Clash between Brussels Airlines and Belgian Defence

[sn26567]

Brussels Airlines had leased an aircraft from Belgian Defence in order to repatriate Belgian passengers stranded in Africa. The plane was due to leave Brussels Airport this Tuesday. Little problem: Defence Minister Pieter De Crem wants to have it his way.

According to the Army, the Airbus A330 should have departed to Kinshasa. Brussels Airlines does not have the same opinion. The Airbus has been leased at 100% to Brussels Airlines by the Defence. The contract has been signed Monday evening. And Brussels Airlines wanted the aircraft to fly, not to Kinshasa, but to Dakar! For Brussels Airlines, it is clear that the Defence and its Minister want to be at the helm, although the purpose of leasing the aircraft is to bring back home the customers of Brussels Airlines wherever they stranded in Africa.

Brussels Airlines also does not accept that the Defence has booked ten seats for journalists on the plane. This is not acceptable, says the airline. As a result, the plane remains in Brussels. Waiting for the cloud to disappear...

Source: RTBF

[Propwash]

Off course this isn't acceptable (not done) but it's the way how Crembo Airlines work (laughing In your face, while he sticks a nife in your back) :thumbdown:

[Airbus330lover]

The best solution is : ask a few aircraft by LH
Never trust a Minister

[Gliderpilot]

I think lufthansa needs the airplanes themselves (if they are allowed to fly).

For the rest, what can I say, I'm not surprised...

[DannyVDB]

I saw on VRT television that the A330 left for Dakar. Seems that around 1000 people are waiting there, more or less the same amount as in Kinshasa. An A310 should leave for Kinshasa tomorrow.

Danny

[LAGPanoramic]

On the RTBF news, they said the same about the destination: left for Dakar!

They showed the first "communication" of De Crem, this morning, where he told the plane was "mis à disposition" of SN (which means "free use" in French), followed by a second, later on the day, where he confirms that "passengers won't have to pay, but that SN will indeed receive an invoice"

The RTBF confirmed that he had reserved some seats, including for 8 journalists, without the agreement of SN, and that those seats will finally stay free for SN.

They ended the report by telling that the talks for a second plane were "frozen"...

[Propwash]

Hopefully SN leanerd a lesson

As Airbus330lover wrote: Never trust a Minister.
Especially not a 'media excited' .be one.

[worldspotter]

On the spotters forum I saw that Livingston is flying with A330 for SN totay.
Is the an additional flight or is it replacing the lease of Air DECREM?

[RoMax]

On the spotters forum I saw that Livingston is flying with A330 for SN totay.
Is the an additional flight or is it replacing the lease of Air DECREM?

An additional one . Brussels Airlines said yesterday that they are searching to lease an (or more) airplane(s) for some extra flights to AFI, but it wasn't that simple because a lot of company's want to use some extra airplanes and not every airline want to fly to AFI. But it seems they succeed to find one.