BRU Summer 2015: latest news, routes, airlines

[DannyVDB]

Maybe I did not express myself clearly ...

I mean that people working for the EU, or do fly for work related to European funded projects can't take a flight just from BRU-LUX. They have to take the train or car. Same for let's say going to a meeting in Paris, they can't fly. So I only speak about O&D traffic here ...

The reason that there are (very few) connections between BRU-AMS and BRU-CDG is related to the role of AMS as a hub for KLM (attracting Belgians for all their intercontinental flights) and BRU for SN (attracting people from the Paris region for their African flights) respectively.

Compred to 10+ years ago, the flights between BRU and LHR, AMS, CDG, LUX, DUS, ... (all short routes) have decreased dramatically: the number of flights and the number of pax. I think LHR had 1.33 million pax from/to BRU around 2000 ... Now they have less than half. Madrid is more important for BRU, New York is also more important than London !

In the long run, very short trips will disappear throughout Europe. We will go to a multi-modal way of travelling and in my opinion that is good.

Cheers,
Danny

[RoMax]

Yes the introduction of better train connections with the Eurostar and Thalys to cities like London, Paris and Amsterdam, significantly reduced the need of flights to/from these destinations. Compared to for example Amsterdam-London, which is not convenient enough with train, that's as freqent as busy bus local bus service on weekdays, so many flights to different airports in London (and yes AMS is much bigger, but still).

Also Paris, I believe AF had around or even more than 50 weekly flights between CDG and BRU before the Thalys-era.

[nordikcam]

Yes the introduction of better train connections with the Eurostar and Thalys to cities like London, Paris and Amsterdam, significantly reduced the need of flights to/from these destinations. Compared to for example Amsterdam-London, which is not convenient enough with train, that's as freqent as busy bus local bus service on weekdays, so many flights to different airports in London (and yes AMS is much bigger, but still).

Also Paris, I believe AF had around or even more than 50 weekly flights between CDG and BRU before the Thalys-era.

Yes I understand perfectly that...TGV, Thalys ans other ones change the situation for AMS BRU- CDG BRU etc...but I was speaking about LUX-BRU...no train there...or 3 hours to go from LUX to BRU and vv.

[RoMax]

Yes I understand perfectly that...TGV, Thalys ans other ones change the situation for AMS BRU- CDG BRU etc...but I was speaking about LUX-BRU...no train there...or 3 hours to go from LUX to BRU and vv.

Yes I know, I was just responding to the post above which also talked about Paris, London, Amsterdam etc.
About LUX, yes true, no good train option. But as said here, a large portion of the potential OD traffic on LUX-BRU, will not even be allowed to use these flights because of EU's travel rules. Otherwise I think we would have already seen flights on this route, if not with SN, Luxair would be doing it. And connecting traffic will probably not be enough for SN either.

[eurojet]

My company would happily pay to fly me to Brussels. I need to go from Lux every month twice to Brussels for one or two meetings. Train: that means leaving at 0600 am to see every village in the Ardennes and arrive 3 hours later in Brussels. Same thing on the way back.
Car: means leaving at 0500 AM and pray it all goes well, same thing return. Company needs to pay me EUR 0.5 per km, and you have all the weather and driving risks related… A day t Brussels is easily a day of 14 hours …

So what do we do: we leave the night before by car and sleep over in Brussels (overage hotel cost during the week EUR 200 + EUR 200 kilometre compensation = EUR 400 for a trip to Brussels, so we would happily pay a plane ticket for that price). Loss of time is not even calculated in this. A twice daily Q400 should be able to do this… Transfer pax must be a gold mine as well … KLM has 4 F70 flights a day to AMS (35 min flight), it is always packed to the seams with both local and transfer pax. I take that flight very often, round trip same day sets you for EUR 600, since car and train are just no alternative.

[airazurxtror]

Regarding the Brussels-Luxemburg :
- I seem to remember that Sabena once flew it with De Havilland "Dove"
- Luxair have flown it with F27 - I did it in June 1970
- CSA once flew it with Tu134 as part of its Praha-Luxemburg-Brussels line - I took it in June 1974

[sn26567]

SN will also go back next summer to LED and OLB and launch flights to CLY, DBV and LDE.

Timetable to the new destinations according Airline Route:

eff 29MAR15 Brussels – Billund 12 weekly with flyBe Aircraft

Code: Select all

SN2249 BRU0940 – 1110BLL DH4 x7
SN2253 BRU2050 – 2220BLL DH4 x6

SN2254 BLL0710 – 0845BRU DH4 x7
SN2250 BLL1145 – 1320BRU DH4 x7

eff 30MAR15 Brussels – St. Petersburg 3 weekly

Code: Select all

SN2837 BRU0925 – 1320LED 319 135
SN2838 LED1400 – 1610BRU 319 135

eff 25APR15 Brussels – Dubrovnik 1 weekly (Day 6, until 03OCT14. 2nd weekly on Day 2 from 16JUN15)

Code: Select all

SN3351 BRU0600 – 0830DBV AR1 2
SN3351 BRU1845 – 2105DBV 319 6

SN3352 DBV0900 – 1140BRU AR1 2
SN3352 DBV2135 – 0005+1BRU 319 6

eff 11MAY15 Brussels – Lourdes 2 weekly (until 25SEP15)

