Bid on Brussels International Airport

[blackhawk]

'Luchthaven Schiphol doet bod op luchthaven Zaventem'
(tijd-nieuwslijn) - De Nederlandse luchthaven van Schiphol heeft een bod uitgebracht op de luchthaven van Zaventem. Schiphol zou 400 tot 500 miljoen euro willen betalen voor 70 procent van de aandelen van de Beltgische luchthaven. Dat schrijft de Nederlandse Volkskrant dinsdag.

Volgens De Volkskrant doet Schiphol het bod omdat het anders vreest agressieve concurrenten in zijn achtertuin te krijgen. v De Amsterdamse luchthaven heeft altijd gezegd dat het eerst geprivatiseerd moest zijn om succesvol te kunnen bieden op buitenlandse luchthavens, maar Schiphol wil niet langer wachten op de beursgang. Naar verluidt zoekt het bedrijf nog een Belgische partner. De luchthaven heeft de gewoonte lokale partners bij een buitenlandse deal te betrekken. Na het faillissement van Sabena is Zaventem in een privatiseringsproces beland. De Belgische staat heeft 63,56 procent van de aandelen in BIAC, de exploitant van Zaventem. De Belgen willen daarvan 30 procent behouden. De rest is in handen van tien kleine aandeelhouders die hun stukken willen verkopen, zodat 70 procent van de aandelen op de markt komt. De Belgische aandeelhouders selecteren de nieuwe exploitant op basis van prijs en kwaliteit. In het najaar wordt de knoop doorgehakt wie Zaventem mag exploiteren. Zaventem boekte vorig jaar een nettowinst van 18,9 miljoen euro op 271 miljoen euro omzet, schrijft de Volkskrant. In 2002 werd net een break even bereikt.

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Airport Schiphol makes a bid on Brussels International Aitport. Schiphol will pay 400 up to 500 million Euros for 70percent of the shares of the Belgian airport. (sorry, no time to translate more)

[Sabena_690]

Great: let AMS take over BRU, and except some routes where a direct flight without connections is needed, everybody will be put on the Thalys to AMS, right?

Frederic

[sn26567]

That would be VERY BAD news for Brussels Airport, and I hope that the Government, which is still the major shareholder, will prevent such a hold up.

[luchtzak]

Extra translation by Andries can be found in this topic: https://www.aviation24.be/postt5204.html

[sn26567]

... and by André in the Latest News: https://www.aviation24.be/article4610.html

[Buzz]

Schiphol makes the bid to prevent aggressive competition in its backyard

Then the bid is not at all in the best interest of BIAC! First the swiss take SABENA, now the dutch BIAC?
It would have to be someone who really wants to make it an agressive competitor for Schiphol, not the other way around!

[B737229]

Thats the direct death for Brussels, and SNBA ,if schiphol takes over Brussels airort, they will use Brussels aces, just leaving it behind as an regional airport.

[AFApresident]

not necessarily, since Schiphol is getting more and more saturated they may as well opt to put some KLM flights into Brussels. But obviously they as well as the CDG and Frankfurt airport authorities are scared that Brussels may lure traffic away since Brussels still has a lot of potential to grow (about 10-15million extra passengers without adding much new facilities). Of course all depends on what the belgian/flemish government decides concerning the nightflights: 1) increasing it to suit DHL and attract other cargo players such as Singapore and Cathay cargo to further expand in Brussels or 2) forbidding the nightflights which would be truly disastrous for the airport and the entire region.

[flyingaround]

I think it's very good news for BRU. Schiphol is one of the best airports in Europe but cannot grow a lot anymore. So there will be more traffic going to Brussels and when the Thalys is finished it will be better for everyone. Don't worry, Schiphol will never do that if they don't receive a guarantee about night-flights in Brussels.

[Flying_Dutchman]

This have to deal little partly with the KL/AF merger, I think. Since AMS and CDG have now a strong relationship with each other, is it clever to have a good connection airport between the two airports: 3 airports in a line. I think it would be good for BRU, so they have the chance to grow. If the plans will go through I think AMS-BRU-CDG will be the entrance of Europe

...Schiphol is one of the best airports in Europe but cannot grow a lot anymore...

