Air Belgium in 2019

Join this forum to discuss the latest news that happened in the world of commercial aviation.

Moderator: Latest news team

Post Reply
User avatar
luchtzak
Posts: 11734
Joined: 18 Sep 2002, 00:00
Location: Hofstade, Zemst - Belgium
Contact:

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by luchtzak »

JOVAN wrote: 07 May 2019, 16:21
TLspotting wrote: 07 May 2019, 16:02
Passenger wrote: 07 May 2019, 12:04 Every airline is working hard on new destinations. So what do you mean: new own routes, or new destinations operated on behalf of other airlines?
On their own routes, as someone asked when they will be announced. AB A340 plannings are almost full.

Let's see if they can launch their routes including the restrictions.
nordikcam wrote: 07 May 2019, 15:47 From CRL ? Or BRU ?
It should be Charleroi as they signed a contract of 10 years.
It will probably be 1 or 2 flights a week to Wuhan and / or Zhengzhou .
To CRL .
For the summer season.
Summer 2020 ?

TLspotting
Posts: 3075
Joined: 19 Mar 2017, 10:22
Location: Uccle/Ukkel, BE
Contact:

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by TLspotting »

2 destinations for Summer 19 and a few in Winter 19-20...

But it is May and it, it'll be quite hard to launch these flights because everybody booked their flights for the upcoming holiday...

Whatever the Chinese destination is... I don't see the success. The best is to announce to fly to USA and Canada soon and take the time for marketing etc. China launch will be really problematic...
Hi. I'm Thibault Lapers. @ThibaultLapers & @TLspotting

nordikcam
Posts: 1202
Joined: 24 Aug 2008, 10:22
Location: Uccle

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by nordikcam »

TLspotting wrote: 07 May 2019, 18:11 2 destinations for Summer 19 and a few in Winter 19-20...

But it is May and it, it'll be quite hard to launch these flights because everybody booked their flights for the upcoming holiday...

Whatever the Chinese destination is... I don't see the success. The best is to announce to fly to USA and Canada soon and take the time for marketing etc. China launch will be really problematic...
Shanghaï was a disaster from CRL! Why Wuhan or Guanghzou would work from CRL ?

TLspotting
Posts: 3075
Joined: 19 Mar 2017, 10:22
Location: Uccle/Ukkel, BE
Contact:

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by TLspotting »

It was not PVG but HK.
Hi. I'm Thibault Lapers. @ThibaultLapers & @TLspotting

ezis_bis
Posts: 280
Joined: 07 Aug 2014, 17:11
Location: Tallinn, EU

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by ezis_bis »

nordikcam wrote: 07 May 2019, 20:23 Shanghaï was a disaster from CRL! Why Wuhan or Guanghzou would work from CRL ?
I'm also skeptic, but Chinese often book their trips in packages
If you can partner up with a decent local tour operator, they can make it work
Fill the plane, that is. Not going to make statements on income

TLspotting
Posts: 3075
Joined: 19 Mar 2017, 10:22
Location: Uccle/Ukkel, BE
Contact:

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by TLspotting »

Their only way to fill their planes was U-Tour. 2 of the 3 weekly flights were full while the one of Tuesday or Monday was empty...

They will normally fly as from July 2019, or they should at least, purely hypothetical.
Hi. I'm Thibault Lapers. @ThibaultLapers & @TLspotting

Passenger
Posts: 7266
Joined: 06 Dec 2010, 20:54

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by Passenger »

TLspotting wrote: 07 May 2019, 08:26 AB working "hard" on the new destinations...
Annual general meeting is forthcoming. Management probably wants to convince the shareholders that they are working on the recovery.

TLspotting
Posts: 3075
Joined: 19 Mar 2017, 10:22
Location: Uccle/Ukkel, BE
Contact:

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by TLspotting »

Passenger wrote: 07 May 2019, 22:53
TLspotting wrote: 07 May 2019, 08:26 AB working "hard" on the new destinations...
Annual general meeting is forthcoming. Management probably wants to convince the shareholders that they are working on the recovery.
Was only a tweet, so nothing to directly convince them.

Air Belgium should be rebranded "Hi Fly Belgium" if they still continue to fly as they are currently doing..., don't you think so ?
Hi. I'm Thibault Lapers. @ThibaultLapers & @TLspotting

TLspotting
Posts: 3075
Joined: 19 Mar 2017, 10:22
Location: Uccle/Ukkel, BE
Contact:

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by TLspotting »

I won't make any comment at the moment...
Hi. I'm Thibault Lapers. @ThibaultLapers & @TLspotting

Desert Rat
Posts: 1137
Joined: 08 May 2007, 09:38

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by Desert Rat »

TLspotting wrote: 09 May 2019, 17:16 I won't make any comment at the moment...
Well, I guess that's good news ain't it?

brusselsairlinesfan
Posts: 916
Joined: 29 Mar 2007, 14:44

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by brusselsairlinesfan »

After the diseaperance of SN into EW, Air Belgium will certainly become the last belgian carrier... wish ‘em good luck and my support !