Code: Select all

SN3551 BRU0600 – 0745LDE AR1 15
SN3552 LDE0845 – 1035BRU AR1 15

eff 27MAY15 Brussels – Olbia 2 weekly (until 16SEP15)

Code: Select all

SN3107 BRU0600 – 0825OLB AR1 3
SN3107 BRU1825 – 2040OLB 319 6

SN3108 OLB0855 – 1120BRU AR1 3
SN3108 OLB2110 – 2325BRU 319 6

eff 30MAY15 Brussels – Calvi 1 weekly (until 26SEP15)

Code: Select all

SN3575 BRU1515 – 1720CLY AR1 6
SN3576 CLY1755 – 2005BRU AR1 6

[CTBke]

LDE on the RJ, I hope they switch it to 32F soon because it won't be easy with all the assistance pax ..

[Stij]

LDE on the RJ, I hope they switch it to 32F soon because it won't be easy with all the assistance pax ..

I remember from my days at the airport that those flight were real miracle flights:

They all needed assistance for (pre-) boarding, but upon arrival they didn't needed any assistance at all!!!

Miracles happen at 37000ft!

Cheers,

Stij

[airazurxtror]

Miracles happen at 37000ft!

Stij : miracles happen at Lourdes !
It's the point of going there - although I must say they happen (or are said to happen) at the grotto more often than at the airport...

[sean1982]

LDE on the RJ, I hope they switch it to 32F soon because it won't be easy with all the assistance pax ..

I remember from my days at the airport that those flight were real miracle flights:

They all needed assistance for (pre-) boarding, but upon arrival they didn't needed any assistance at all!!!

Miracles happen at 37000ft!

Cheers,

Stij

I still see miracles on a daily basis. No need for lourdes, a 737 will do

[DannyVDB]

Hi all,

Just saw the latest number of the B-There magazine (online, website SN). I checked the European map and the answer is provided to the question whether they will keep the other destinations on Corsica. It is yes: so four destinations next summer. Cagliari on Sardegna will disapear though. I assume this is also be confirmed by booking engines (?).

So from the eleven new summer destinations of 2014 only Bari, Montpellier and Cagliari will disapear at the end ...

Regards,
Danny

[Atlantis]

Vueling will add Sofia to its destinations ex-BRU.

Flights will start in Juni and this twice a week

[Atlantis]

Next year in March there will be again an economical mission to the Emirates.

It's again on the table that Abu Dhabi and Etihad wants more flights to BRU.

[sn26567]

Next year in March there will be again an economical mission to the Emirates.

It's again on the table that Abu Dhabi and Etihad wants more flights to BRU.

An economic mission in the interest of Belgium would not allow more EK and EY flights in BRU, but SN flights to AUH and DXB. What does Belgium get in exchange for all the ME-3 flights to BRU?

[RoMax]

An economic mission in the interest of Belgium would not allow more EK and EY flights in BRU, but SN flights to AUH and DXB. What does Belgium get in exchange for all the ME-3 flights to BRU?

SN doesn't even want to fly there, why would they? The OD market exists, but is not that big so that SN can co-exist next to the MEB3 and can't offer the huge transfer network that these carriers can.

What does Belgium win by having connections with UAE and Qatar in general? I think a lot, the UAE was in 2013 the fastest growing export market of Belgium. In a few years time they became one of the top-20 export markets for Belgium. Lots of Belgian companies that are active in that region and that want good connections with these places. Maybe their presence is not the best way of developing other non-stop connections out of BRU to Asia, but they've had their chances and they didn't want to take them so far...it's logic that Belgium wants to attract business from these countries that are willing to expand and invest and increase trade.

There is a very good reason why air transport (both pax and cargo) is so directly related to import and export.

[crew1990]

Actually I think it would be a good ideate have Etihad operating the from Abu Dhabi and SN starting Dubai, the flight could even be operated on A319 or A320

[RoMax]

Actually I think it would be a good ideate have Etihad operating the from Abu Dhabi and SN starting Dubai, the flight could even be operated on A319 or A320

I wish them good luck, competing against a daily EK 777. Only reason for SN to fly there would be the OD market, but these people (most of them rich tourists and rich business travellers) wouldn't fly a narrowbody of SN, they take EK (which also has the benefit of scale, they can combine OD and the huge transfer market).

[crew1990]

Of course, but if they still fill the plane, it will be a monney maker, look at Tel Aviv

[Atlantis]

Next year in March there will be again an economical mission to the Emirates.

It's again on the table that Abu Dhabi and Etihad wants more flights to BRU.

An economic mission in the interest of Belgium would not allow more EK and EY flights in BRU, but SN flights to AUH and DXB. What does Belgium get in exchange for all the ME-3 flights to BRU?

Of all economic missions Belgium organised in the past, it was the national airline of that specific country that started months after flights to Belgium and not a Belgian one.
It's in the interest of both and I'm very glad that they are flying, and willing flying, to Belgium because of them we can fly directly.

And the same for cargo. Etihad is going to increase their cargo flights up to 10 flights a week by January.