Air Belgium in 2018

[nicopapa]

Their main target is to fly Chinese tourists to Europe at dirt cheap prices. So before flying them back to China, they first need to get them in Europe. I don't think that they will ever transport many Belgian travelers to HK, especially considering that they operate from CRL and that CX is serving BRU. In any case, I wouldn't draw any conclusion from this first flight, it is highly premature.

[kly]

.
Looks like they’re advertising on boards too!
- snapped by fd on sns

[airtrainer]

OO-ABA left Libreville to CDG 45 min ago.

[Passenger]

OO-ABA left Libreville to CDG 45 min ago.

...and arrived in Paris at 06h58.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... a#119a015b

Meanwhile, KF-852 HKG-BRU = OO-ABB is enroute too, with arrival at CRL now planned for 17h33 local (iso ETA 18h15).
https://www.flightradar24.com/ABB852/119a7479

[Vic Diesel]

Their main target is to fly Chinese tourists to Europe at dirt cheap prices. So before flying them back to China, they first need to get them in Europe. I don't think that they will ever transport many Belgian travelers to HK, especially considering that they operate from CRL and that CX is serving BRU. In any case, I wouldn't draw any conclusion from this first flight, it is highly premature.

Exactly. Air Belgium was not founded to bring European tourists to Asia, so they as well could have based the aircraft with an empty ferry flight in HKG. Having some paxes and assumably some cargo on board as well is still better than an empty ferry flight.

[N77014]

Anybody any idea of the number of pax on the return flight ? And his flight seems to take quite long : 12h45 according to FR24, while the CX A359 HKG-CDG at the same moment, only takes 12h00 while being slightly further in distance. I compared a few other HKG- nearby BE airport flights right now, all are on average an hour faster. Are these A343's so slow ? It's not that they are ahead of schedule neither...

[Passenger]

Their main target is to fly Chinese tourists to Europe at dirt cheap prices. So before flying them back to China, they first need to get them in Europe. I don't think that they will ever transport many Belgian travelers to HK, especially considering that they operate from CRL and that CX is serving BRU. In any case, I wouldn't draw any conclusion from this first flight, it is highly premature.

Exactly. Air Belgium was not founded to bring European tourists to Asia, so they as well could have based the aircraft with an empty ferry flight in HKG. Having some paxes and assumably some cargo on board as well is still better than an empty ferry flight.

Maybe the China-Europe market is their main target. But they sell tickets from Charleroi to Hong Kong, they make publicity for those flights, they have an online booking tool for those flights. So they do want them - but they don't get them yet.

And what matters for Belgians (the advantage of Brussels versus Charleroi) is also valid for Chinese people. On top, Chinese people know Cathay but they don't know Air Belgium.

I'm not going to repeat why they fail so far - it has been said multiple times.

[lumumba]

Let's just hope they succeed and that Brussels Charleroi South can attract more long haul airlines...

[Amavro]

Anybody any idea of the number of pax on the return flight ? And his flight seems to take quite long : 12h45 according to FR24, while the CX A359 HKG-CDG at the same moment, only takes 12h00 while being slightly further in distance. I compared a few other HKG- nearby BE airport flights right now, all are on average an hour faster. Are these A343's so slow ? It's not that they are ahead of schedule neither...

It's all about the flight path, not the actual speed of the aircraft.

[jan_olieslagers]

... and perhaps about assigned altitude, a bit, too?

[luchtzak]

While I was writing a blog-style article about Air Belgium's recent cancelled flight out of Libreville, based on a French article ( https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air-b ... ibreville/ ) I discovered that on Flightradar24, tonight's return flight AF977 seems to be cancelled too...

[Passenger]

... ... I discovered that on Flightradar24, tonight's return flight AF977 seems to be cancelled too...

At this very moment, the Air France website announces AF-977 as operating normal tonight, so it seems to be an error on FR24.

Search engine in NL:
https://www.airfrance.be/BE/nl/local/re ... DesVols.do
AF 977
22:20 - 4 juni 2018 Libreville (LBV)
06:30 - 5 juni 2018 Parijs (CDG)
De vlucht wordt op tijd verwacht.
Gepland om 22:20
Verwacht om 22:20
Aankomst Parijs - Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Terminal 2E
Gepland om 06:30 (+1 Dag)
Verwacht om 06:30 (+1 Dag)

De vlucht wordt verzorgd door Air Belgium. De bovenstaande informatie wordt louter ter indicatie en onder voorbehoud verstrekt.

