Reopening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

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sean1982
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by sean1982 »

Conti764 wrote:I can't believe it will take months to repair the terminal... A few weeks, agreed, but a couple of months??

I don't claim to be an expert but most work is (seems?), superficial.
They are doing it the belgian way, which is sorry to say "noch vis, noch vlees". :roll: I agree that everything had to be investigated first thouroughly but once the authorities had given the all clear to enter the building there should have been 400 people working day and night to get the thing ready again. Now unfortunatly, the terrorist have won.

Sonho1985
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Sonho1985 »

luchtzak wrote:
webstermc wrote:Does anyone know why there was such a traffic jam towards the airport this morning? Which activity on the airport is causing that much traffic? Are these reated to the 800 persons needed for the test (which only starts this afternoon)?

Since Today I'm working at Zaventem (Da Vincilaan) and I should take the A201 in order to access my work. Due to the traffic Jam I had to take another exit on the ring...
My guess is that lots of people stop at the roundabout to have a look at the scene, causing a traffic jam. Correct me if I am wrong.
Rubbernecking wrote:Rubbernecking is the act of gawking or staring at something of interest. The term rubbernecking refers to the physical act of craning one's neck, performed in order to get a better view.

Rubberneck has been described as a human trait that is associated with morbid curiosity. It can be the cause of traffic jams (sometimes referred to as "Gapers' blocks"), as drivers slow down to see what happened in a crash.

The word rubberneck has also been used to describe an interest in someone else's fashion outfit, introduced by an online fashion company - RubberNeck.me.

The term is generally considered to be slang or unconventional English.
Well... how many tourists visited Ground Zero or Auswitz, or places like Alcatraz?

Creepy things attract folks like shit attracts flies. You just gave a good example, deadly traffic accident. You actually don't want to see it, but somehow you MUST look. I think it's human nature...

mad_fab
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by mad_fab »

sean1982 wrote:
Conti764 wrote: I don't claim to be an expert but most work is (seems?), superficial.
They are doing it the belgian way, which is sorry to say "noch vis, noch vlees". :roll:
Let's wait a little bit, shall we? ;)
I know that they said "month" before reaching "full capacity", but let's see where we are in a couple of weeks!

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Conti764
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Conti764 »

mad_fab wrote:
sean1982 wrote:
Conti764 wrote: I don't claim to be an expert but most work is (seems?), superficial.
They are doing it the belgian way, which is sorry to say "noch vis, noch vlees". :roll:
Let's wait a little bit, shall we? ;)
I know that they said "month" before reaching "full capacity", but let's see where we are in a couple of weeks!
That's what I am actually hoping for... Launch a rather conservative timeframe to not create false expectations.

Does anyone know if something is going on in the terminal? Cleanup...?

Sabena320
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Sabena320 »

I think the main reason for the traffic jam is that every car entering the airport has to be checked, and a roundabout is not the most convenient spot...

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Tompompier
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Tompompier »

Conti764 wrote:I can't believe it will take months to repair the terminal... A few weeks, agreed, but a couple of months??

I don't claim to be an expert but most work is (seems?), superficial.
I don't know if you have seen the damage inside, but for what I can say, there's a lot of work to be done.

It's not only about hanging a new ceiling, and installing some new check in desks. Technics, cabling, HVAC, it all needs to be examined. The whole glass wall needs to be replaced... there's no glass and window producer who has that amount of glass 'on stock', it all needs to be produced from scratch.

Tompompier

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Conti764
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Conti764 »

Tompompier wrote:
Conti764 wrote:I can't believe it will take months to repair the terminal... A few weeks, agreed, but a couple of months??

I don't claim to be an expert but most work is (seems?), superficial.
I don't know if you have seen the damage inside, but for what I can say, there's a lot of work to be done.

It's not only about hanging a new ceiling, and installing some new check in desks. Technics, cabling, HVAC, it all needs to be examined. The whole glass wall needs to be replaced... there's no glass and window producer who has that amount of glass 'on stock', it all needs to be produced from scratch.

