BRU pax operations: the future

[crew1990]

I wonder of one day we will see Airberlin flying here, and Norwegian, Volotea?

[skumfiduse]

I wonder of one day we will see Airberlin flying here, and Norwegian, Volotea?

• airberlin: chances are little since Düsseldorf is only 2 hours away from Brussels.
• Norwegian: I wonder what it takes them so long to start Copenhagen-Brussels. It will certainly harm SAS and brussels airlines (and Ryanair to a lower extent) but I'd think there's room for at least one rotation. Markets Oslo-Brussels and Stockholm-Brussels are too small for three operators.
• Volotea: their business model is a regional network in Mediterranean area. Lille Lesquin is quite an odd one in their network to me.

Although never say never

[Homo Aeroportus]

Been a bit head down lately and running behind on my readings but there was an interesting 3-page article in Airports of the World Sept/Oct issue about Leon Verhallen, Head of Aviation Marketing at Brussels Airport.

He studied Business Economics at Tilburg University, specializing in Marketing and Market Research. He soon joined Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in 1988 where he pioneered the Aviation Marketing before being approached by Brussels Airport in 2006 to set up a new department and contribute to the aviation development strategy.

In the article he defines Aviation Marketing to be “nurturing and developing your existing client base as well as intelligently adding new clients. Intelligently meaning creating the right proposal to the right airlines while preventing placing your existing client base in danger with too much seat capacity on routes or in geographical areas. …. We give a lot of priority to our existing clients, and not just chasing new business.”
“… network strategy combines developing BRU as a leading Star Alliance hub with SN the key home carrier, the further growth of Long Haul with other alliances and the Gulf carriers, anchoring the main Belgian leisure carriers (JAF and TCB), and assuring fair access for the European full service and low cost carrier market.”

Leon Verhallen also listed his priorities for the future (i.e. opening new routes, growing frequencies or aircraft size) to include Amman, Belfast, Bern, Bratislava, Cagliari, Larnaca, Leipzig, Glasgow, Nurnberg, Stavanger and Yerevan.
On the Long Haul routes, he points Boston, Hong-Kong, Houston, Johannesburg, Mauritius, Sao Paulo, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Taipei.

These destinations are given in alphabetical order and it takes often years before materializing but hopefully we'll see a number of interesting new destinations.

Leon Verhallen and his team have won quite a number of Route Marketing Awards and its a pleasure to see how the airport has recovered from the demise of Sabena and has actively redeveloped.

Go BRU !

H.A.

[nordikcam]

Leon Verhallen also listed his priorities for the future (i.e. opening new routes, growing frequencies or aircraft size) to include Amman, Belfast, Bern, Bratislava, Cagliari, Larnaca, Leipzig, Glasgow, Nurnberg, Stavanger and Yerevan.
On the Long Haul routes, he points Boston, Hong-Kong, Houston, Johannesburg, Mauritius, Sao Paulo, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Taipei.

These destinations are given in alphabetical order and it takes often years before materializing but hopefully we'll see a number of interesting new destinations.

Leon Verhallen and his team have won quite a number of Route Marketing Awards and its a pleasure to see how the airport has recovered from the demise of Sabena and has actively redeveloped.

Go BRU !

H.A.

Yeap go go ! Let me dream !

Amman : RJ ( come back )
Belfast - Bern - Glasgow, Nuremberg, Stavanger, Leipzig : SN
Bratislava - Larnaca : FR
Cagliari : Meridiana
Yerevan : Air Armenia

Boston, Johannesburg, San Fransisco : SN
Hong Kong, Shanghai : HU
Houston : UA
Mauritius : MU ( come back ) ????
Sao Polo : JJ or SQ because BCN is now served by JJ
Singapore : SQ ( come back )
Seoul : OZ ???
Taipei : China Airlines ?????

[RoMax]

For a team like the one lead by Léon Verhallen this is not about dreaming, this is about looking for the best opportunities and trying to persuade airlines to operate on these routes. In some cases it might be a bit unrealistic or even naive, but of course every destination has its own level of priority. Some will be high on the list and they will put a lot of effort in it, others won't be that realistic, or at least not on the short term. This does not only depend on local market, but also on the type of home carrier (hub carrier or not, if yes, which alliance, how strong, etc.) and the carriers based at the destination they aim for (like SQ for SIN).

