Brussels Airlines in 2024

[crew1990]

Upcoming presentation to the press I presume ?

Indeed, this morning actually

[DannyVDB]

That painting was done fast, no? Normally the plane is almost 1 month on the ground ...

D

[crew1990]

The painting of an A320 take approximatively 1 week

[sn26567]

.At 1:45 this morning under the cover of darkness, Brussels Airlines A320neo OO-SBB has returned from the paint shop at East Midlands and has been smuggled into hangar 41. Upcoming presentation to the press I presume ?
Its first commercial flight (in the new livery) is scheduled for tomorrow, April 26th to Tenerife.

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/luft ... s-a320neo/

[Lux_avi]

The painting of an A320 take approximatively 1 week

It took 17 days for Amare.

[crew1990]

Yes because Amare is much more complexe than the regular livery wich take a week.

[sn26567]

Yes because Amare is much more complex than the regular livery which takes a week.

A world first: augmented reality livery.

[Miqvell]

Interview with the CFO :

Brussels Airlines unable to wet-lease this summer

You say that the threats of strikes generated fears that dampened bookings, but you remain very confident for the summer, isn't that contradictory?
The fears were there mainly at the time of the threats, which made some passengers hesitate. We see that confidence is back in bookings.

Results down 3%, passengers up 4%. Are the fares down?
The strikes may have had an impact on yield, but we are very happy with the way it has developed. The strikes have had an impact on our costs, but without them we would be on the trajectory we had anticipated. We are preparing for greater growth in the summer, particularly with our 10th widebody. This has an impact on certain costs, for example, on training.

You say that it is not abnormal to record losses in the 1st quarter. To achieve your long-term objectives, will you at least have to break even in these quarters?
Airlines generate the majority of their revenues in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Within a few years we will have to break even in the other quarters. We need to work on the seasonality of our costs and offer. This will involve flying a little more towards the sun in winter and having wet-lease for the summer in order to have more flexibility. Last year, the 1st quarter was negative and we ended with a record result. We will have growth this year, and the 10th widebody will have a big effect. We will be able to increase our margin and profits compared to last year.

Have you concluded any wet-lease agreements for this year?
We haven't found any. Wet-lease airlines are often more interested in leasing for a whole year and not just for one season. There's a shortage of supply on the market, particularly because of problems with the Neo. So you have to negotiate very early on. We're busy for the summer of 2025.

An opportunity for Air Belgium?
Not really. The shortage is felt mainly on short- and medium-haul routes, whereas they offer long-haul.

Some sectors are feeling a weakening in demand, aren't you seeing that?
We're not seeing a downturn. Business travel has not returned to its levels, but the trend remains positive for leisure.

Source : L'Echo

[Lux_avi]

Interview with the CFO :

Brussels Airlines unable to wet-lease this summer


Have you concluded any wet-lease agreements for this year?
We haven't found any. Wet-lease airlines are often more interested in leasing for a whole year and not just for one season. There's a shortage of supply on the market, particularly because of problems with the Neo. So you have to negotiate very early on. We're busy for the summer of 2025.

Prices of wet-leases exploded as well.
Demand is extremely high.

Those "airlines" are also struggling to keep their flying staff as conditions are usually terrible.
Pilots leave for better places & finding + training new staff is not easy.

[JOVAN2]

Big losses for LH, OS, SN...in Q1. To
Many streikes because bad social climate in those airlines, due to poor and arrogant management..

For SN we can predict that the summer figures, on which they count as a holiday-airline will be fàaaar below 2023 figures.
Giving up their (small) hub-function and cancelling connections with main business centers will prove to be a big mistake...

[nordikcam]

For SN we can predict that the summer figures, on which they count as a holiday-airline will be fàaaar below 2023 figures.
Giving up their (small) hub-function and cancelling connections with main business centers will prove to be a big mistake...

Madame Soleil is working...

[longwings]

Reliance on wet leases as a strategy concerns me not a little. This is not a strategy shared by the other (so-called) full-service carriers Brussels wants to compete with, and for a reason: pretty hard to maintain consistent hard/soft product standards. If wet leases are not strategically deployed, this could cost them frequent fliers.

[Ge203]

Reliance on wet leases as a strategy concerns me not a little. This is not a strategy shared by the other (so-called) full-service carriers Brussels wants to compete with, and for a reason: pretty hard to maintain consistent hard/soft product standards. If wet leases are not strategically deployed, this could cost them frequent fliers.

Mmmh, most of « full service carriers » go for wet leases. SAS long term agreement with CityJet. Lufthansa uses them as well this summer.

