Air Belgium in 2018

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JOVAN
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by JOVAN »

SLM wrote: 11 Jan 2018, 18:08 Why not trying other countries?
The main shareholders are Chinese.
There are hundreds of cities in China with multi-millions inhabitants.
Chengdu, Chongqing, Tianjin, Wuhan, etc etc etc...

Chinese middle class is crazy about EUROPE.
After a first foreign trip to an Asian country, they want to visit Europe.

They want also to go shopping in the famous outlets; yes Chinese know Maasmechelen, Roermond, etc..

Let us hope that AB succeeds.

Later they can maybe repeat their success (..) with Latin America. Another big middle class, crazy about Europe. Bogotà, Mexico,..

AIRMARSHAL
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by AIRMARSHAL »

With a fleet of several A340's AB would be perfectly suited to fly long haul routes for Belgian customers of ThomasCook/neckerman/clubmed/sunweb, ... to Carribean destinations , MCO + MIA and even LAS, SFO, SEA.
Last edited by AIRMARSHAL on 16 Jan 2018, 16:21, edited 3 times in total.

nordikcam
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by nordikcam »

AIRMARSHAL wrote: 16 Jan 2018, 11:12 With a fleet of several A340's AB would be perfectly suited to fly long haul routes for Belgian customers of ThomasCook/neckerman/clubmed/sunweb , ... to Carribean destinations , MCO + MIA and even LAS, SFO, SEA.
Yes, of course but where is the fleet ?Cathay, Hainan and even VLM have a fleet !

AIRMARSHAL
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by AIRMARSHAL »

see google earth , zoom in on Lourdes tarbes airport (LFBT/LDE) , they are still having a nice yardsale over there ;-) almost 40 A340's and A330's parked !

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luchtzak
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by luchtzak »

AIRMARSHAL wrote: 16 Jan 2018, 12:33 see google earth , zoom in on Lourdes tarbes airport (LFBT/LDE) , they are still having a nice yardsale over there ;-) almost 40 A340's and A330's parked !
This topic has shown that it's not like buying a second-hand car near the road and drive off with it ... :?

AIRMARSHAL
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by AIRMARSHAL »

Sorry, just kidding.

Bralo20
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by Bralo20 »

luchtzak wrote: 16 Jan 2018, 12:35 This topic has shown that it's not like buying a second-hand car near the road and drive off with it ... :?
It actually can be. You can go and buy a bunch of planes if you have the cash for it. But that's about it. You might even be able to even fly them away from storage but you definitely won't be able to transport paying passengers with it. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: But if one wants to use it as their private jet (like Travolta did once with his Boeing 707) there's not much to hold one back.

However in Air Belgium's case, they should wait for an AOC to sign definitive papers to acquire planes.

TLspotting
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by TLspotting »

According to Planespotters.net, the registrations of the 4 A340 will be :
OO-ABA OH-LQB
OO-ABB OH-LQC
OO-ABC OH-LQD (supposed to be)
OO-ABD OH-LQE (supposed to be)

So ABA and ABB are on the website but I think QD and QE will become ABC and ABD
Hi. I'm Thibault Lapers. @ThibaultLapers & @TLspotting

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luchtzak
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by luchtzak »

TLspotting wrote: 19 Jan 2018, 22:29 According to Planespotters.net, the registrations of the 4 A340 will be :
OO-ABA OH-LQB
OO-ABB OH-LQC
OO-ABC OH-LQD (supposed to be)
OO-ABD OH-LQE (supposed to be)

So ABA and ABB are on the website but I think QD and QE will become ABC and ABD
I don't want to spoil the fun, but that information was already known October last year and seven pages earlier in this topic: viewtopic.php?p=357709#p357709

JustPlanes
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by JustPlanes »

Looks like the small Fokker 50 airline VLM may be operating Airbuses to China before Air Belgium which has been waiting for their start up for what 1-2 years?
Good for VLM off course but how is it that an airline operating small props and going belly up can get permission to operate Intercontinental flights while another airline doesn't seem to move forward? Just curious?

