Brussels Airlines' fleet renewal

[JOVAN]

If BRU can increase/improve European connections and increase little by little the frequencies,
AND
it can create/promote an image of convenience/ low-stress (or no-stress) Airport, than many frequent flyers will love to transfer via BRU.

Who likes to transfer in CDG, FRA, LHR ??? This is a real punishment with long-long-long queues at immigration, security etc... , rude personnel, long bus-rides and long walks..

[JOVAN]

Everything North of Eindhoven/Rotterdam and around or beyond Paris isn't worth the effort, but BRU and SN can gain significant market share in between.

...

Well Eindhoven, Rotterdam, NL Limburg, are very industrial areas with good proximity to BRU.
Same for Lille, Valenciennes, Metz, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Luxemburg.
All big business centers.
Together another 10 mio people or so. (= Belgium)

And with good train and or bus connections there is a great potential for tourists , backpackers .

[lumumba]

^^ The difference with the NMBS (or better SNCB in this case...)

What do you mean with that is this again Community discussion....!!!!!

[convair]

Nothing to do with the topic, but replying to "lumumba": I think "Boavida" was refering to the fact that it is mostly the walloon "wing" (if I may use that word in this case ) of the unions that is eager to go on strike...

[Jetter]

True, they even use the work wing here : http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.engli ... /1.2467930

[RoMax]

In an article on Cargoforwarder.eu Wencke Lemmes (VP Corporate Communications at SN) says Toronto will be served by the fleet of existing A330's while the new A330-300 from Singapore Airlines will be used for cargo-heavy routes to Africa. It regularly happens they have to refuse shipments due to payload restrictions, that SQ A333 has a higher MTOW allowance and therefore allows them to take more cargo on flights such as from Kinshasa, Douala and Luanda (examples given in the article).

Another 'new' element in that article is that the second extra A330 is supposed to enter the fleet in November 2016 (other communication spoke about the coming 12-15 months as far as I know). It is not decided yet if this will be a -200 or -300. A thought from myself, when it's joining in November next year, it might be tempoarily used to back-up aircraft that go in heavy maintenance during the winter season (and as such keep frequency up instead of lowering it or having to wet-lease capacity)? Or will it be used for a new route (or new routes in case of Lagos/Libreville) from the start?

http://www.cargoforwarder.eu/2015/12/21 ... s-network/

[crew1990]

In an article on Cargoforwarder.eu Wencke Lemmes (VP Corporate Communications at SN) says Toronto will be served by the fleet of existing A330's while the new A330-300 from Singapore Airlines will be used for cargo-heavy routes to Africa. It regularly happens they have to refuse shipments due to payload restrictions, that SQ A333 has a higher MTOW allowance and therefore allows them to take more cargo on flights such as from Kinshasa, Doula and Luanda (examples given in the article).

Another 'new' element in that article is that the second extra A330 is supposed to enter the fleet in November 2016 (other communication spoke about the coming 12-15 months as far as I know). It is not decided yet if this will be a -200 or -300. A thought from myself, when it's joining in November next year, it might be tempoarily used to back-up aircraft that go in heavy maintenance during the winter season (and as such keep frequency up instead of lowering it or having to wet-lease capacity)? Or will it be used for a new route (or new routes in case of Lagos/Libreville) from the start?

http://www.cargoforwarder.eu/2015/12/21 ... s-network/

About, the A330 coming in April, I heard it will keep the Singapour Airline configuration for the 6 first month.

For the second A330 I' don't know exactly when it's due to come but I know that the new destination (s) will be for the winter 16/17 so I guess it will be coming between October and December.

For the new destinations, there are 2 possibilities, Lagos-Libreville or if the a good partnership with Air India is made it will be Mumbaï.

If Mumbaï is opened in winter 16/17, the next destination will be Lagos-Libreville when the 11th A330 comes, when will it be coming that's another question. But the time of the passive Brussels Airlines is over and they will not stop surprising you.

[Bralo20]

In an article on Cargoforwarder.eu Wencke Lemmes (VP Corporate Communications at SN) says Toronto will be served by the fleet of existing A330's while the new A330-300 from Singapore Airlines will be used for cargo-heavy routes to Africa. It regularly happens they have to refuse shipments due to payload restrictions, that SQ A333 has a higher MTOW allowance and therefore allows them to take more cargo on flights such as from Kinshasa, Doula and Luanda (examples given in the article).

Sounds logicial, the old A330-300's have a certified MTOW of 212 tons or 23 tons less then the new ones. (even 30 tons less then the factory new ones these days).

[Inquirer]

So that formally confirms what tolipanabas was saying here a couple of days ago then?

