to obtain an AOC.

Could be... Or, they stay polite in order not to frustrate BCAA even more. I sometimes need authorizations from our governments and the last thing you want to do is attack them in public...

Cheers,

Stij

[sn26567]

Or, they stay polite in order not to frustrate BCAA even more. I sometimes need authorizations from our governments and the last thing you want to do is attack them in public...

Like VLM?

[Passenger]

You know that "delays due internal processes" are even worse compared to a delay within the BCAA? Virtually they are saying that they messed up and that their application was denied and thus needing to redo their homework in order to obtain an AOC.

Could be... Or, they stay polite in order not to frustrate BCAA even more. I sometimes need authorizations from our governments and the last thing you want to do is attack them in public...

Or, they stay polite in order not to frustrate BCAA even more. I sometimes need authorizations from our governments and the last thing you want to do is attack them in public...

Like VLM?

I remember the startup from another Belgian airline, some 15 years ago. Long haul to the U.S. They were also confronted with delays and obstructions from the Belgian CAA to give them an AOC within a normal, acceptable time limit. Their file was handled like only Mon-Fri 08h-16h civil servants can do.

The CAA demanded that all communication was done via De Poste / La Poste, not by telephone or by mail.

The business plan was judged as if the CAA worked for a competition airline: "We will provide ad hoc charters for all Belgian soccers teams and for their supporters, for their matches in the UEFA championships (Champions League, Europa League)". Reply from the Belgian CAA: "please provide the exact dates and routes for these ad hoc flights for the next two years".

[Stij]

Like VLM?

André,

correct me if I'm wrong... I don;t have the time anymore to follow everything...
I understand your reply as "VLM isn't so friendly"...

My answer would then be

"Does VLM have their Belgian AOC?"

If your post was to be understood otherwise, please explain!

Cheers,

Stij

[Stij]

I remember the startup from another Belgian airline, some 15 years ago. Long haul to the U.S. They were also confronted with delays and obstructions from the Belgian CAA to give them an AOC within a normal, acceptable time limit. Their file was handled like only Mon-Fri 08h-16h civil servants can do.

The CAA demanded that all communication was done via De Poste / La Poste, not by telephone or by mail.

The business plan was judged as if the CAA worked for a competition airline: "We will provide ad hoc charters for all Belgian soccers teams and for their supporters, for their matches in the UEFA championships (Champions League, Europa League)". Reply from the Belgian CAA: "please provide the exact dates and routes for these ad hoc flights for the next two years".

Administrations are supposed to be neutral, but... fill in yourself...
The more important it is not to frustrate them... and always stay polite and constructive...

Cheers,

Stij

[luchtzak]

Like VLM?

André,

correct me if I'm wrong... I don;t have the time anymore to follow everything...
I understand your reply as "VLM isn't so friendly"...

My answer would then be

"Does VLM have their Belgian AOC?"

If your post was to be understood otherwise, please explain!

Cheers,

Stij

VLM publicly complained about the slow progress of requiring their Belgian AOC ...

[Bralo20]

VLM publicly complained about the slow progress of requiring their Belgian AOC ...

Sometimes that's not a bad thing with governmental departments, just like jumping over someones head and going over or around him of her.

I dealt for over 12 years with "FOD Mobiliteit" (in the automotive branch, not the aviation branch) and FOD Mobiliteit is known for their horrible reputation. I can write multiple books about my dealings with them and IMHO it's one of the least efficient, least experienced, least enthusiastic departments in the government. You won''t make any friends by going above or around someone but it will speed things significantly up. As long as you have a complete dossier and everything is in order there are ways to get it done, you might make quite some enemies but eventually you'll get wat you want.

[Poiu]

It would surprise me if there hasn't been some lobbying from the "code share partner".

[N77014]

I feel a bit sad for Air Belgium. It is as if you were planning to open a family grocery shop in a medium sized town where almost nothing was available, planning and investing in those plans, and before the first stone is laid, you hear a big supermarket will be built next to you... You may start planning all over again, maybe giving your shop a new "destination"... The hard life in business I presume ? Terzakis is of course polite in his reaction, but I think this must come as a big big big disappointment... keep the faith and be creative, is what I wish them...

[MrBrightside]

They are now hiring people for positions other than cockpit/cabin crew...

[Passenger]

One of the four A343's, OH-LQE, flew Helsinki-Tarbes (Lourdes) on 4th Oct 2017. Flight number AY-8961.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... qe#f17bd86

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/oh-lqe

[luchtzak]

A little update on the project: https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air-b ... positions/

[JOVAN]

When seeing the success of companies like WOW, Norwegian,others .. who entered the market with a fresh view on business and strategies, we can imagine that also AIR BELGIUM can be very successful in a specialized market like China.
By concentrating on the new rich Middle Class there is a lot of business to be taken.

BRU is the ideal entry point for this public, because of the central location and infrastructure.
from here you are in the favourite countrie and cities that Chinese people like to visit. Paris, Cologne, Bruges, Amsterdam. And we have the Outlet centers where they can spend their money on the Brand products they love.
A few million of the 100's of million Chinese going abroad, is a huge market !!
AB has a plan, and the right partners.

It is therefore really painful to see how a beautiful and very professional project can be delayed for months and months...

I can only imagine a lack of professionalism on the side of the Belgian administration.
Just amateurs?
I do not use the word boycot , ... yet.

[Atlantis]

Exactly JOVAN, and with Hainan Airlines (who is expanding more at BRU with 3 flights in total) and with Cathay Pacific, it will be even more difficult for Air Belgium to survive as Air Belgium would like to serve those destinations.