Africa network SN Brussels Airlines

Atlantis · Post by **Atlantis** » 13 Jul 2005, 17:42

Today an article in "The Tijd": the expansion of the Africa-network of SNBA is stoped due to a lack of aircraft and competition.

There was a note spread under the employees of SNBA with this message.
They needed very badly the forth A330 and the competition is very hard on this continent especially from KLM/Air France.

The Africa network was in the time of Sabena and now for SNBA always a big success and profitable. But this is going to end now. They have to react now for it's too late.

SNBA made a profit of 7.7 million euro in it's first quatre. Why don't they take some risk to lease some more aircrafts and open new African destinations? This is their success not Europe because they fly always in the red on these destinations due to a lot of competitors.

SN30952 · Post by **SN30952** » 13 Jul 2005, 17:57

Atlantis wrote: They have to react now for it's too late.

If they have to react now, it is indeed too late. What a pity.

regi · Post by **regi** » 14 Jul 2005, 10:21

Lack of aircraft? I know a solution: buy some extra.
You don't have money? Go to the bank.
You don't have credit? Improve the balance.
You are not able to improve the company? Go work at McDonnald's.

yabu · Post by **yabu** » 14 Jul 2005, 10:44

Well all these are nice suggestions but ze qll know what happend with Sabena, keep buying aircrafts. Its to late to have the fourth 330 now so i dunno, we will see what the future brings.

yabu

5Y-KQV · Post by **5Y-KQV** » 14 Jul 2005, 12:20

Can't they lease planes? Domestic airlines in regions that they serve seem to be getting their act together and if they ain't careful, they could lose a lot of market share. Losing foothold in their African operations could be detrimental to their balance sheets.

TWA · Post by **TWA** » 14 Jul 2005, 12:49

Maybe the biggest privat share-holder in the SN air holding, Sir Richard Branson, might help them out with an older A340-300!!!!!!

Post by **sn26567** » 15 Jul 2005, 08:54

TWA wrote:Maybe the biggest privat share-holder in the SN air holding, Sir Richard Branson, might help them out with an older A340-300!!!!!!

Nice idea! But Sir Richard wants to pull out of SN Air Holding...

Atlantis · Post by **Atlantis** » 16 Jul 2005, 10:22

They better don't fly to Johannesburg because Air France increases it's services up to 10 flights a week. On these route is a lot of competition, so don't take that risk.
There a lot of more destinations in Africa who they can fly.

Atlantis · Post by **Atlantis** » 17 Jul 2005, 20:14

There are still some interesting destinations in Africa to serve:

Benin: Lomé for passengers and cargo.
Sudan: Khartoum for passengers and cargo: think about fresh flowers etc.
Ethiopië; Addis Abeba for passengers
Somalia: Mogadishu for passengers
Tanzania: Dar es Salaam for passengers: important charter
And why not Mauritius, I know when Air Mauritius came to Brussels they flew further to LHR. But in this case they can en fly via Tanzania to Mauritius.

LJ · Post by LJ » 17 Jul 2005, 22:28

Atlantis wrote:There are still some interesting destinations in Africa to serve:

Benin: Lomé for passengers and cargo.
Sudan: Khartoum for passengers and cargo: think about fresh flowers etc.
Ethiopië; Addis Abeba for passengers
Somalia: Mogadishu for passengers
Tanzania: Dar es Salaam for passengers: important charter
And why not Mauritius, I know when Air Mauritius came to Brussels they flew further to LHR. But in this case they can en fly via Tanzania to Mauritius.

I doubt that, except for Lome, any destination is viable for SNBA. First, SNBA is not a charter airline and as such shouldn't focus on destinations which are, from a Belgian perspective, charter destinations.

Furthermore, Khartoum isn't intersting as a) already a lot of competition, b) political unstable country and c) not much economic activity between Belgium and Sudan. The flowers can use Das Air to AMS or OST (probably much cheaper than SNBA).

ADD isn't an option as a) too many airlines already fly between Europe and ADD, b) no meaningfull economic ties between Belgium and Ethiopia.

DAR isn't a option for SNBA as a) too much competition (KL daily MD11/767, BA daily and LX), b) no economic ties and c) Zanzibar is the tourist destination, not Dar Es Salaam. Furthermore, DAR isn't an important African city.

Mauritius is well served by their national airline.

Finally, Somalia is a no-go area for any European looking person and unless one wants to get killed I wouldn't recommend travelling to Mogadishu

C_J · Post by **C_J** » 18 Jul 2005, 18:03

I agree with "LJ"!!!
Other suggestions: Lome, Cotonou and Ouagadougou (ex-Sabena destinations)...

Atlantis · Post by **Atlantis** » 18 Jul 2005, 18:30

That's a petty, some destinations looks nice, but we will see.
Cotonou an ouagadougou was mentioned by someone of SNBA on the forum.

5Y-KQV · Post by **5Y-KQV** » 19 Jul 2005, 14:03

LJ wrote:First, SNBA is not a charter airline and as such shouldn't focus on destinations which are, from a Belgian perspective, charter destinations.

Agreed!

LJ wrote:Furthermore, Khartoum isn't intersting as a) already a lot of competition, b) political unstable country and c) not much economic activity between Belgium and Sudan. The flowers can use Das Air to AMS or OST (probably much cheaper than SNBA).

It is unfair to describe Sudan as politically unstable when emergency laws have been lifted for the first time in decades, Souther Sudan is at peace and the Darfur issue getting attention. There is potential for economic activity between Belgium and Sudan, especially in the rebuilding effort in the south. Any business man worth his salt would know the enormous opportunities available in virtually every sector. I agree with you on the flowers though.