These A330s have much better fuel burn as well as a higher MTOW, so there is no longer going to be the need for a tradeoff between pax and cargo like can be seen in our monthly statistics (with much lower cargo volumes due to the booming loads in the cabin).

To round it up: how many Airbusses (big and small) are they going to take next year?
He said something cryptic like 'more than a full hand' several times.
Is it going to be 6 (4+2) or are we missing some still?

[tolipanebas]

You are still missing quite a few....
Its not because 4RJs go out, that the number of replacement A32F is limited to the same number. :p

[sn26567]

You are still missing quite a few....
Its not because 4RJs go out, that the number of replacement A32F is limited to the same number. :p

Didn't SN say a few weeks ago that, because of the higher capacity of the A32Ss, there would be fewer incoming Airbuses than outgoing RJ100s ?

[flightlover]

You are still missing quite a few....
Its not because 4RJs go out, that the number of replacement A32F is limited to the same number. :p

Didn't SN say a few weeks ago that, because of the higher capacity of the A32Ss, there would be fewer incoming Airbuses than outgoing RJ100s ?

SN might (should) be getting a bit more ambitious than just replacing the RJ's. The stars are gathering at the right moment one could say. Not only there is the low fuel price, but also the stream of young(er) planes coming on to the market AND lowered landing rights @ BRU.

If they don't seize this opportunity, they might as well just close the books.

[RoMax]

Didn't SN say a few weeks ago that, because of the higher capacity of the A32Ss, there would be fewer incoming Airbuses than outgoing RJ100s ?

SN might (should) be getting a bit more ambitious than just replacing the RJ's. The stars are gathering at the right moment one could say. Not only there is the low fuel price, but also the stream of young(er) planes coming on to the market AND lowered landing rights @ BRU.

If they don't seize this opportunity, they might as well just close the books.

They have to grow, but they don't have to start dreaming too much. Examples enough of airlines that did exactly that and failed massively or had to completely reorganise (and shrink) their operations to an even smaller size than before

BUT as we are in a positive mood, I think Tolipanebas meant exactly that they will not just merely replace the RJ100's. They are also increasing the number of destinations and increase frequencies, that capacity has to come from somewhere. I don't know if there is still much more margin to use the current fleet more intensively, but otherwise they need to grow in number of aircraft. Also mind that they are increasing the number of seats in the A319's and A320's and they still have quite some margin in their loadfactors before they reach the industry average. I don't think we have to worry too much about SN not being ambitious enough at the moment. As I said, they don't have to start dreaming and grow by 20% each year, this year for a second year in a row they will already have a huge double digit growth and it seems 2016 will be in line with that (I can't put a number on it, but they seem to plan another year of significant growth).

[OO-ITR]

Also mind that they are increasing the number of seats in the A319's and A320's

no not on the A319, only A320 gets the MAX configuration thus 12 extra seats...

[RoMax]

Also mind that they are increasing the number of seats in the A319's and A320's

no not on the A319, only A320 gets the MAX configuration thus 12 extra seats...

Ah ok, I misunderstood that one then, I thought the A319's were also getting more seats. Nevertheless, on the current 6 A320's that's still an increase of 72 seats without having to add one single additional aircraft.

[sn26567]

A new opportunity to seize? EVA Air (Taiwan) plans to withdraw its A330-200s in 2016 in favour of A330-300s.

[OO-ITR]

Also mind that they are increasing the number of seats in the A319's and A320's

no not on the A319, only A320 gets the MAX configuration thus 12 extra seats...

Ah ok, I misunderstood that one then, I thought the A319's were also getting more seats. Nevertheless, on the current 6 A320's that's still an increase of 72 seats without having to add one single additional aircraft.

in an attempt to reduce weight (!), one side of the front galley (galley 2) and the coat room will be removed.

[OO-ITR]

A new opportunity to seize? EVA Air (Taiwan) plans to withdraw its A330-200s in 2016 in favour of A330-300s.

Eurowings is already taking some of these aircraft. So I guess LH is giving priority to Eurowings for these A330s.

[tolipanebas]

You are still missing quite a few....
Its not because 4RJs go out, that the number of replacement A32F is limited to the same number. :p

Didn't SN say a few weeks ago that, because of the higher capacity of the A32Ss, there would be fewer incoming Airbuses than outgoing RJ100s ?

Fewer incoming A32Fs to replace the outgoing RJs with is not the same as fewer A32Fs overall vs. current number of remaining RJs: expect more than just a handful of Airbus narrow bodies to arrive next year as the fleet needs to grow to cope with all the expansion plans, not just on long haul..

[Inquirer]

Thank you.
I read that latest comment as a confirmation of your intriguing comment about those additional 5+ Airbus planes for next year to be directed to the European fleet only then, so not including the 2 larger ones which will also be added? Wow; that's a big expansion indeed.