BRU Winter 2025 - 2026: news, new routes, airlines

[Atlantis]

There will be a new Belgian economic mission with HRH Princess Astrid to India in the second semester of 2025.

Also this one is to keep an eye on it

[Atlantis]

I place it in this topic as I assume it can take still 4 seasons.

But at this moment the negotiations are on the way with UA, and the governments of course, to open the routes from Boston and Houston to BRU.

Keep an eye on it

[crew1990]

But at this moment the negotiations are on the way with UA, and the governments of course, to open the routes from Boston and Houston to BRU.

Wich is not surprising at all since there is a big project going on between Air Canada and United Airlines to provide more flights and destination from the US and Canada, Brussels Airlines to increase the number of flight and destination to Africa and BAC to provide the infrastructure for this growth in order to make easy connection between North America and Africa transiting through the most western hub of the lufthansa group.

[Atlantis]

But at this moment the negotiations are on the way with UA, and the governments of course, to open the routes from Boston and Houston to BRU.

Wich is not surprising at all since there is a big project going on between Air Canada and United Airlines to provide more flights and destination from the US and Canada, Brussels Airlines to increase the number of flight and destination to Africa and BAC to provide the infrastructure for this growth in order to make easy connection between North America and Africa transiting through the most western hub of the lufthansa group.

And, don't forget, to have the border control already at BRU for the States.
Question only is when the government will give green light to set it up

[Conti764]

And all this from the convenience of a dedicated Star Alliance terminal, A pier (West)?

[Conti764]

But at this moment the negotiations are on the way with UA, and the governments of course, to open the routes from Boston and Houston to BRU.

Wich is not surprising at all since there is a big project going on between Air Canada and United Airlines to provide more flights and destination from the US and Canada, Brussels Airlines to increase the number of flight and destination to Africa and BAC to provide the infrastructure for this growth in order to make easy connection between North America and Africa transiting through the most western hub of the lufthansa group.

And, don't forget, to have the border control already at BRU for the States.
Question only is when the government will give green light to set it up

Which government? Belgian? US? Canada?

Will BRU become a UA base if they do BRU-BOS?

[Atlantis]

And all this from the convenience of a dedicated Star Alliance terminal, A pier (West)?

For the moment the B pier will be sufficient enough as there is a lot of space yet.

Not all new long haul will start at the same moment, month or year. It will go gradually.

But yes, I agree that with what we know and when it will be concrete the first procedures can start regarding A pier West. The paperwork will take long. The budget is there bcs 600 million euro is available for investments

[Atlantis]

Wich is not surprising at all since there is a big project going on between Air Canada and United Airlines to provide more flights and destination from the US and Canada, Brussels Airlines to increase the number of flight and destination to Africa and BAC to provide the infrastructure for this growth in order to make easy connection between North America and Africa transiting through the most western hub of the lufthansa group.

And, don't forget, to have the border control already at BRU for the States.
Question only is when the government will give green light to set it up

Which government? Belgian? US? Canada?

Will BRU become a UA base if they do BRU-BOS?

Only Belgian and US. But it's more the US government who has to be convinced more. The Belgians said already yes.

What do you mean with a UA base? You speak about a hub? There are other airports where UA offer more destinations. But yes, if they will add those 2 destinations in the near future we will have 5 destinations with them. NY will be double daily and probably IAD too.

[crew1990]

Will BRU become a UA base if they do BRU-BOS?

Why should BRU become a "base" at BRU?

The aicraft can simply perform in a W pattern EWR-BRU-BOS-BRU-EWR like Swiss is doing with ZRH-JFK-GVA-JFK-ZRH.

[Conti764]

And, don't forget, to have the border control already at BRU for the States.
Question only is when the government will give green light to set it up

Which government? Belgian? US? Canada?

Will BRU become a UA base if they do BRU-BOS?

Only Belgian and US. But it's more the US government who has to be convinced more. The Belgians said already yes.

What do you mean with a UA base? You speak about a hub? There are other airports where UA offer more destinations. But yes, if they will add those 2 destinations in the near future we will have 5 destinations with them. NY will be double daily and probably IAD too.

I thought the US government had already greenlit the pre departure customs at BRU?

Since BOS is not a UA-base I was wondering if UA would have a base at BRU.

I understand the W-pattern Crew1990 explains, but they'll need a crew to do the BRU-BOS leg and afterwards again a crew doing BOS-BRU. Quite a costly operation, no?

[crew1990]

I understand the W-pattern Crew1990 explains, but they'll need a crew to do the BRU-BOS leg and afterwards again a crew doing BOS-BRU. Quite a costly operation, no?

It would most probably be a BOS based crew flying BOS-BRU-BOS or a EWR crew doing EWR-BRU layover then BRU-BOS and proceeding back to EWR. There is no need to have a base in BRU if this flight happen.

[Lux_avi]

I understand the W-pattern Crew1990 explains, but they'll need a crew to do the BRU-BOS leg and afterwards again a crew doing BOS-BRU. Quite a costly operation, no?