You might make a bit of a joke out of it, but they are doing a hell of a job over the past let's say decade despite all the problems of SN's financial troubles, the economic crisis, etc. And this is clearly acknowledged by the industry given the high number of awards given to BRU at the Routes Europe and Routes World events, which are huge events with awards that are chosen by the airlines themselves.

[crew1990]

I wonder of one day we will see Airberlin flying here, and Norwegian, Volotea?

• airberlin: chances are little since Düsseldorf is only 2 hours away from Brussels.
• Norwegian: I wonder what it takes them so long to start Copenhagen-Brussels. It will certainly harm SAS and brussels airlines (and Ryanair to a lower extent) but I'd think there's room for at least one rotation. Markets Oslo-Brussels and Stockholm-Brussels are too small for three operators.
• Volotea: their business model is a regional network in Mediterranean area. Lille Lesquin is quite an odd one in their network to me.

Although never say never

Air Berlin bas bases everywhere in Germany and as well in Zurich... Of course I don't expect thèmes to fly DUS-BRU, but why not TXL, or MUC, fin i remembre well they ask for slots a couple of years ago...

[Conti764]

For a team like the one lead by Léon Verhallen this is not about dreaming, this is about looking for the best opportunities and trying to persuade airlines to operate on these routes. In some cases it might be a bit unrealistic or even naive, but of course every destination has its own level of priority. Some will be high on the list and they will put a lot of effort in it, others won't be that realistic, or at least not on the short term. This does not only depend on local market, but also on the type of home carrier (hub carrier or not, if yes, which alliance, how strong, etc.) and the carriers based at the destination they aim for (like SQ for SIN).

You might make a bit of a joke out of it, but they are doing a hell of a job over the past let's say decade despite all the problems of SN's financial troubles, the economic crisis, etc. And this is clearly acknowledged by the industry given the high number of awards given to BRU at the Routes Europe and Routes World events, which are huge events with awards that are chosen by the airlines themselves.

And, more importantly, his team has facts and figures we don't, like origin of pax and thus the potential of a new route...

[Inquirer]

Airports LV Article.jpg

In the article he defines Aviation Marketing to be “nurturing and developing your existing client base as well as intelligently adding new clients. Intelligently meaning creating the right proposal to the right airlines while preventing placing your existing client base in danger with too much seat capacity on routes or in geographical areas. We give a lot of priority to our existing clients, and not just chasing new business.”

IMHO this is the right attitude indeed.
There's absolutely no long term benefit for the airport in accepting every airline's proposal if it simply competes with existing routes out of BRU!
Not if one has the ambition to be (or become) a global hub airport at least, because without a strong home based network airline, the airport stands no chance whatsoever to support most of its current long distance routes, let alone attract any of those much wanted new routes they talk about, given the small size of the market from Belgium alone.
As such Brussels Airport must 'think' Brussels Airlines in all they do (and vv.) because their mutual long term success heavily depends on each other's full support.
Good to read this strategic business particularity is finally well understood now, because it hasn't always been agreed upon in the past.

[airazurxtror]

http://www.lesoir.be/1018798/article/ac ... re-6-et-7h

An overwhelming majority of the members of the Brussels parliament supports the request to extend the aerial night of Brussels Airport at 7:00 22h00 - which is demanded by all the residents' associations of the capital. For now, the night air is between 23h and 6h .
Celine Fremault (Brussels Environment Minister) also stressed that the pace of fiscal constraints payment sent by the Brussels Region to the offense airlines has accelerated. Since last August , the Region has been paid over 650,000 euros , a figure to be balanced with the perceived million since 2000.

As to the Federal Minister for Mobility Jacqueline Galant , she announced that it was preparing new measures to frame the flights over Brussels.

[airazurxtror]

As such Brussels Airport must 'think' Brussels Airlines in all they do (and vv.)