Tompompier
I have seen the damage, in person the night after the attacks and from pictures of Het Nieuwsblad on this forum. Damage is extensive but I just have a hard time believing it takes months to repair. I honestly hope it is a conservative timeframe.
The terminal is cleared by the authorities and deemed structurally sound, at least cleaning up should be well underway by now and reconstruction (albeit partialy) started...

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Tompompier
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Tompompier »

Well, I've seen it too in person, in the hours after the attacks, and in the days after. I truly hope that it can reopen very quickly, but I think it's better to have a conservative timeframe, then putting a timing that is hard to realise.

From what I can see from the firehouse, cleaning is going on since the weekend, during daytime the curb is full of constructor's vans and trucks.

Apuneger
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Apuneger »

Brussels Airport wants to make its terminal building 'better' instead of just rebuilding the facilities with the same technologies as 20 years ago. That might be another factor to take into consideration for the 'conservative' timeframe, as some new studies might have to be made now.

Ivan
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Inquirer
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Inquirer »

Good morning!

anybody with an update on when there will finally be flights again from BRU?
I now read here they are thinking of making the airport 'better' while repairing it and that's all great of course, but the most important think right now should be to be open for business again, or they will end up with a magnificent airport, but no more customers!
I am sure they realize so too, but I'd like to repeat it once more nevertheless, just in case they've lost the sense of urgency somewhat. :)

To give you an idea of the problems the extended closure brings with it; due to the fact we can not fly from BRU, my team of auditors and I are working from the HQ in ZRH the whole week and we're not counting on coming back to Belgium until the airport gets reopened again. Needless to say that we're not the only ones in this situation and I am sure all are looking forward to be able to work from Brussels again.
It better be soon, or we may have to start thinking of moving our regional offices for longer than just a couple of days, because schedules and appointments need to be made for the next month of course, and apart from at BXL, the world doesn't stand still of course! I know the country is in complete shock over what has happened (me too), but we're 8 full days later now: it's high time to get the emergency facilities up and get our economy running again, or the biggest damage from the attacks is yet to come!
I am sure the Belgian government can do without a stream of justified financial compensation claims from companies badly affected by acts of war and terror. Surely they are aware such is entirely possible under our Belgian laws and EU rules and ever more Belgian companies are becoming entitled to it as time passes by, do they?

Thank you!

Jetter
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Jetter »

Apuneger wrote:Brussels Airport wants to make its terminal building 'better' instead of just rebuilding the facilities with the same technologies as 20 years ago. That might be another factor to take into consideration for the 'conservative' timeframe, as some new studies might have to be made now.
Now is in no way the right time to make buildings 'better', the longer the outage lasts, the higher the chance airlines won't return. This is already a real possibility with ANA, considering Japanese airlines cut routes and frequencies to Paris after what happened there.

Apuneger
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Apuneger »

Jetter wrote:
Apuneger wrote:Brussels Airport wants to make its terminal building 'better' instead of just rebuilding the facilities with the same technologies as 20 years ago. That might be another factor to take into consideration for the 'conservative' timeframe, as some new studies might have to be made now.
Now is in no way the right time to make buildings 'better', the longer the outage lasts, the higher the chance airlines won't return. This is already a real possibility with ANA, considering Japanese airlines cut routes and frequencies to Paris after what happened there.
I am confident that BAC Mgmt is fully aware that this is indeed a time-critical project and, as such, will not allow any modification to be made if it affects the reopening schedule of the terminal.

However, if you need to replace eg cables and can go for either cable A (as the original one) or cable B (better, higher speed, more data, etc...), then you might take cable B if financials allow it and if it does not affect the timeframe.

Best regards,
Ivan
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sean1982
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by sean1982 »

Apuneger wrote:Brussels Airport wants to make its terminal building 'better' instead of just rebuilding the facilities with the same technologies as 20 years ago. That might be another factor to take into consideration for the 'conservative' timeframe, as some new studies might have to be made now.