Costly but still cheaper than opening a crew base in BRU for such a small fleet operating out of BRU.

[fcw]

I understand the W-pattern Crew1990 explains, but they'll need a crew to do the BRU-BOS leg and afterwards again a crew doing BOS-BRU. Quite a costly operation, no?

You, clearly, don’t understand!
Example of an IAH based crew duty:
Day 1: IAH-BRU
Day 3: BRU-BOS
Day4: BOS-BRU
Day6: BRU-IAH.
Why would that be costly?

[Atlantis]

Which government? Belgian? US? Canada?

Will BRU become a UA base if they do BRU-BOS?

Only Belgian and US. But it's more the US government who has to be convinced more. The Belgians said already yes.

What do you mean with a UA base? You speak about a hub? There are other airports where UA offer more destinations. But yes, if they will add those 2 destinations in the near future we will have 5 destinations with them. NY will be double daily and probably IAD too.

I thought the US government had already greenlit the pre departure customs at BRU?

The Belgian government gave green light for it in June 2022. The deal between the 2 governments was already signed in 2020 but then Covid came.
As there are elections again this year, it will be probably lifted to the next government. Let's assume maybe still this year or next year.
To give you an idea, this issue is already ongoing since 2017. We are in meantime 7 year further...Politics

[longwings]

I understand the W-pattern Crew1990 explains, but they'll need a crew to do the BRU-BOS leg and afterwards again a crew doing BOS-BRU. Quite a costly operation, no?

W-patterns are very routine, United has had them on and off at BRU for years. Started after the merger but before Continental and United operated on a single AOC because Continental did not have a 777 for EWR-BRU, so it was operated on a W-pattern with an IAD-based plane/crew. Continues to this day because there is no 777 base in ORD.

W-patterns are also cheaper than having enough pilots and enough bases to avoid W-patterns.

It would most probably be a BOS based crew flying BOS-BRU-BOS or a EWR crew doing EWR-BRU layover then BRU-BOS and proceeding back to EWR.

United does not have a base in BOS. IAD, IAH, and EWR are all-fleet bases and could crew a BOS-BRU. ORD is an option as well except for 777.

[Miqvell]

There are also strong rumors that UA could open a new base in a hot region, with Florida often coming up in discussions. This could be interesting, and practically our only chance of getting a connection with this state in the future. Only time will tell.

[Atlantis]

There are also strong rumors that UA could open a new base in a hot region, with Florida often coming up in discussions. This could be interesting, and practically our only chance of getting a connection with this state in the future. Only time will tell.

Maybe. It was tried many times in the past but not long. I think there are other business destinations in The States who are more urgent. But OK, what can be, can be

[Miqvell]

There are also strong rumors that UA could open a new base in a hot region, with Florida often coming up in discussions. This could be interesting, and practically our only chance of getting a connection with this state in the future. Only time will tell.

Maybe. It was tried many times in the past but not long. I think there are other business destinations in The States who are more urgent. But OK, what can be, can be

Well, Florida has a decent African diaspora and can be popular among tourists. That's what could make the difference vs. other airlines that have tried. It also depends on where UA will send its inbound passengers with this new hub, it could be to South America and the Caribbean.

[Atlantis]

There are also strong rumors that UA could open a new base in a hot region, with Florida often coming up in discussions. This could be interesting, and practically our only chance of getting a connection with this state in the future. Only time will tell.

Maybe. It was tried many times in the past but not long. I think there are other business destinations in The States who are more urgent. But OK, what can be, can be

Well, Florida has a decent African diaspora and can be popular among tourists. That's what could make the difference vs. other airlines that have tried. It also depends on where UA will send its inbound passengers with this new hub, it could be to South America and the Caribbean.

In the past, TUI had those flights to Florida bcs a lot of Belgians where buying the very cheap houses just after the economical crisis in 2018. Second reason was to bring pax for the cruises

[longwings]

There are also strong rumors that UA could open a new base in a hot region, with Florida often coming up in discussions. This could be interesting, and practically our only chance of getting a connection with this state in the future. Only time will tell.

Maybe. It was tried many times in the past but not long. I think there are other business destinations in The States who are more urgent. But OK, what can be, can be

Well, Florida has a decent African diaspora and can be popular among tourists. That's what could make the difference vs. other airlines that have tried. It also depends on where UA will send its inbound passengers with this new hub, it could be to South America and the Caribbean.

United has no plan for significant expansion into international markets out of Florida. Its primary hubs for Central/South America are EWR and IAH.

MCO was confirmed at the latest base in December 2022. It is a 737 base for the domestic market. The main driver is not future growth, but having a base closer to where a lot of pilots live. Other bases were frequently dealing with delays from pilots commuting from their Southern Florida home.

Also a base is not automatically a hub, and a hub is not automatically a base. Witness MCO, LAS, CLE, bases without hubs. ORD is a hub with multiple daily 777s but not a 777 base.