In the past, it was the case with Sabena. It's called "putting all one's eggs in the same basket".
When Sabena collapsed, it took years for the airport to overcome it.
I guess they won't do the same mistake with Brussels Airlines.

[skumfiduse]

As such Brussels Airport must 'think' Brussels Airlines in all they do (and vv.)

In the past, it was the case with Sabena. It's called "putting all one's eggs in the same basket".
When Sabena collapsed, it took years for the airport to overcome it.
I guess they won't do the same mistake with Brussels Airlines.

Makes me wonder what will happen when Jet Airways moves to Amsterdam Schiphol. This creates an opportunity for Star Alliance development at Brussels Airport but what's the demand for a 1:1 replacement? I.e. replacement for every route that would be axed.

[OO-ITR]

As such Brussels Airport must 'think' Brussels Airlines in all they do (and vv.)

In the past, it was the case with Sabena. It's called "putting all one's eggs in the same basket".
When Sabena collapsed, it took years for the airport to overcome it.
I guess they won't do the same mistake with Brussels Airlines.

A bit the same as certain airport who only depends on Ryanair. If Ryanair doesnt get the wanted subventions and they leave, you get some ghost airport like the one in Spain!

[b-west]

As such Brussels Airport must 'think' Brussels Airlines in all they do (and vv.)

In the past, it was the case with Sabena. It's called "putting all one's eggs in the same basket".
When Sabena collapsed, it took years for the airport to overcome it.
I guess they won't do the same mistake with Brussels Airlines.

A bit the same as certain airport who only depends on Ryanair. If Ryanair doesnt get the wanted subventions and they leave, you get some ghost airport like the one in Spain!

I'll just leave this here for you OO-ITR

[Stij]

Some posts deleted...

Keep it cool...

[brusselsairlinesfan]

I would not call the 9W move from BRU to AMS a "good thing" for both Star and SN. Isn't the current deal a ggod one for both 9W and SN?

[OO-ITR]

I would not call the 9W move from BRU to AMS a "good thing" for both Star and SN. Isn't the current deal a ggod one for both 9W and SN?

I'm not sure if we are mixing up two topics...

9W's move from BRU to AMS would not be a good thing for BRU at all. As they will loose a lot of long haul pax.
And, for Star Alliance, I think only the transatlantic routes are of any interest. Newark and Toronto being taken over by SN, UA or AC.

I don't know if the Indian market is big enough for the local market to take over one or more routes. But then I can only see SN being the only airline to operate this/these route(s).

The current codeshare is a good thing for SN, although I don't have the impression there are a lot of pax.
On the other hand, SN taking over long haul routes would be better for them.

[nordikcam]

I don't know if the Indian market is big enough for the local market to take over one or more routes. But then I can only see SN being the only airline to operate this/these route(s).

IF 9W did it...why not AI if SN do not have the aircraft !

[OO-ITR]

I don't know if the Indian market is big enough for the local market to take over one or more routes. But then I can only see SN being the only airline to operate this/these route(s).

IF 9W did it...why not AI if SN do not have the aircraft !

Indeed this could also be a solution. But I think BRU is already negotiating with other Star Alliance carriers to bring them to BRU. It has already been succesfull with Thai and ANA. Wonder who will follow...

[Conti764]

Maybe the GOI is interested in having a link between two capitals, thus retaining a (daily?) DEL-BRU rotation and maybe a multiple weekly BOM-BRU rotation, but I don't see it go any further then that...

On transatlantic side, maybe an extra BRU-NYC flight on SN or UA or an upgrade to B77W/B744 on UA. One flight to Toronto and one to Montreal seems like a given to me, either both by AC or YUL on SN...

Don't forget that whatever 9W still has going on at BRU is a remainder of the very (too?) ambitious plans they had in 2007 and isn't quite realistic to take over 1/1 for eithzr company (SN, UA, AC or AI...)

[VEX802]

According to German media reports, SQ will announce next monday a new direct flight between DUS and SIN.

http://www.solinger-tageblatt.de/rhein- ... 78341.html

Bad news for BRU (?)