Ivan
Great timing for updating the terminal when all companies dependent (or with interests) on BRU are bleeding money (thanks to the completly outrageous EU rules), no to mention tourism and general economy. :roll:

The reputation damage to our country by the slow moving turtle approach will never be fully restored. I have heard many non-european business people saying they will NEVER connect through BRU again and will avoid at any cost. :(

theeuropean
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by theeuropean »

I hope also the airport can give some concessions to the airlines so they at least decide to stay and not leave...in my opinion I think that even some operations should have started by now...

Inquirer
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Inquirer »

I agree with all people are saying above; all respect for the chaotic first few days in which they had no access to their infrastructure and could not fully assess the damage: however all of that is behind us now.

It should be possible to get new minimalistic check in infrastructure working 8 days after the bombings.
IMHO, they have by now more our less ran out of technical excuses if they want to pretend to be willing to operate with a truely commercial and businessminded mindset.

The fact the airport is currently closed for over a week and flights are increasingly and ever more conveniently rerouted to other airports seems to have removed the sense of urgency in the minds of a lot of people in the bureaucratic hierargy, whereas it's actually exactly the opposite which should be true.

Belgium is without intercontinental links to the outside world for over a week now, its capital is very hard to reach conveniently from any other major European city and litterally tens of thousands of jobs at the airport (and around it) are currently at risk of being lost, all because of a sudden desire to first check, test, monitor, analyse, discuss in depth, improve further and possibly re-check again all kind of textbook procedures and infrastructures which were implemented overnight at the other Belgian airports which have remained open throughout the events?

I honnestly admire how calm the airlines are remaining throughout all this up till now: I hope they get somehow compensated for their patience with the airport, because I can tell you BRU should count itself extremely lucky to have such dedicated customers. In many businesses, the stream of complaints and lawsuits would be overwhelming by now.

mad_fab
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by mad_fab »

sean1982 wrote:I have heard many non-european business people saying they will NEVER connect through BRU again and will avoid at any cost. :(
Fortunately, business being business they'll come back as soon as this is the best solution. :mrgreen:

I agree that they need to open ASAP though, no need/time for fancy things here.

Pocahontas
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Pocahontas »

People forget, or at least the people not directly affected by the assaults...

Hue

Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Hue »

Brussels Airport Management has a good track record the last few years to maintain and develop the airport. Crisis communication and retrieval of cars and luggage were well organised in difficult circumstances. People are well aware of the time constraints to restart passenger operations. I'm confident Brussels Airport is able to recover and will rebuild the loss of routes/passengers/business. I trust airport management to make wise decisions in the trade-of timeframe vs improvements.

Inquirer
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by Inquirer »

Hue wrote:Brussels Airport Management has a good track record the last few years to maintain and develop the airport. Crisis communication and retrieval of cars and luggage were well organised in difficult circumstances. People are well aware of the time constraints to restart passenger operations. I'm confident Brussels Airport is able to recover and will rebuild the loss of routes/passengers/business. I trust airport management to make wise decisions in the trade-of timeframe vs improvements.
True, but it's high time for new communication!
Don't forget the last we know is that they had some tests yesterday afternoon.
We're almost 24hrs later, so an update should be coming out from them, ideally with a firm date.
Maybe the fact they haven't communicated yet is precisely because they are working on a solid plan to reopen, ideally together with their home based airlines, right now?
if they come out tonight only to say they still don't know when and more info is to follow later, then it's a clear sign they have lost project control and are not master of the whole situation, to me.
We'll see.

webstermc
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Re: Re-opening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

Post by webstermc »

Around noon,I've seen on the page of Brussels Airlines a link to the schedule of 1st of april. When I clicked on it, the list was empty, and sometime later the link was removed from the site.

So hopefully this means they are in full discussion with BRU for starting again on friday..

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