LJ wrote:ADD isn't an option as a) too many airlines already fly between Europe and ADD, b) no meaningfull economic ties between Belgium and Ethiopia.

Competition is available on every route. They could gain substantial market share by coming in and offering a good product at a competitive price. Look at ET, they are a succesful airline by any measure yet most of their pax are transit pax. Just my 2 shillings.

LJ wrote:DAR isn't a option for SNBA as a) too much competition (KL daily MD11/767, BA daily and LX), b) no economic ties and c) Zanzibar is the tourist destination, not Dar Es Salaam. Furthermore, DAR isn't an important African city.

It depends on what you define as important. Dar sounds important enough for the airlines you mention to offer daily services and not counting the countless number of flights offered by other carriers in the region to and from the city. There are lots other toursit destinations besides Zanzibar (which could be accessed by boat [cruise] too from Dar). Dar is therefore the central point for tourist who want to experience the whole of the Tanzanian tourist product.

In short, I would like to add the potential of a particular route to generate revenue for an airline irrespective of the competition. I am sure SNBA is a wonderful airline quite capable of competing with other airlines in its own right, and as long as a route can make some $$$ for them, they should go for it. With the right type of service, they just might get substantial marketshare. From a passengers perspective, I would rather transit at BRU than say LHR as BRU has a less complicated layout.

Anyway, mine's just a layman's view.

Cheers,

Walter.

website-info · Post by **website-info** » 27 Jul 2005, 09:46

seems that a team from SNBA is due in Accra, Ghana this week
(27-29Jul). Maybe that's the new destination or maybe trying to secure a codeshare with .......

T

C_J · Post by **C_J** » 27 Jul 2005, 11:41

I would find Accra a strange choise, as there are already a lot of connections to Western Europe by very strong airlines to compete with (BA, Swiss, KLM,...).
Also Sabena didn't have a route to Accra itself (but in codeshare with Swissair), perhaps showing something about demand between BRU and Accra (don't think there are a lot of Ghanese people in Belgium).

sn-remember · Post by **sn-remember** » 27 Jul 2005, 14:59

The real pbl at snba in my view is ...the management.
It is definitely not in my view up to the terrible challenges the airline is facing...

So many months even years gone with no boldness in action, no decisive move, no change...
Already I feel it could be too late to save the african "niche"...
And what is a niche worth if it is not sustained by external feeding ?
From Europe, N-America and Japan.
With own metal or through agreements with partners.

I see no strategy in the current snba network development (or absence of development) I said it here at times because I find it dramatic such an inertia at the head when so much is needed !!

Urgently needed (I was already stating this last year !!) is expansion to Africa because this is the only possible lung for the belgian carrier. Sabena was a great name on that continent ; since 2001 snba tentatively delivers a pale copy , seems more and more exhausted if you want my opinion..

Aircrafts are everywhere to find on lease, so this is not the reason for such stagnation.
Now is time for competing with the greats on that great continent. SNBA need to double the frequencies if they want to survive there.
And fix some effective feeding channels (with AA or ANA)
And if it is not possible to achieve, then do it with own metal (Japan, China to the East, NYC, BOS, YUL to the west; perhaps ORD because it is an AA partner hub)

Cities to serve in Africa : mostly the ones that were served so nicely by sabena ...with some necessary arrangements because the context is changing.
I would add ACC because it is a growing place
LOS (Lagos) is a must (TYO-BRU-LOS would be nice)
LFW (Lome) and COO (Cotonou) are interesting
PHC (Port-Harcourt) is worth considering
CKY (Conakry) was at a time a sabena exclusivity.
MLW despite endemic civil war is worth serving because demand to/from US persists.
FNA (Freetown) is a matter for discussion...
Not sure that the sahel region or Sudan/Ethiopia is opportune though.

But time is running , running, running OUT !Oh yes !

Greetings
Christophe

Airbus330lover · Post by **Airbus330lover** » 27 Jul 2005, 15:14

Sorry but I mean the market has changed.
On management basis, the SNBA solution is not so catastrophic as you describe. SLowly but reasonable is a good solution. Perhaps it is a little bit to slow in Africa and the urgently need a fourth aircraft. But the solution to the new destinations (US and japan for example)with own aircraft should be totally mad in the next future

C_J · Post by **C_J** » 27 Jul 2005, 16:12

If I am not mistaking Freetown and Conakry are already served by SN.

Vinnie-Winnie · Post by **Vinnie-Winnie** » 27 Jul 2005, 16:27

Small country small market that is the problem of snba!!!! Very unfair but unfortunately true that's why U will never see sn expand a lot which is yeah unfortunately a shame!

Might have a solution though: Increase flights to/from America (with the help of American Airlines)! Since Africa is the last continent with plenty of untapped potential I'm sure Sn Could attract plenty of business people who would prefer quick connections in a not too congested airport!

But I would try to get a few smaller planes that could do the same distances! This could decrease costs compared to the a330 and the load factor would be higher! Also quicker turnaround less staff to pay.... Does such a long range plane exist though?

Airbus330lover · Post by **Airbus330lover** » 27 Jul 2005, 17:18

In fact it's like for the bus or the tram.
Higher frequencies with smaller airplanes.
One flight a day (except week-end) is easier for the businessman than 3 flights a week.
In this case can a little hub like BRU (with SNBA) survive

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Africa network SN Brussels Airlines

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