For the time being I think AMS can grow a lot. So as you can see the plans, a new terminal will be build and a new runway, in a time of 15 years.

http://www.vslcatena.nl/~jules/schiphol.jpg

[sn26567]

I think it's very good news for BRU. Schiphol is one of the best airports in Europe but cannot grow a lot anymore. So there will be more traffic going to Brussels and when the Thalys is finished it will be better for everyone. Don't worry, Schiphol will never do that if they don't receive a guarantee about night-flights in Brussels.

Are you joking? AMS (even saturated) would keep the most lucrative flghts with the best connections, and leave the crap to BRU.

[flyingaround]

Think more European !

[Andries]

I have to agree with Andre,

If AMS takes over BRU, all the best flights would be drawn away from BRU and put on AMS. BRu would only get crap from AMS !

First we lose Sabena and now it is possible we lose both DHL and BRU !

Well done Belgian Politicians ! :dammit:

Greetz,

Andries

[flyingaround]

Airline companies decide wher they wanna go. Airports operators don't!

[FlightSimCrew]

He "flyingaround" I agree... but the airport can make it very hard for airlines to operate. If AMS takes over BRU thay can even increase charges in Brussels so much that airlines have to go to AMS however i beleive that not all Belgians are willing to go to AMS first (by car, train, plane) in order to get to Alicante, Tenerife, ... . Let's see what will happen but I think that a business airport such as BRU does not have to woorry to much... the business people will still travel to/from BRU as it is the European Capital.

I think that AMS is just a little afraid that SNBA/Virgin Express merger will put a strong airline between AMS and CDG and that this merged airline willl get full support from BA. If AMS/CDG link up with BRU they'll have a cachment area of about 40-50 million people. If Brussels stays a Oneworld spot it will cost them about 10/15 million potential passengers... (gross figures)

It's up to BAA or Star Alliance to react on this... I heard that also CPH is intrested. They are aiming for the boomerang shaped CPH - BRU - FRA - MUC chachment..... this counts 50-70 mio pot. pax !!!!

[Flybe]

http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/news/?id=4507 (dutch text only)

Schiphol will apparently only be partially privatised. This brings the question if that will be good enough for BIAC (read: the belgian governement) to accept that offer. I'm pretty convinced that they will not be willing to sell there shares to another "governement".

In my opinion, Schiphol and the dutch governement try to reach the same target for Schiphol and the other dutch regional airports owned by Schiphol, as BIAC, the belgian governement (hopefully) and we try to obtain by reacting against a take over by Schiphol:

In de brief aan het kabinet wordt daarbij ook aangevoerd dat met de gedeeltelijke privatisering wordt voorkomen „dat belangen van regionale luchthavens, nu in bezit bij Schiphol, ondergeschikt worden en misschien in buitenlandse handen komen”

„Ik wil u deze overweging geven die uitstekend tegemoet kan komen aan de behoefte om de schatkist aan te vullen, zonder dat een sterke beïnvloeding van toekomstige besluitvorming rond deze belangrijke infrastructuur uiteindelijk bij willekeurige of misschien zelfs vijandige aandeelhouders terecht komt.

If Schiphol keeps to close ties with the Dutch governement (and indirectly the KLM), i am indeed against a takeover by Schiphol. If Schiphol would be COMPLETELY privatised, then it would be a valid candidate, although i admit that i would still prefer for example Copenhague airport (to name just one).

Also this is interesting (sorry, again just in dutch, don't have time to translate, i should alsready be on my way to Brussels!):

http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/news/?ID=4512

Greets,

Pieter

[sab319]

Well for me it's easier to go to AMs than to BRU. If I got to AMs I take the bus in my backyard, get off at Berchem station catch a Thalys to Schiphol and hop I'm no the plane If I got BRU I have to go by train to the center of Brussels to change and take the Airport shuttle to the airport. So in my opinion it's easier to go to AMs and maybe siome other PAX think the same. The only way that It would become easier to go to bru would be If they build a direc

[A318]

If this will happen AF/KL will use BRU just as a transfer hub for people that make intercontinental flight and will indeed kill competition in BRU. On the end everything will be french, bbbrrrrrrrr what a awful thought!

Erwin

[sn26567]

And now FRA:

See https://www.aviation24.be/article4619.html

FRAport also wants to take over BRU. Not any better than AMS in my opinion (although a little bit further away, thus somewhat less dangerous for the future of BRU).

[Lars]

First we lose Sabena to the Swiss and now BIAC to the Dutch??? 8O

Aren't there any Belgian companies interested in buying BIAC? A "national" airport should remain in "national" hands.

So NO to a second-class feeder-airport of AMS!