Impact security situation Brussels & Belgium on BRU

[Conti764]

ah because we need to be an expert to have an opinion
this is getting better and better

Just for the sake of the debate my friend, that's my only joy

No you don't have to be an expert... But given the way you participated in the 'debate', calling government officials and security services 'clowns', calling the deployment of heavy armed soldiers ridiculous, I suppose you can elaborate on how wrong the measures taken are and how you can put those responsible for it in the clown-section... And even more, how you would have coped with the extraodinary situation we were in...

[Conti764]

oh yeah dead serious, not saying that we don't have our problems here... but France's not Iceland either... anyways, we all agree that there are issues here and there, and that Brussels is not kabul. That was the main point, besides France (government and press) have no business pointing fingers at us, neglecting to shed the light on their own issues..They are the victims (this time) but does not mean that their society is disease free. Some people here are insinuating that we live in Tora Bora?? Grow up!!!
Concerning BRU and SN, I guess that end of year figures will show the extent of impact on travel to/from, and Through BRU. Let's hope for the best, BRU and SN were doing quite well, hope this will not negate the growth of the previous months.

When you have major issues yourself, leading to the deaths of nearly 150 people in less then a year, you ought to work hard to resolve them in stead of fingerpointing to a neighbouring country which indeed has issues of its own, but far from the mess you have to deal with in your own country.

Let's hope for the best for BRU and SN that are doing well.
Bashing is so counterproductive anyway. From France and everywhere and inside Belgium.
Why not creating "the" european "CIA" ?

We already have our own European police office, Europol. Why not streamlining intelligence through this multinational organisation in stead of creating yet another agency?

[b720]

European CIA is a great idea, and comes form our prime minister... Haven't heard anything constructive from Mr. Holande except for shutting borders.. Mind you, France since Sarkozi, and much more with Holande has been ACTIVELY supporting regime change in Syria, counting on its best new friends Qatar and Saudi to introduce "democracy" into Syria by means of car bombs, chopping heads of those who disagree, and arming criminals from 35 different countries. Our government was never involved in those grand plans to change the world. If someone has to point fingers, it is certainly not the French, and not at us. These things have to be said if one is to discuss what happened in Paris and subsequently in Brussels. Those criminals did not land from Mars and decide to attack Paris. They returned from Syria, where they committed much worse crimes over there than they did in Paris.

[Passenger]

Regarding “Molenbeek”:

I read a lot about poverty in Molenbeek causing criminal behaviour, affirmative action needed urgently, … Allow me to disagree. The only drive for the so called Syria fighters is their religion. Even the Molenbeek-based terrorists were not driven/motivated because of hatred against white racist Belgians, but because of hatred against our secular western society with democracy as basic rule i.so. the sharia.

Regarding the so called bad communication from our governemt:

Yes, when something bad happens, one needs crisis communication. But when a catastroph happens, like terrorism, only time can heal the wounds. There is only one solution against terrorism: doodzwijgen. Burke it. Do not communicate because it will also be used to repeat the ugly attacks. The government and all other public services should abstain from whatever comment. When a journalist asks them something, they should all reply with the same phrase: "because the investigation is ongoing, we abstain from any comment”. Are there new police searches in Molenbeek? “No comment”. Can you confirm that the main suspect is in Syria? "No comment". The less Paris/Molenbeek are in the news, the sooner people will forget.

[jan_olieslagers]

Why not creating "the" european "CIA" ?

A good question! But the answer is simple: on matters that really matter, such as defense and security, Paris and London are unwilling to give up their national privileges. Uncle Tommy is at least straightforward, telling us (for one example) straight away that UK will not join Schengen, preferring national border control. Marianne shows two faces: all for European integration by the word, but manifestly refusing to give up national prerogatives in the facts.

[thalenoi]

All I can say is that I flew into BRU from CPH 26th nov on SN2264, only 10 or so passengers and flying back to CPH tomorrow. Not afraid to travel.

[Jetter]

It isn't over yet, now in Bulgaria

Bulgarian airport evacuated after bomb scare involving van with Belgian number plates

• Parts of Sofia-Vrazhdebna Airport in the Bulgarian capital evacuated
• Explosive device team investigating van with Belgian number plates
• The van had been parked outside the airport overnight and abandoned

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rport.html

Edited by sn26567. When quoting a link to newspaper or another source, please add a summary or at least the title of the article

[Passenger]

One Belgian tourist reports that he escaped the basic identity check by Ryanair twice last week: once for the departure out of CGN Cologne, once for the return flight out London (probably Stansted).

The passengers' identity card says "Sven Delbrouck", but he travelled with a ticket / boarding pass issued for "Sven Devlieger". The booking error was made by friends from his basketball team.

http://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20151201_01998 ... en-vliegen

[b720]

Book online, check in online, there is no identity check if you travel within the schengen zone, unless you check in luggage. Security is NOT compromised as long as the pax (traveling without luggage) goes through security before boarding. Identity check is often implemented by airlines for commercial reasons.

[Acid-drop]

and that's a big issue obviously.
How can you secure the people traveling to syria when you can anonymously fly Brussels to Lisbon and then to syria ...
Data correlelation is pretty much our only chance to have a good "intelligence".

