Brussels Airlines in 2024

[Lux_avi]

It's how the market works: these days companies don't have to choose much, it's a different story then 25 years ago.

It''s a real crisis at this moment.
Belgian pilots, mostly copilots, are leaving for other skies (major airlines, in the Middle East,...).
Hiring new guys is difficult. Especially at the conditions Belgian airlines offer.

[longwings]

Hiring new guys is difficult. Especially at the conditions Belgian airlines offer.

Can/do they offer training bonds?

[fcw]

Hiring new guys is difficult. Especially at the conditions Belgian airlines offer.

Can/do they offer training bonds?

They impose training bonds indeed, but even that doesn’t seem to stop the brain drain.

[Lux_avi]

Can/do they offer training bonds?

TUI had to let the bond go for new contracts, new joiners wouldn't even come if they had a bond.
They all come for a free type rating and go away as soon as they find anything else.

SN offers fixed contracts to F/O's so they have less troubles finding new F/O's. However, they need time to train them and training capacity is limiting. That's also one of the reasons why they need temporary captains, which are almost impossible to find nowadays...

[luchtzak]

It's how the market works: these days companies don't have to choose much, it's a different story then 25 years ago.

It''s a real crisis at this moment.
Belgian pilots, mostly copilots, are leaving for other skies (major airlines, in the Middle East,...).
Hiring new guys is difficult. Especially at the conditions Belgian airlines offer.

After learning this news, Aviation24.be had a conversation with a Brussels Airlines spokesperson: in the last 6 months, 20 pilots left the company. In the same period, 40 new pilots were hired and some are to be accepted in the near future.

Demand and offer, says the spokesperson, who said that there will be a capacity reduction on Birmingham, Berlin and Warsaw but the airline added Krakow in the portfolio as well as some extra frequencies to popular summer destinations.

[brabel]

Weren't they gonna increase capacity on Warsaw?
Also, Krakow and Nairobi will be the only new routes?
I thought someone here said more destinations were to be added?

[Atlantis]

It's how the market works: these days companies don't have to choose much, it's a different story then 25 years ago.

It''s a real crisis at this moment.
Belgian pilots, mostly copilots, are leaving for other skies (major airlines, in the Middle East,...).
Hiring new guys is difficult. Especially at the conditions Belgian airlines offer.

After learning this news, Aviation24.be had a conversation with a Brussels Airlines spokesperson: in the last 6 months, 20 pilots left the company. In the same period, 40 new pilots were hired and some are to be accepted in the near future.

Demand and offer, says the spokesperson, who said that there will be a capacity reduction on Birmingham, Berlin and Warsaw but the airline added Krakow in the portfolio as well as some extra frequencies to popular summer destinations.

Warsaw just received 5 extra flights. To reduce already?

[SN501]

It''s a real crisis at this moment.
Belgian pilots, mostly copilots, are leaving for other skies (major airlines, in the Middle East,...).
Hiring new guys is difficult. Especially at the conditions Belgian airlines offer.

After learning this news, Aviation24.be had a conversation with a Brussels Airlines spokesperson: in the last 6 months, 20 pilots left the company. In the same period, 40 new pilots were hired and some are to be accepted in the near future.

Demand and offer, says the spokesperson, who said that there will be a capacity reduction on Birmingham, Berlin and Warsaw but the airline added Krakow in the portfolio as well as some extra frequencies to popular summer destinations.

Warsaw just received 5 extra flights. To reduce already?

These evening/morning rotation to/from WAW were already in the summer offer. I wouldn't consider them as extra or new, but rather as a seasonal variation.

[lumumba]

It's how the market works: these days companies don't have to choose much, it's a different story then 25 years ago.

It''s a real crisis at this moment.
Belgian pilots, mostly copilots, are leaving for other skies (major airlines, in the Middle East,...).
Hiring new guys is difficult. Especially at the conditions Belgian airlines offer.

After learning this news, Aviation24.be had a conversation with a Brussels Airlines spokesperson: in the last 6 months, 20 pilots left the company. In the same period, 40 new pilots were hired and some are to be accepted in the near future.

Demand and offer, says the spokesperson, who said that there will be a capacity reduction on Birmingham, Berlin and Warsaw but the airline added Krakow in the portfolio as well as some extra frequencies to popular summer destinations.