Swiss wet leases Air Baltic aircraft, and quite a lot of them.

Air France signed an agreement for wet lease with ASL and Amelia. As they did last year with DAT.

British Airways will also use multiple operators on some of their services.

And the list goes on and on, probably.

[Lux_avi]

Reliance on wet leases as a strategy concerns me not a little. This is not a strategy shared by the other (so-called) full-service carriers Brussels wants to compete with, and for a reason: pretty hard to maintain consistent hard/soft product standards. If wet leases are not strategically deployed, this could cost them frequent fliers.

Mmmh, most of « full service carriers » go for wet leases. SAS long term agreement with CityJet. Lufthansa uses them as well this summer.

Swiss wet leases Air Baltic aircraft, and quite a lot of them.

Air France signed an agreement for wet lease with ASL and Amelia. As they did last year with DAT.

British Airways will also use multiple operators on some of their services.

And the list goes on and on, probably.

Most of the wet leases agreements you are mentioning are caused by engine issues (mostly on the A220/E2/320-321NEO), late delivery of new aircraft & so on. Basically those wet leases are to cover the planned scheduled of those main carriers. Not to create extra capacity, unlike SN.

[rwandan-flyer]

Nice info, but some mistakes. Entebbe was alreay served before 2019 and Air Austral uses Nairobi as fuel stop when they fly from Moroni to CDG because the aircraft can't take off fully loaded from Moroni runway.

Brussels-Nairobi

Brussels Airlines is increasing service to East Africa in June by offering year-round flights connecting Brussels Airport (BRU) and Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO).

Nonstop flights to the Kenyan capital will be four times per week from June 3 using Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Additionally, a 2X-weekly service will be available via Kigali International Airport (KGL), Rwanda. Frequencies on the nonstop BRU-NBO sector will reduce to 2X-weekly during the winter season.

The move marks a return to Nairobi for the Lufthansa subsidiary after an absence of almost nine years. OAG data shows flights were offered between BRU and NBO until October 2015, operating via both KGL and Bujumbura’s Melchior Ndadaye International Airport, Burundi. However, the city has been absent from its network ever since.

By peak summer, Brussels Airlines intends to serve four points in East Africa—Bujumbura, Entebbe, Kigali and Nairobi—providing about 7,600 two-way weekly seats to and from Brussels. This marks an increase of more than 90% compared with 2019 levels, when the carrier served just Bujumbura and Kigali in the region.

Analysis of figures provided by Sabre Market Intelligence shows that of the 161,000 passengers who flew from Brussels to points in East Africa during 2023, about 24% started their journey behind BRU, while 35% flew to cities beyond their arrival point in East Africa.

Nairobi is currently served six times per week by Lufthansa from Frankfurt Airport—one of nine nonstop routes connecting the city with Europe. NBO also has flights to Amsterdam with Kenya Airways and KLM; Istanbul with Turkish Airlines; London Heathrow with Kenya Airways and British Airways; and Paris Charles de Gaulle with Kenya Airways, Air France and Air Austral.
David Casey

David Casey is Editor in Chief of Routes, the global route development community's trusted source for news and information.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/ ... ght=kigali

[lumumba]

For SN we can predict that the summer figures, on which they count as a holiday-airline will be fàaaar below 2023 figures.
Giving up their (small) hub-function and cancelling connections with main business centers will prove to be a big mistake...

Madame Soleil is working...

[convair]

Only 6 lh flights today.
SFC has been in MAN for 8 weeks now; does someone know when it's due back in BRU?
SFD flew to QPG (Singapore) yesterday; does anyone know why?

[Atlantis]

Only 6 lh flights today.
SFC has been in MAN for 8 weeks now; does someone know when it's due back in BRU?
SFD flew to QPG (Singapore) yesterday; does anyone know why?

It's in the topic Brussels Airlines fleet renewal. Member Delta Sierra posted that SFC will be back from C-check on 8th May.
SFD went now for C-check to Singapore

[crew1990]

Only 6 lh flights today.
SFC has been in MAN for 8 weeks now; does someone know when it's due back in BRU?
SFD flew to QPG (Singapore) yesterday; does anyone know why?

OO-SFD was planned to go for maintenance in MAN but as OO-SFC take a little bit longer the foreseen but will soon comeback, OOSFD went for mintenance in QPG.

In the meantime OO-SSV is coming back today from BUD

[nordikcam]

Why go out of your way to fly on Washington when you don't have the fleet to do it...it's surprising!