Terror attacks: explosions in the departure hall of Brussels Airport!

[Flanker2]

Thanks for sharing your experience CX Belgium and glad you were safe.
Not an ordinary day for many today.

[sn26567]

I was on the FR flight to SXF , FR163 this morning.

...

What a day...

CXB

Thank you, Cathay, for this exceptional report. We are proud to count you as a member. And happy you escaped the tragic issue of the many victims of today's event.

Belgium stay strong!

[RoMax]

20 minutes later and I would have walked there on my way to work as always taking the 'more enjoyable route' through departures iso arrivals...for once I'm happy I couldn't reach the airport today...

[sn26567]

Then there was an announcement from the captain that we must get off the plane but that every piece off luggage/handluggage must stay IN the plane, were it is still at this moment I guess... EI-DHN ..

Advice from Brussels Airlines: Passengers who checked in baggage at the airport today, please file a lost bag report.

I guess it is the same for hand baggage?

[Freken]

Then there was an announcement from the captain that we must get off the plane but that every piece off luggage/handluggage must stay IN the plane, were it is still at this moment I guess... EI-DHN ..

Advice from Brussels Airlines: Passengers who checked in baggage at the airport today, please file a lost bag report.

I guess it is the same for hand baggage?

Hand bagage still in the plane should indeed be filed in the report. Lugage still in the airport, quite a lot I believe, is unknown.

[eagleheart]

Two Planes from Thomas Cook left BRU 30 minutes ago, I think to LGG.

[Passenger]

On a sidenote - I can't do anything for the deceased and I can't help the injured. So perhaps I can help some of the thousands of stranded passengers:

When a flight is cancelled because of extraordinary circumstances like terrorist attacks, EU-Rule 261/2004 gives the stranded passengers the right to choose between a new routing and a cancellation with full refund. Passengers thus may accept or refuse the rebooking that the airline proposes. Airlines don't have to pay the penalty for cancelled flights though.

For passengers who have booked a Belgian travel package, the Belgian Reiscontractenwet / Loi Contract de Voyages applies. Most of these passengers are not allowed to cancel because a change of the departure flight is no "wezenlijk punt van de reis / élément essentiel du voyage". Within the travel package legislation, one indeed regards a flight schedule change not as "wezenlijk deel /élément essentiel", unless for a weekend package. Refund for missed holiday days: yes, but at the discretion of the touroperator (law states that the touroperator is allowed to deduct his costs for the rescheduling, but none will do).

[Acid-drop]

No news from SN ?
Shouldnt they try to fly from other airports like jetair or thomas cook ?

[avroflyer_1]

No news from SN ?
Shouldnt they try to fly from other airports like jetair or thomas cook ?

They have a big factor that HQ and JAF don't have and that is transfer pax, both airports are not capable to handle such operation ad hoc so for tomorrow all flights are already cancelled (as announced on the website) and they day after is to decided

Also important to note is that transfer pax who did get stuck in LGG and OST were flown to FRA with extra flights in order to catch a flight there to their final destination.

[Apuneger]

VTM did a live interview with Brussels Airport CEO Arnaud Feist.

Some items he mentioned:

- he was still on his way to the airport when the bomb attacks began. He reached the airport five minutes later.
- terminal building still inaccessible and being investigated by authorities.
- he hopes Brussels Airport staff will be allowed to access the terminal building tomorrow morning.
- first they will need to do a full check of the building's structure.
- at this moment it's not possible to tell when operations might restart.
- very likely that operations will restart with reduced capacity which will be increased gradually.
- both piers A and B are in good condition.

Ivan

[Freken]

Some new images of rows 12 and 14 are appearing on HLN. Ceiling also fell down and the children play area, which was brand new, next to row 11 is completely demolished.

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/36484/Binnenla ... ce=dlvr.it

EDIT: NOTAM has been updated 1 hour ago and ferry flights from and to EBBR are allowed as of now.

[avroflyer_1]

Some new images of rows 12 and 14 are appearing on HLN. Ceiling also fell down and the children play area, which was brand new, next to row 11 is completely demolished.

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/36484/Binnenla ... ce=dlvr.it

EDIT: NOTAM has been updated 1 hour ago and ferry flights from EBBR are allowed as of now.

Indeed OO-SSD landed not long ago in BRU coming from FRA and probably OO-SSA will do the same

[rwandan-flyer]

Some new images of rows 12 and 14 are appearing on HLN. Ceiling also fell down and the children play area, which was brand new, next to row 11 is completely demolished.

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/36484/Binnenla ... ce=dlvr.it

EDIT: NOTAM has been updated 1 hour ago and ferry flights from and to EBBR are allowed as of now.

In deed i have just received a message from SN office at Kigali. They will operate a ferry flight tomorrow

[flymd11]

What options do they have for a quick reopening?

Encourage OLCI / no luggage and build a temporary check-in zone (tents?) in or near the parking? Then you'd just have to secure the a passage fro a terminal entrance to security.

Airlines would normally have backup plans to operate when IT systems so printed passengers lists etc. could enable for a limited number of flights.

[sn26567]

No news from SN ?
Shouldnt they try to fly from other airports like jetair or thomas cook ?

Source: RwandanFlyer on Twitter:

[Flanker2]

The Japanese news agency NHK is running as main story the fact that 1 Japanese male in his 30's was severily injured in the metro blast and one lightly in the airport blast.
With such headline news, despite NH's new BRU flight being business-oriented, there is bound to be some significant impact on the loads, especially at the front of the cabin.

In recent similar examples, following the Paris attacks, JAL had suspended the CDG-NRT B788 flight and merged demand onto the B77W flights to HND. I was on one of those B77W flights but even then it was not fully booked.
One of my friends from Japan was booked on a package tour to visit Paris and Brussels in February but that was cancelled and rebooked onto another destination because of the terror threat.
This shows how reactive Japanese are, so I hope that NH can keep the route going.

[Treeper]

Maybe a more informative question, but how long did it take Rome Fiumicino to pick up a sort of normal operation after it's fire?
It's comparing apples with pineapples I know, but still, the basic problem is sort of the same: part of the building inoperative.

[skumfiduse]

Maybe a more informative question, but how long did it take Rome Fiumicino to pick up a sort of normal operation after it's fire?
It's comparing apples with pineapples I know, but still, the basic problem is sort of the same: part of the building inoperative.

Two months according to an ATW Online article
http://atwonline.com/airports-routes/ro ... after-fire

[luchtzak]

Ryanair is charging of a group of 28 British passengers in Brussels nearly £6,000 in total to change their flights to this evening.

The Belgian capital has been hit by two major terror attacks, at Zaventem airport and Mallbeek metro station, which have left at least 30 people dead.

And, addressing the House of Commons, Labour's shadow small business minister Bill Esterson said a group of Britons was trying to get home from the city a day earlier than planned and had been told the new flights would cost them £214 each.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 46066.html

[sn26567]

Jetairfly moves all its BRU flights to CRL and OST until Sunday.

And most Thomas Cook and Tailwind BRU flights will operate from Liège until Sunday.