[Lux_avi]

After learning this news, Aviation24.be had a conversation with a Brussels Airlines spokesperson: in the last 6 months, 20 pilots left the company. In the same period, 40 new pilots were hired and some are to be accepted in the near future.

20 in six months is quite a number.
How many in the past 2 years, and how many in the months to come?

[DannyVDB]

Do these figures include 'regular' retirement?
D

[fcw]

Do these figures include 'regular' retirement?

Knowing attrition is a problem, the spokesperson would have certainly mentioned retirement.
There was a big wave of forced early retirement during the 2020 reorganisation, so not many, if any, SN pilots are eligible for retirement in the coming years.

[Bracebrace]

20 in six months is quite a number.
How many in the past 2 years, and how many in the months to come?

If Brussels Airlines is facing the same problem as many other airlines, I would say the hiring rate and career progression at Air France/Transavia is quite the number. Of course no spokesman is going to admit that the grass is actually greener on the westside of the border.

[cathay belgium]

Hi,

Ni direct SN flights to BHX !!! WTF !!!?????

Why ???

Praying for Easyjjet to step in now. ??!!!!!!!!

What's going on ???? BHX is already served by BA,BMI,SN in the past and now nothing ???

CXB

[fcw]

Hi,

Ni direct SN flights to BHX !!! WTF !!!?????

Why ???

Praying for Easyjjet to step in now. ??!!!!!!!!

What's going on ???? BHX is already served by BA,BMI,SN in the past and now nothing ???

CXB

https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001337.htm

[Boeing767copilot]

Hi,

Ni direct SN flights to BHX !!! WTF !!!?????

Why ???

Praying for Easyjjet to step in now. ??!!!!!!!!

What's going on ???? BHX is already served by BA,BMI,SN in the past and now nothing ???

CXB

Dr James Pearson on Linkedin:


Brussels Airlines has removed Brussels Airport Company to Birmingham Airport for the summer. It is currently served 10x weekly with the A319, with the last flight from Birmingham on 30th March, the last day of W23. It’ll be able to use the equipment for leisure-heavy summer markets.

According to UK CAA data, it carried 6,801 roundtrip Birmingham pax in November 2023. This includes all pax regardless of O&D (approx 60% was P2P, 40% connecting over Brussels). Relating that to capacity from Cirium shows that it filled just 64% of seats. Ouch.

It is due to return on 27th October at double daily, but it remains to be seen if it does return then, especially given the poor SLF (although I only looked at one month). Showing just how much things have changed, it was served 28x weekly a decade ago (RJ100, Q400).

The change means that the #UK will have just 59 weekly flights to Brussels in June from three UK airports: Heathrow (40 weekly; British Airways, SN), Manchester Airport (12 weekly; SN), and Edinburgh Airport (daily; SN). (A decade ago, eight airports were linked, while 13 were two decades ago.) Put another way, the UK will now collectively have fewer Brussels flights than Madrid (66 weekly).

Of course, Brussels has very quick trains to London, the city isn’t a big tourist draw (although I always like visiting!), we are no longer in the EU, SN is no longer the hub carrier it once was...

[SLM]

Does anyone know when the OO-SNN airbus 320 (eurowings colours) will get a new livery? Tx for your answers!

[koninckske]

Hi,

Ni direct SN flights to BHX !!! WTF !!!?????

Why ???

Praying for Easyjjet to step in now. ??!!!!!!!!

What's going on ???? BHX is already served by BA,BMI,SN in the past and now nothing ???

CXB

When we were flying this route with Flybe for Brussels Airlines, I noticed the extremely low loads on this route. Billund, Nantes had very good numbers and even Hannover had better loads.

[SN501]

Does anyone know when the OO-SNN airbus 320 (eurowings colours) will get a new livery? Tx for your answers!

In due time when it will become necessary for technical reason.
OO-SNN is almost 14 yo and joined the fleet in eurowings livery in May 2019. It should be repainted within 2 years if it stays among the SN fleet.

[nordikcam]

Hi,

Ni direct SN flights to BHX !!! WTF !!!?????

Why ???

Praying for Easyjjet to step in now. ??!!!!!!!!

What's going on ???? BHX is already served by BA,BMI,SN in the past and now nothing ???

CXB

I guess if they're putting an A320 on BHX this Sunday afternoon it's because there's demand one way or the other...it's not for pure pleasure