The future of BRU: the new CEO Van Assche speaks

[TWA]

In the USA airports are named after their presidents, mayors, VIP and pioneers in aviation. (San Diego Lindbergh, JFK, La Guardia, Washington Reagan, Atlanta Jackson Hartsfield, Chicago O'hare, etc)

We also have a kind of president and pioneer in aviation here in Belgium:

That's why it should be called: KING ALBERT I Airport :dance:

Or maybe BRU-airport (just like LAX airport) sounds better than Brussels. I never understood why the English version of "Brussel" gets that plural "s".
There is only one city and not even a big one.

[sn26567]

I never understood why the English version of "Brussel" gets that plural "s".

Because the French version also got one!

[airazurxtror]

The future of Brussels airport could well depend - at least in part - on the nearing high speed train between Brussels and Amsterdam.
It has been built, is now on test and will be operational from April 2008.
The six daily trips between the two cities will take only 1h46 min (against 2h40 at present). Works on a new track between Brussels and Antwerp will still cut 6 or 7 minutes more from 2012.
From may 2010, there will be 10 daily return trips.
The Belgian long-haul traveller will thus have more choice : BRU, or high speed train to PAR-CDG or AMS.

[sn26567]

The Belgian long-haul traveller will thus have more choice : BRU, or high speed train to PAR-CDG or AMS.

There is also a ICE high-speed train to FRA (albeit the journey is longer).

[Vinnie-Winnie]

There is also a ICE high-speed train to FRA (albeit the journey is longer).

Very lengthy having experienced the joy of travelling behind the driver cab I can assure you it is a long journey! In the future it will not get that much shorter whatever sncb pretends with the soumagne tunnel!

Well LHR is not served by train directly from Brussels still though it is still a threat. Same for Frankfurt which has regular to and from Brussels!

If Emirates ever decides to come to Brussels furthermore I am pretty sure that we can say bye bye to direct routes to Asia!

The future doesn't look rosy...

[Atlantis]

If Emirates ever decides to come to Brussels furthermore I am pretty sure that we can say bye bye to direct routes to Asia!

The future doesn't look rosy...

What do you mean by this? I think that I'm missing a link.

[Vinnie-Winnie]

If Emirates ever decides to come to Brussels furthermore I am pretty sure that we can say bye bye to direct routes to Asia!

The future doesn't look rosy...

What do you mean by this? I think that I'm missing a link.

Well put it this way. All of us hope that BRU will expand by attracting new long-haul airlines. Asia is hot at the moment. Problem is Brussels does not have the good mix of passengers necessary to have successful direct links to any Asian country.

So say Emirates finally decides to link Bru to Dubai (Why hasn't it already done so???) well it will be able to redirect all BRU passengers to potentially all its Asian destinations without not too much hassle.

America is already served by AA, Delta and Continental so yeah I think there will not be that many slices of the pie left!

Hope this clarifies my point of view!

[Atlantis]

Thanks for the respons

[DannyVDB]

OK, it is indeed clear, but you should think long term.

Now all US carriers serve US ...
Emirates COULD link to Asia ...

But even if this is done so ... (which is not yet the case) there will be a need for additonal connections to US, to Africa, to Asia ...

Things will be added ... in due time (like they call it). No need for it right now.

Going to FRA, ... OK, sometimes, but necessarily always. You could also attract people to BRU. FRA is terrible ...

Danny