BRU winter 2012-2013: latest news, routes, airlines

[Kapitein]

UA will downgrade the EWR-flight from 772 to 764 and will change there flightnumber to UA040/041

[RoMax]

UA will downgrade the EWR-flight from 772 to 764 and will change there flightnumber to UA040/041

SN again, I suppose, UA probably lost quite some tranfer pax, tough probably they still get some transfer pax from SN on the EWR flight that doesn't originate in NYC, IAD or ORD and they still have a nice part of their own O&D pax from NYC to BRU. But I'm not suprised.

Anyway, this makes things a lot easier for SN comming winter with both 9W and UA downgrading on NYC-BRU. Tough winter will still be difficult I suppose...

[Inquirer]

Didn't UA operate a 764 last winter too? I think they just send the 772 for the busier summer season, but indeed, capacity cuts from competitors always make life easier somewhat.
Will be interesting to see if they upgrade again to 772 next year....

[RoMax]

Didn't UA operate a 764 last winter too? I think they just send the 772 for the busier summer season, but indeed, capacity cuts from competitors always make life easier somewhat.
Will be interesting to see if they upgrade again to 772 next year....

I think it was 777 last winter. In the past they mostly upgraded to 777 in summer and downgraded again to 764 in winter, but the last (two?) winter(s) I think it stayed 777, tough not sure.

[Conti764]

Didn't UA operate a 764 last winter too? I think they just send the 772 for the busier summer season, but indeed, capacity cuts from competitors always make life easier somewhat.
Will be interesting to see if they upgrade again to 772 next year....

Since SN is included in the transatlantic joint-venture together with UA (amongst others) you can't really speak of competitors, can you?

[Bralo20]

UA upgraded EWR to a 772 right from the moment it had a premium 772 to spare for the route (it was somewhere arround september 2011, have to check the exact date). With it the route was officially operated by PMUA instead of PMCO (hence the change of flightnumber from CO60/61 to UA960/961). With the downgrade to the 764ER (that again a CO bird) the premium bird will disappear (UA's 772 had F, C, Y+ and Y) to be changed in a non premium aircraft (only C and Y yet they are in process to add Y+). Not only can you see the change in operation by the type of plane (which is PMCO) but also in flightnumber, all flights below 100 are International PMCO flights while UA's International flights are 8/900 series flights.

The downgrade is actually a bit strange since from what I heard the loads and yields ware quite good on that flight. Maybe it has indeed something to do with SN's own JFK flight since all airlines in the A++ jointventure can share costs and revenue so it really doesn't matter anymore who operates the flights.

The strange thing is that UA960/961 is still loaded with a 777 and available even after the start of Summer 2013:

[KVS Availability Tool 7.0.2/Diamond - Amadeus: Timetable/NL-BCDF]

Code: Select all

BRU  Brussels Metro / National BE = BRU CRL ZYR [EBBR]
EWR  New York Newark Liberty Intl NJ US [KEWR]
TUE  19 Mar 2013 - 26 Mar 2013

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Frequency | Dur'n | Dep T | Arr T | Effect | Ending | Exceptions
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  ----------------------------------------------------------------
UA         961     BRU   09:00     EWR   12:15     777  0   1234567     08:15       -       B   10 Mar   29 Mar

[KVS Availability Tool 7.0.2/Diamond - Amadeus: Timetable/NL-BCDF]

Code: Select all

BRU  Brussels Metro / National BE = BRU CRL ZYR [EBBR]
EWR  New York Newark Liberty Intl NJ US [KEWR]
WED  03 Apr 2013 - 10 Apr 2013

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Frequency | Dur'n | Dep T | Arr T | Effect | Ending | Exceptions
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  ----------------------------------------------------------------
UA         961     BRU   10:00     EWR   12:05     777  0   1234567     08:05       -       B   30 Nov   30 Nov

[Bralo20]

UA040/041 is still loaded as EWR-FCO-EWR and this again including the start of summer 2013?

[Flanker]

The downgrade is actually a bit strange since from what I heard the loads and yields ware quite good on that flight. Maybe it has indeed something to do with SN's own JFK flight since all airlines in the A++ jointventure can share costs and revenue so it really doesn't matter anymore who operates the flights.