[Homo Aeroportus]

While I was writing a blog-style article about Air Belgium's recent cancelled flight out of Libreville, based on a French article ( https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air-b ... ibreville/ ) I discovered that on Flightradar24, tonight's return flight AF977 seems to be cancelled too...

Hmm, ABA has just landed only 40 minutes ago.
Flightstats.com doesn't mention any delay or cancellation (at 1935 UTC) and the airport web site http://www.libreville-airport.com/ gives status as "Registration" (enregistrement).

Fingers crossed but maybe just a wrong info from FR24.

H.A.

[luchtzak]

While I was writing a blog-style article about Air Belgium's recent cancelled flight out of Libreville, based on a French article ( https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air-b ... ibreville/ ) I discovered that on Flightradar24, tonight's return flight AF977 seems to be cancelled too...

Hmm, ABA has just landed only 40 minutes ago.
Flightstats.com doesn't mention any delay or cancellation (at 1935 UTC) and the airport web site http://www.libreville-airport.com/ gives status as "Registration" (enregistrement).

Fingers crossed but maybe just a wrong info from FR24.

H.A.

Then ... it's a glitch!

[TLspotting]

This article seems to be more objective :
https://www.africapostnews.com/gabon-un ... lle-paris/

[JustPlanes]

I don't know if its very objective... First of all I highly doubt that a pilot would run out of the cockpit in a panic... and then it says that Air France would normally offer a meal and Air Belgium didn't... well its still an Air France and as such its AF's responsibility to take care of the pax, not Air Belgium... Air Belgium doesn't have any staff in LBV anyway.
I can imagine the situation though... very unfortunate for Air Belgium that something like that would happen in the middle of the night in Africa... but thats aviation and it happens to everyone!
How many SN flights has Cityjet cancelled because they can't get their act together and they're not a new airline at all! And guess what... SN has to take care of the pax, not Cityjet.

[Passenger]

While I was writing a blog-style article about Air Belgium's recent cancelled flight out of Libreville, based on a French article ( https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air-b ... ibreville/ ) I discovered that on Flightradar24, tonight's return flight AF977 seems to be cancelled too...

Hmm, ABA has just landed only 40 minutes ago.
Flightstats.com doesn't mention any delay or cancellation (at 1935 UTC) and the airport web site http://www.libreville-airport.com/ gives status as "Registration" (enregistrement).

Fingers crossed but maybe just a wrong info from FR24.

Here is the answer:
https://www.flightradar24.com/AFR977/119cb0f2

[Vic Diesel]

Maybe the China-Europe market is their main target. But they sell tickets from Charleroi to Hong Kong, they make publicity for those flights, they have an online booking tool for those flights. So they do want them - but they don't get them yet.

Sure, they would like to see the outbound first flight filled up as well. It didn't work out. We'll see in six months if that one flight made a difference.

And what matters for Belgians (the advantage of Brussels versus Charleroi) is also valid for Chinese people.

Sorry, but you're wrong here. Chinese tourists tend to come in groups, not so much as individual tourists. And for a group of tourists, coming to Western Europe for a round-trip, it really doesn't matter whether you haul them in a bus in BRU or CRL. In fact, CRL could even prove more attractive for Chinese tour operators who would like to see CRL as starting point for a trip through Northern France. Don't make the mistake of think that Chinese tourists behave and think like Europeans.

On top, Chinese people know Cathay but they don't know Air Belgium.

See above: for tourist groups, the opinion of the individuals is simply irrelevant: whether they know Cathay or Air Belgium - whatever the tour operator decides for, they go for it. And for sure Air Belgium offers a better product than Air China (yes, I AM serious about that - tried both myself).

[Bracebrace]

This was tweeted by Terzakis a while ago, the video gives nice background information on the siberian overflight rights (for people thinking it is mere an "administrative" thing).

[Acid-drop]

Wow, superb video !
That explains why Ethiopian is flying to southern china via the southern route.
ASL/TNT on the other hand has right for Belgium and if I understand the video right, it's extremely rare to have 2 airlines from the same country. So Air Belgium has something very exceptional. Good job.
But for what ... HKG is south enough, the gain is very limited... could be more interesting for other destinations later.