Air Belgium in 2018

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Desert Rat
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by Desert Rat »

And who are you to contact airline people about their strategy or their business...may I ask?

sean1982
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by sean1982 »

Passenger wrote: 14 Aug 2018, 15:25
kly wrote: 14 Aug 2018, 08:23 The loading factors are pretty good compared to July when I first took AB to HKG. When i departed there were only 50 pax or less whilst when I returned there were more than 100.

According to Standaard. The loading factors have gone up from 52-60% (july) to 75-80%(august). So I thing they are getting to it not to mention they added 1 more flight to HKG.
When you have 257 seats, about 50 pax is 20% and about 100 pax is 40%. Together with the few previous reports, their load factor cannot be near 52%-60% / 75%-80%. Unless for a few flights with high load of Chinese tourists. But even then: with those Chinese tour groups, revenu is rather low. And it's far too soon to see their presence on Amadeus realizing in bookings.

Actually, I predicted "good load factors..." when someone asked if their basic rate (449) went up to 499:
Passenger wrote: 13 Aug 2018, 23:36 Possible answers:
1. our load factors are increasing;
2. our load factors are still low, but our CFO told us we cannot afford 449 € any longer.

Answer they will give you:
1. our load factors are increasing.
Another anti post :roll:

Good Friends of mine are crew at AB. Loads are indeed up to around 70% on recent flights

TLspotting
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by TLspotting »

Desert Rat wrote: 14 Aug 2018, 15:59 And who are you to contact airline people about their strategy or their business...may I ask?
I'm the main admin of Facebook group Air Belgium Fans (KF/ABB)...
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sn26567
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by sn26567 »

Flanker3 wrote: 14 Aug 2018, 10:22 Bravo to Air Belgium and let's hope to see connections to TYO from October as mentioned in the article.
As I understand it, the route to Tokyo (and to Cebu, Philippines) will be through a connecting flight in Hong Kong. Will that connecting flight be operated by Hong Kong Airlines? It seems that Air Belgium has good relations with that airline, whose lounges it uses in HKG.

Air Belgium also badly needs feeder flights at the Belgian end, and there it seems that nothing is in the pipeline yet...
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by TLspotting »

sn26567 wrote: 14 Aug 2018, 17:18
Flanker3 wrote: 14 Aug 2018, 10:22 Bravo to Air Belgium and let's hope to see connections to TYO from October as mentioned in the article.
As I understand it, the route to Tokyo (and to Cebu, Philippines) will be through a connecting flight in Hong Kong. Will that connecting flight be operated by Hong Kong Airlines? It seems that Air Belgium has good relations with that airline, whose lounges it uses in HKG.

Air Belgium also badly needs feeder flights at the Belgian end, and there it seems that nothing is in the pipeline yet...
Indeed, I think Bart made an error in its article, HKG is a codeshare hub.

"Niky Terzakis proposera de nouvelles destinations via le hub de Hong Kong", that's what Le Soir wrote.
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sn26567
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by sn26567 »

TLspotting wrote: 14 Aug 2018, 18:36 Indeed, I think Bart made an error in its article, HKG is a codeshare hub.

"Niky Terzakis proposera de nouvelles destinations via le hub de Hong Kong", that's what Le Soir wrote.
Bart did not make an error; he said that Air Belgium would like to fly to Tokyo and Cebu, but did not specify whether it would be direct or via a hub in HKG.
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by Passenger »

I don’t share the optimism here. I think one has to be realist when it’s about filling planes.
Terzakis in Le Vif: “...Nous allons démarrer une nouvelle route en Chine fin septembre. Il s'agit de Zhengzhou… Une deuxième destination est prévue en octobre: Wuhan. Puis Taiyuan en novembre".
We’re mid August now, and they want to start a new long haul route end of September??? Are they really gonna make the same error again as they did with Hong Kong (off topic: error VLM/SHS Aviation has done with their new routes too)? You have to obey the basic market rules. Specially for long haul, you have to leave enough time between announcement and first flight. I don’t know the Chinese market – and maybe it’s 6 weeks indeed. But I estimate it’s rather 6 months.
De Standaard, referring to Terzakis in Le Soir: “Air Belgium was van plan de frequentie naar Hongkong te verhogen naar vier keer per week, maar dat plan gaat niet door. ‘Er is te veel capaciteit in vergelijking met de vraag’, zegt Terzakis in Le Soir…”
Why does this overcapacity applies to Air Belgium only, and not to Cathay? They haven’t opened BRU just for fun: they expect to make profit here, and it seems they can do it with 7 flights per week.

And when you conclude that the reason most probably is "BRU versus CRL", than you have to adapt your business plan. Example: 2 flights BRU-HKG, 1 flight CRL-HKG.