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Treeper
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by Treeper »

JustPlanes wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 06:19 Looks like the small Fokker 50 airline VLM may be operating Airbuses to China before Air Belgium which has been waiting for their start up for what 1-2 years?
Good for VLM off course but how is it that an airline operating small props and going belly up can get permission to operate Intercontinental flights while another airline doesn't seem to move forward? Just curious?
Politics

teach
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by teach »

Treeper wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 09:36
JustPlanes wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 06:19 Looks like the small Fokker 50 airline VLM may be operating Airbuses to China before Air Belgium which has been waiting for their start up for what 1-2 years?
Good for VLM off course but how is it that an airline operating small props and going belly up can get permission to operate Intercontinental flights while another airline doesn't seem to move forward? Just curious?
Politics
Please explain how this is to do with 'politics'.

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Treeper
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by Treeper »

teach wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 09:49
Treeper wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 09:36
JustPlanes wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 06:19 Looks like the small Fokker 50 airline VLM may be operating Airbuses to China before Air Belgium which has been waiting for their start up for what 1-2 years?
Good for VLM off course but how is it that an airline operating small props and going belly up can get permission to operate Intercontinental flights while another airline doesn't seem to move forward? Just curious?
Politics
Please explain how this is to do with 'politics'.
Really? In Belgium? How can it not be politics that’s involved?

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CTBke
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by CTBke »

VG airlines was the best possible example ... Blocked by politics ...
Citybird
The flying dream

Passenger
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by Passenger »

Some people may remember that Birdy Airlines, first operator for the Africa-flights from SN Brussels Airlines, only got her AOC in 2002 less then 48 hours before take off from their first flight to Nairobi. Sales were ongoing since months already. I'm not sure anymore, but if I remember good, someone within the sales team from SN Brussels Airlines told me a few weeks earlier that they were absolutely sure Birdy would get her AOC on time.

So the Belgian CAA does have a fifth gear.

Bralo20
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by Bralo20 »

Passenger wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 14:29 Some people may remember that Birdy Airlines, first operator for the Africa-flights from SN Brussels Airlines, only got her AOC in 2002 less then 48 hours before take off from their first flight to Nairobi. Sales were ongoing since months already. I'm not sure anymore, but if I remember good, someone within the sales team from SN Brussels Airlines told me a few weeks earlier that they were absolutely sure Birdy would get her AOC on time.

So the Belgian CAA does have a fifth gear.
In the case of Birdy Airlines there was an existing AOC they took over, Citybird's AOC, just like SHS Aviation did with both the AOC's of the late VLM and TC Belgium.

In the case of Air Belgium there isn't an existing AOC to start from...

I hope I'm wrong but I strongly doubt that Air Belgium will fly soon.

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lumumba
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by lumumba »

But is there a reason why it takes so long,do Air Belgium communicate about it?
Last edited by lumumba on 20 Jan 2018, 20:02, edited 1 time in total.
Hasta la victoria siempre.

Passenger
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by Passenger »

Bralo20 wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 15:49
Passenger wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 14:29 Some people may remember that Birdy Airlines, first operator for the Africa-flights from SN Brussels Airlines, only got her AOC in 2002 less then 48 hours before take off from their first flight to Nairobi. Sales were ongoing since months already. I'm not sure anymore, but if I remember good, someone within the sales team from SN Brussels Airlines told me a few weeks earlier that they were absolutely sure Birdy would get her AOC on time. So the Belgian CAA does have a fifth gear.
In the case of Birdy Airlines there was an existing AOC they took over, Citybird's AOC, just like SHS Aviation did with both the AOC's of the late VLM and TC Belgium.
In the case of Air Belgium there isn't an existing AOC to start from...
I hope I'm wrong but I strongly doubt that Air Belgium will fly soon.
City Bird went bankrupt on 04/10/2001, which cancelled their AOC. Birdy Airlines (founded on 27/02/2002) had to apply for a new AOC.

SHS Aviation (trading as VLM) started with a Slovenian AOC. On 31/10/2017, they officially took over Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium.

teach
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by teach »

Treeper wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 10:46
teach wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 09:49
Treeper wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 09:36

Politics
Please explain how this is to do with 'politics'.
Really? In Belgium? How can it not be politics that’s involved?
Ah. So you're taking a wild guess. Just as I thought.

teach
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Re: Air Belgium: a rebirth?

Post by teach »

CTBke wrote: 20 Jan 2018, 14:06 VG airlines was the best possible example ... Blocked by politics ...
No they weren't.

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