User avatar
sounilr21
Posts: 32
Joined: 12 May 2019, 14:11
Location: Namur, Belgium
Contact:

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by sounilr21 »

Air Belgium it's a joke !

We are in may, and the summer peak begin next month. And we have no more information about the next destinations offered.

It's sad to watch no more development from this airlines and commercials spots the find news customers (other that U-tour, ...).

Why not :
Boston or Philadelphia ;
Chicago ;
Miami ;
Montreal or maybe New York ;
Bangkok.

Boavida
Posts: 589
Joined: 14 Sep 2010, 23:54

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by Boavida »

I'm afraid the whole business plan of Air Belgium has turned out to be a failure. They want to be a low-cost airline in a situation where Belgium is already invaded by numerous low-cost airlines, and with our "national carrier" being transformed into a low-cost also... Secondly, they chose to fly long haul to some Chinese cities from CRL instead of BRU.

With SN gone in the coming year(s), they should present themselves as the new flag carrier, full-service quality airline to Brussels, home of numerous international institutions and the second biggest diplomat city in the world. There must be a market for this.

Maybe in a partnership with a Gulf carrier? Why not?

Poiu
Posts: 897
Joined: 14 Nov 2015, 09:38

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by Poiu »

Boavida wrote: 13 May 2019, 12:31 With SN gone in the coming year(s), they should present themselves as the new flag carrier, full-service quality airline to Brussels, home of numerous international institutions and the second biggest diplomat city in the world. There must be a market for this
Clearly there is no market for it, SN tried and failed, without state aid and LH they would have disappeared a long time ago.

JOVAN
Posts: 488
Joined: 08 Jun 2006, 00:00

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by JOVAN »

Boavida wrote: 13 May 2019, 12:31 I'm afraid the whole business plan of Air Belgium has turned out to be a failure. They want to be a low-cost airline in a situation where Belgium is already invaded by numerous low-cost airlines, and with our "national carrier" being transformed into a low-cost also... Secondly, they chose to fly long haul to some Chinese cities from CRL instead of BRU.

With SN gone in the coming year(s), they should present themselves as the new flag carrier, full-service quality airline to Brussels, home of numerous international institutions and the second biggest diplomat city in the world. There must be a market for this.

Maybe in a partnership with a Gulf carrier? Why not?
I overheard some conversation about this.

QATAR AIRWAYS is a candidate to operate Transatlantic from BRU .
BRU is their first choice because of unique location, available capacity, enormous catchmen area and relatively few flights to US, CND etc.
QR also not keen to fight with KL & AF in their homebase. They know that NL and F governements will never allow their airlines and airports to 'surrender§ to a ME airline.
In Belgium it is another story, with a high degree of incompetence in all political levels.

TLspotting
Posts: 3075
Joined: 19 Mar 2017, 10:22
Location: Uccle/Ukkel, BE
Contact:

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by TLspotting »

brusselsairlinesfan wrote: 12 May 2019, 00:35 After the diseaperance of SN into EW, Air Belgium will certainly become the last belgian carrier... wish ‘em good luck and my support !
https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/luft ... gs-livery/
sounilr21 wrote: 12 May 2019, 14:56 Air Belgium it's a joke !

We are in may, and the summer peak begin next month. And we have no more information about the next destinations offered.

It's sad to watch no more development from this airlines and commercials spots the find news customers (other that U-tour, ...).

Why not :
Boston or Philadelphia ;
Chicago ;
Miami ;
Montreal or maybe New York ;
Bangkok.
Unfortunately,they said Zhengzhou was for Spring, but the end is in 38 days, I don't see when they will launch it but there will be no Belgian on board because they already booked their holidays...

There has been no TV Commercial, but many ads through Belgium.

About America, AB clearly said it was for Winter 19-20.

China was firstly chosen due to its shareholders, nearly the half of it is Chinese...
Boavida wrote: 13 May 2019, 12:31 I'm afraid the whole business plan of Air Belgium has turned out to be a failure. They want to be a low-cost airline in a situation where Belgium is already invaded by numerous low-cost airlines, and with our "national carrier" being transformed into a low-cost also... Secondly, they chose to fly long haul to some Chinese cities from CRL instead of BRU.