The strange thing is that UA960/961 is still loaded with a 777 and available even after the start of Summer 2013:

Why is it a bit strange?
I said it long ago that AA will not be pushed out of the market but rather UA will have to downgrade to B767.
I don't see UA upgrading back to B777, but in the winter I even see them downgrading further to 763ER.
For the winter, SN will also have to downgrade to A332 or stubbornly keep flying the A333 at low yields and book huge losses. If they survive this winter that is.

As for rumors that 9W is considering a codeshare on SN's JFK flight as part of them cxling JFK, I will believe it when it's signed.
It doesn't fit well to have to rely on a codeshare to operate an important arm of their scissor hub and 9W would much rather fill a larger aircraft, being the B77W, to EWR than fly 2 A332's at 70% LF to EWR and JFK.
Even if they do it, they will definitely charge a serious premium for those pax who absolutely need to go to JFK.

[Bralo20]

brussels airlines West/South Africa Operation Changes from Oct 2012
by JL

Update at 0620GMT 27JUN12

As per GDS timetable and inventory display on 27JUN12, brussels airlines is adjusting operations to Western and Southern parts of Africa from 01OCT12. List of changes as follows.

Destination Summary:
Abidjan Reduces from daily to 6 weekly with some operational routing change
Banjul Reduces from 4 to 3 weekly from 01FEB13
Conakry Service remains 2 weekly
Cotonou Service remains 2 weekly
Dakar Service remains 4 weekly
Douala Service remains 5 weekly
Freetown Reduces from 2 to 1 weekly from 01FEB13 with A330-200 (A330-300 also operates from 01OCT12 to 31JAN13)
Kinshasa Service reduces from daily to 5 weekly
Lome Service operates via Ouagadougou in each direction, replacing BRU ABJ LFW BRU
Monrovia Service remains 3 weekly
Ouagadougou Service operates nonstop in each direction, extending to Lome. This replaces BRU BKO OUA BRU
Yaounde Service reduces from 5 to 4 weekly, via Douala

Airbus A330-200 replaces -300 on service to Abidjan (1 weekly only), Bamako, Lome, Ouagadougou from 01OCT12.

Schedules of New Routing (effective 28OCT12):
Brussels – Bamako – Abidjan A330-300 replaces -200 from 17DEC12 to 03JAN13
SN281 BRU1125 – 1635BKO1725 – 1905ABJ 332 1
SN282 ABJ2015 – 2155BKO2255 – 0540+1BRU 332 1

Local Traffic rights currently available for Bamako – Abidjan sector

Brussels – Banjul – Conakry – Brussels A330-300 replaces -200 from 14NOV12 to 30JAN13
SN215 BRU1325 – 1835BJL1950 – 2055CKY2215 – 0540+1BRU 332 3

Brussels – Ouagadougou – Lome A330-300 replaces -200 from 10NOV12 to 02FEB13
SN261 BRU1200 – 1650OUA1740 – 1910LFW 330 26
SN262 LFW2020 – 2150OUA2250 – 0530+1BRU 330 26

No Local Traffic Rights on Ouagadougou – Lome sector

Brussels – Abidjan – Cotonou – Brussels
SN229 BRU1405 – 1945ABJ2055 – 2315COO0025+1 – 0655+1BRU 333 2

Operational routing summary:
Brussels – Abidjan – Monrovia – Brussels SN247 1 weekly service unchanged
Brussels – Conakry – Banjul – Brussels SN217 1 of 2 weekly service operates as SN215 in opposite direction
Brussels – Cotonou – Abidjan – Brussels SN231 1 of 2 weekly service operates as SN229 in opposite direction
Brussels – Freetown – Banjul – Brussels SN219 Service reduces from 2 to 1 weekly from 01FEB13
Brussels – Monrovia – Abidjan – Brussels SN245 2 weekly service unchanged
Brussels – Douala – Kinshasa SN351/352 Day 5 southbound service, Day 6 northbound does not operate from 08DEC12 to 10JAN13 (However BRU DLA sector will operate as SN371/372)
Brussels – Luanda – Kinshasa – Brussels SN359 on Day 7 operates with A330-200 instead of -300 from 16DEC12 to 06JAN13

Source: Airlineroute.net

[RoMax]

Source: airlineroute.net

British Airways:

London Heathrow – Brussels eff 27JAN13 Introduction of 8th daily service
BA402 LHR1510 – 1720BRU 319 x16
BA403 BRU1905 – 1915LHR 319 x1

LHR BRU service sees flight reductions from 28OCT12 to 31DEC12

[Boeing767copilot]

Brussels Airlines launches scheduled service to Mombasa
As from 3/11/2012 on friday.