Amavro
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by Amavro »

Passenger wrote: 14 Aug 2018, 22:37 I don’t share the optimism here. I think one has to be realist when it’s about filling planes.
Terzakis in Le Vif: “...Nous allons démarrer une nouvelle route en Chine fin septembre. Il s'agit de Zhengzhou… Une deuxième destination est prévue en octobre: Wuhan. Puis Taiyuan en novembre".
We’re mid August now, and they want to start a new long haul route end of September??? Are they really gonna make the same error again as they did with Hong Kong (off topic: error VLM/SHS Aviation has done with their new routes too)? You have to obey the basic market rules. Specially for long haul, you have to leave enough time between announcement and first flight. I don’t know the Chinese market – and maybe it’s 6 weeks indeed. But I estimate it’s rather 6 months.
I understand your point of vieuw, but that is for "european airlines" which aim to carry mostly european passengers. In the AB's case, their goal is to carry chineese tourists to Europe. To achieve this, they only need UTOUR to fill their planes, which can be done within few weeks.

And about the businessman, he doesn't need to book his flight months in advance.

ezis_bis
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by ezis_bis »

Amavro wrote: 15 Aug 2018, 11:45 In the AB's case, their goal is to carry chineese tourists to Europe. To achieve this, they only need UTOUR to fill their planes, which can be done within few weeks.
I also have the impression this is their main market; Packages for Chineses tourists. And once in Europe, they spend lots of €€€€, be it in Belgium or France or wherever.
Those charter flights to LGG also just stopped when the Russian company went bankrupt. Now with AB, these seem to have moved to CRL.

Regardless, if AB can make money of it, why not? A few flights a week to some large but for us unknown places with a large public who want to have a trip to EU.

It's also why I think increasing HKG doesn't make sense for them; very different public.
Cathay's BRU-HKG serves a very different public/market too

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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by TLspotting »

Brand new OO-ABD going to be delivered this evening at Ostend. More info soon
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sn26567
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by sn26567 »

TLspotting wrote: 15 Aug 2018, 14:31 Brand new OO-ABD going to be delivered this evening at Ostend. More info soon
Ostend? What's the idea?

(and the plane is brand new only for Air Belgium. It is actually 10 years old, but I'm sure you know that ;) )
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by Boeing767copilot »

sn26567 wrote: 15 Aug 2018, 19:01
TLspotting wrote: 15 Aug 2018, 14:31 Brand new OO-ABD going to be delivered this evening at Ostend. More info soon
Ostend? What's the idea?
Probably cheaper than BRU, who knows.

Passenger
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by Passenger »

sn26567 wrote: 15 Aug 2018, 19:01
TLspotting wrote: 15 Aug 2018, 14:31 Brand new OO-ABD going to be delivered this evening at Ostend. More info soon
Ostend? What's the idea?
We'll know very soon if it's OST or CRL: OO-ABD is airborne:
https://www.flightradar24.com/ABB921P/1d82e78c

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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by TLspotting »

sn26567 wrote: 15 Aug 2018, 19:01
TLspotting wrote: 15 Aug 2018, 14:31 Brand new OO-ABD going to be delivered this evening at Ostend. More info soon
Ostend? What's the idea?

(and the plane is brand new only for Air Belgium. It is actually 10 years old, but I'm sure you know that ;) )
Not enough space at CRL, already occupied by ABA and ABB, and yes I know it :)
Passenger wrote: 15 Aug 2018, 19:06
sn26567 wrote: 15 Aug 2018, 19:01
TLspotting wrote: 15 Aug 2018, 14:31 Brand new OO-ABD going to be delivered this evening at Ostend. More info soon
Ostend? What's the idea?
We'll know very soon if it's OST or CRL: OO-ABD is airborne:
https://www.flightradar24.com/ABB921P/1d82e78c
Had the captain (I think) in touch, it is well for OST, eta 20:20L.

And I also noticed font type change on AIR BELGIUM title.

*FREE AD* : https://www.facebook.com/TLspotting/pos ... 6938514098
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nordikcam
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by nordikcam »

CRL : Runway too short and not enough space...so aircraft goes to OST. Could it be arrive with passengers ? Yes...sarcasm !

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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by TLspotting »

Arrived at OST.
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sn26567
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by sn26567 »

The painted livery looks much brighter and shinier than the stickered one. Way to go!
André
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hexman
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by hexman »

How long will it stay at Ostend ?

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Ozzie1969
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by Ozzie1969 »

Cebu as a destination may not be a bad idea at all. You'd be amazed at how many Filipino nationals there are in Belgium.

mdm
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Re: Air Belgium in 2018

Post by mdm »

Cebu as a destination may not be a bad idea at all. You'd be amazed at how many Filipino nationals there are in Belgium.

Yes, but they fly with Thai Airways with special conditions.

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