Translation of an article in Dutch that just appeared in Travel Magazine
Air Belgium hopes to take off next year
Some Belgian entrepreneurs are working on the creation of a new airline. One of them is the former managing director of the Liege-based TNT Airways, Niky Terzakis. He wants to initiate rotations from next year between Belgium and Asia, especially China and India, wants under the name Air Belgium.
Air Belgium is not a whole new name. In the 80s and 90s of last century a Belgian charter airline already operated under that name. Commissioned by the then travel company Sunair, Air Belgium operated flights from Brussels Airport to holiday resorts around the Mediterranean with two Boeings.
China
According to the plan, the focus of the new airline is China and other cities in the Far East and Southeast Asia. The first flight of Air Belgium should take place in the first or second quarter of 2017 according to founder Terzakis.
Currently being examined is the type of planes to make it happen: from the American manufacturer Boeing or its European counterpart Airbus. The company would only want to focus on low-cost long-haul flights for passengers travelling from China to Europe and vice versa. A further decision is about the airport for that best qualifies: Brussels Airport and Liège Airport.
Not really competition
For Brussels Airlines this does not necessarily mean a major competition since the airline with 19 long haul destinations mainly flies to Africa and North America, followed in March 2017 by Mumbai, India, their first destination in Asia.
In the new projects are mainly involved former employees of TNT Airways, among them the former managing director.
The registered office of the newly established Air Belgium (deed dated May 27th) is located in Ixelles and the initial capital is 5 million, raised by two Hong Kong-based companies: Pioneer TopWorld Ltd. and Sky Master Holdings Limited. Thereof 1,250,000 euros is paid.
In the coming months the business plan will be further developed and the company shall submit a request for an AOC to the Directorate General for Aviation. An AOC is an air operator's certificate or a licence to operate passenger flights.
Luk De Wilde
http://www.travel-magazine.be/nl-be/Pag ... emID/33603
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Picture from Le Soir