[tolipanebas]

Brussels Airlines launches scheduled service to Mombasa as from 3/11/2012 on friday.

Logical consequence of them winning the Neckermann contract.

For Info: SN operated leasure flights to Mombasa a couple of years ago as well...

[cathay belgium]

Hi,

Concerning MOMBASA..
Their own A330 for this one or a leased B767/similar.. ?
Couldn't they better use their own A330 for further expansion ?
Or will we see traingles Nairobi/Mombasa... ?

CX-B

[tolipanebas]

MBA used to be served as a tag on to NBO last time SN operated there and NBO is served on fridays already, so a flight in combination with the Kenyan capital is likely indeed, but let's wait for the formal announcement.

[sn26567]

Brussels Airlines launches scheduled service to Mombasa
As from 3/11/2012 on friday.

See the full SN press release: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=47795

[A330]

Hi,

Seems they're starting it without tag-on to/from NBO, not something SN usually do!
Surpised to see all the refquency reductions during winter though. I thought they we're going to expand, not reduce. Is this because of airline availability? Or do SN have another new destination up their sleeve?

After visiting the site for about 2 years, I finally joined today. First post! I'm just an enthusiast who likes to look at aircraft, enjoys his time at the airport by having a look around, wonders who is flying what aircrfat on what routes, and follows avaition related news. I have no other link to aviation.

[travellover]

Hi,

great news about SN to MBA.

Enthusiastic as I am for civil aviation,travelling and reading luchtzak, welcome A330.

[fcw]

Seems they're starting it without tag-on to/from NBO, not something SN usually do!

The routing is: BRU-MBA-NBO-BRU.

[sn26567]

From Airline Route, here is how the introduction of Mombasa changes the whole East Africa picture:

brussels airlines W12 East Africa Operation Changes: New Service to Mombasa

brussels airlines is adjusting operation to East Africa starting 28OCT12, which sees several routing changes. The operational changes includes new service to Mombasa, which operates once a week.

Details:

Brussels – Mombasa – Nairobi – Brussels NEW 1 weekly service to Mombasa

Code: Select all

SN477 BRU1030 – 2110MBA2210 – 2310NBO0025+1 – 0710+1BRU 332 5

Brussels – Bujumbura – Nairobi – Brussels 2 weekly service

Code: Select all

SN453 BRU1030 – 1955BJM2055 – 2325NBO0025+1 – 0710+1BRU 332 37

Brussels – Kigali – Entebbe – Brussels 3 weekly flights
Service to Kigali reduces from 5 to 3 weekly, Entebbe from 4 to 3 weekly.

Code: Select all

SN465 BRU1030 – 1940KGL2055 – 2245EBB2350 – 0620+1BRU 332 246

Overall service:
Bujumbura Service reduces from 3 to 2 weekly
Entebbe Service reduces from 4 weekly in NS12 to 3 weekly in NW12
Kigali Service reduces from 5 weekly in NS12 to 3 weekly in NW12 (routing via Nairobi cancelled)
Mombasa NEW 1 weekly service
Nairobi Service reduces from 4 to 3 weekly. 1 weekly service operates via Mombasa, 2 via Bujumbura (Routing via Kigali is cancelled)

Source: Airline Route

So, for one new route, there are a lot of reductions. Where are the planes used for those routes going to be used?

I also see that the competition of KLM to Kigali is eroding the market for SN: now only 3 weekly flights, vs. the 5 KLM flights!

[airbuske]

So, for one new route, there are a lot of reductions. Where are the planes used for those routes going to be used?

Don't forget that there will be 1 aircraft out of production from october 12 till february 13 for
heavy maintenance and cabin refurbishment.