With SN gone in the coming year(s), they should present themselves as the new flag carrier, full-service quality airline to Brussels, home of numerous international institutions and the second biggest diplomat city in the world. There must be a market for this.

Maybe in a partnership with a Gulf carrier? Why not?
They didn't start from BRU as AB knew CX was going to launch its route so the solution was to avoid BRU and fly from CRL, on the same route...

AB should be the next flagship airline but unfortunately we see them more at WAW, LHR, DXB, JFK, EWR,... rather than BRU or CRL...

The partnership of a Gulf carrier... Emirates is useless, Qatar is now Oneworld and they can codeshare with Air Italy... Etihad, AB will say no. Gulf Air and Kuwait Airways are the only solutions there ?

I think AB left HKG as they didn't see any development to come. Cathay Airways, ex Dragonair and HKexpress are now property of Cathay Pacific. HK Airlines is property of HNA Group, which flies from Brussels to Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai Pudong via Hainan Airlines.
JOVAN wrote: 13 May 2019, 22:13 I overheard some conversation about this.

QATAR AIRWAYS is a candidate to operate Transatlantic from BRU .
BRU is their first choice because of unique location, available capacity, enormous catchmen area and relatively few flights to US, CND etc.
QR also not keen to fight with KL & AF in their homebase. They know that NL and F governements will never allow their airlines and airports to 'surrender§ to a ME airline.
In Belgium it is another story, with a high degree of incompetence in all political levels.
But the market is still available.. Primera Air failed... Norwegian is still in the air but wondering for how long.

BRU is a market but no one dares to fly from there, that's why we think we are the middle of nowhere...
Hi. I'm Thibault Lapers. @ThibaultLapers & @TLspotting

b720
Posts: 891
Joined: 04 May 2006, 00:00

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by b720 »

Poiu wrote: 13 May 2019, 12:48
Boavida wrote: 13 May 2019, 12:31 With SN gone in the coming year(s), they should present themselves as the new flag carrier, full-service quality airline to Brussels, home of numerous international institutions and the second biggest diplomat city in the world. There must be a market for this
Clearly there is no market for it, SN tried and failed, without state aid and LH they would have disappeared a long time ago.
Problem with institutions and diplomats, they re all flying low cost or eco these days, even on long haul.. BRU does not generate premium pax like Zurich, Geneva, or FRA and Munich ..

Stij
Posts: 2273
Joined: 07 Mar 2005, 00:00
Location: Belgium

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by Stij »

b720 wrote: 14 May 2019, 08:41 Problem with institutions and diplomats, they re all flying low cost or eco these days, even on long haul.. BRU does not generate premium pax like Zurich, Geneva, or FRA and Munich ..
The disadvantage oif our income equality...

Cheers,

Stij

jan_olieslagers
Posts: 3059
Joined: 24 Jun 2006, 08:34
Location: Vl.Brabant
Contact:

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by jan_olieslagers »

Problem with institutions and diplomats, they re all flying low cost or eco these days
ALL? I don't think this applies so universally. I have worked at one of the European Institutions, and there at least some didn't care about cost at all, many even taking a taxi from Schumann to the Airport, whereas the train is cheaper, faster, and at least as convenient. Something tells me such people wouldn't board a low-cost carrier either, unless the schedule favoured it heavily. But yes, they would normally be in economy class, I suppose.

Passenger
Posts: 7266
Joined: 06 Dec 2010, 20:54

Re: Air Belgium in 2019

Post by Passenger »

Air Belgium’s first announcement was in August 2016, on their Linkedin page: “to commence revenu operations later this year”. Cathay's first announcement was in August 2017, press release “first flight on 25 March 2018”. If AB would have received its AOC as they had hoped = in Sept or Oct 2016, they would have been able to establish themselves on the market, well before CX could have done so.

Unfortunately: due to a bureaucratic and surrealistic Belgian CAA, they didn’t get their AOC. So Cathay was able to establish itself as carrier for Hong Kong: with a superior aircraft (A350) and a superior product (5*). AB had fuel consuming aircraft, but on cheap leases. So AB can compete against CX.

However, that’s all irrelevant now. AB has made three wrong prognoses when they would get their AOC. So the market (travel trade and individuals, Leisure and Business) have lost confidence (I disregard the few Aviation24.be-members who have unconditional faith in them). And to make it worse, it seems they don’t think they have such problem because their homepage tells: “Discover soon our new destinations”. As if nothing has happened…

People will only book when they are sure they won’t loose their money and they won’t end up stranded abroad. There aren’t many options for AB to assure that. And all options will end up with the same question: can you guarantuee our payment?

Post Reply