[Passenger]

Book online, check in online, there is no identity check if you travel within the schengen zone, unless you check in luggage. Security is NOT compromised as long as the pax (traveling without luggage) goes through security before boarding. Identity check is often implemented by airlines for commercial reasons.

It may be safe indeed, but only according to the conception of "safety", applied by airlines. Passengers regard the absence of an identity check as unsafe, as the first phrase of that article in Gazet Van Antwerpen states: "Terwijl Europa kreunt onder de terreurdreiging en lidstaten nooit geziene veiligheidsmaatregelen nemen, vloog Sven Delbrouck (31) uit Sint-Truiden – Sven Devlieger voor de vrienden – vorige week moeiteloos onder een valse naam naar Londen". Translated: "While Europe groans under the threat of terrorism and European countries take safety precautions they never ever took before, passenger Sven Delbrouck (31) flew to London and back last week under a false name".

I flew to Spain last weekend. One identity check at the check-in, one general safety check when entering the gate area (we had A36 for dep). No other safety or identity check prior to boarding. Same in Malaga (gate D-..). I don't speak for all passengers, but I found it quite strange that it was routine as usual for flights from/to a city with the highiest safety alert possible.

[sean1982]

When you check in online, you should also fill in all other passport details. If the other details are correct, the passenger might be allowed to board. The check-in person will see all details on the screen when the boarding pass is checked.

The passenger himself is also at fault. When you check in online, you need to confirm that your name is spelled correctly.

[b720]

WITHIN the SCHENGEN ZONE.. SYRIA is not..
One should be able to fly BRU-MAD-LIS without being controlled, freedom of movement of people it is called. The essence of Schengen. One is not a security issue if one's name is misspelled as long as that person went through rigorous security checks. Security check is one and identity check is another. If you fly from Lisbon to Istanbul (in order to connect to Syria) identity is checked in Lisbon, last point of exit from the Schengen zone. In other words one is free to move from BRU to LIS as one is free to move from Brussels to Liege. Changing that means we have to give up Schengen, and that is another discussion. The reason they can not find some of the terrorists that went to (or came back from) Syria is because some of them seem to be swimming from Turkey to Greece. If one can go one way, one can go the other as well, back to Syria.. Seems that Greek authorities are overwhelmed with the influx of migrants, there is talk today within the EU that Greece could be suspended from Schengen if the Greek authorities don't improve the reception and registration of migrants.

[b720]

What do u mean no security check? Not a single PAX within the EU and Schengen can get to the gate without having gone through metal detectors and security. A person with no sharp objects, no explosives, no liquids, no weapons, is not a security threat on the plane, no matter what that person's name is. Some airlines check identity at the gate to make sure that it matches that of the boarding pass. They do it for commercial reasons it is not a security check!!! Physical security takes place at the security check point area that separates the check in zone from the boarding zone.

[Acid-drop]

In other words one is free to move from BRU to LIS as one is free to move from Brussels to Liege. Changing that means we have to give up Schengen, and that is another discussion.

I wouldn't make such an extreme conclusion.
We can still move freely, but it would be good to do "intelligence" on it.
By doing passport check but also simply by checking phone info and other little tricks.
Again, data correlation is the only hope.

[b720]

still obsolete... One can give a fake phone number.. One can borrow a friend's passport (with minimum of resemblance) .. and use that person's name and fly...even use a stolen ID and use it at the gate. Gate agents, if required to check ID, are only going to check that the name on the ID corresponds to the boarding pass.. If they have to check the authenticity of travel documents they need to be trained immigration officers. Imagine stationing one at each gate at each airport within the Schengen zone? The only way forward is to sharpen controls and make them very effective on the outside borders, by using machines..e-immigration gates. One scans one's passport, finger, and one can go. This way everyone is checked. But within Schengen it is impossible unless we change or suspend the treaty and we move back to border controls, it could be automated for EU citizens, very effective and fast, but a fundamental change for all of us.

[Passenger]

It isn't over yet, now in Bulgaria:
Bulgarian airport evacuated after bomb scare involving van with Belgian number plates

• Parts of Sofia-Vrazhdebna Airport in the Bulgarian capital evacuated
• Explosive device team investigating van with Belgian number plates
• The van had been parked outside the airport overnight and abandoned

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rport.html

And a bit closer to home: on 26th November, El Al flight LY-338 from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv was taxiing to the runway for departure, when a "suspicious vehicle with Belgian license plates" (*) was seen in the vicinity of the takeoff runway. The aircraft returned to the apron and a number of other flights that were set to take off around the same time were also delayed. Special Dutch police forces, aided by a helicopter, searched the area for suspects. The search was called off after about an hour. LY-338 took off two hours after its return to the apron.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340 ... 58,00.html

(*) Luchtzak.be spotters???

[sn26567]

A figure for Air France: the Paris attacks have cost Air France-KLM 50 million euros!

[convair]

A figure for Air France: the Paris attacks have cost Air France-KLM 50 million euros!

Their unions are more efficient: the pilots strike in September cost them 20 million euros per day!

[brusselsairlinesfan]

No news regarding the brussels airlines & Brussels Airport figures in November?