5th A330 for Brussels Airlines

[ostend_airport]

First pic can be seen on http://www.ebos-spotting.be/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4285

Greetz
Yves

[luchtzak]

First pic can be seen on http://www.ebos-spotting.be/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4285

Nice smilie ! :thumbup:

[Atlantis]

Is the fifth A330 already flying? I see everyday the four scheduled aircrafts but not the fifth.

Thanks

[RoMax]

Is the fifth A330 already flying? I see everyday the four scheduled aircrafts but not the fifth.

Thanks

I heard he would start operations tomorrow, but it was not sure yet at the time I heard about it. The past day's he was still in the hangar and I heard they were bussy with the IFE in C class.

[sn26567]

In the press documents distributed at the inauguration event of 5 July there was a weekly roster of the 5 A330s. You will see that only 2 consecutive days are provided for maintenance, and 3 separate days for reserve, all this for 5 aircraft. Let's hope there won't be too many problems!

Code: Select all

S10 Day 1       Day 2       Day 3       Day 4       Day 5       Day 6       Day 7     Rot
1   DLA FIH DLA DKR BJL DKR DKR CKY DKR DKR BJL DKR DKR FNA DKR DKR CKY DKR DKR BJL DKR 7
2   Maint       Maint       ROB ACC     Reserve     ACC ROB     DLA FIH DLA ROB ACC     4
3   ACC ROB     NSI FIH NSI DLA FIH DLA LAD FIH     NSI FIH NSI Reserve     LAD FIH     6
4   DKR FNA DKR KGL EBB     BJM NBO     KGL EBB     EBB NBO     KGL EBB     BJM NBO     7
5   LFW ABJ     ABJ COO     Reserve     OUA ABJ OUA ABJ LFW     COO ABJ     OUA ABJ OUA 6

Total: 30 rotations

[airbuske]

Is the fifth A330 already flying? I see everyday the four scheduled aircrafts but not the fifth.

Thanks

I heard he would start operations tomorrow, but it was not sure yet at the time I heard about it. The past day's he was still in the hangar and I heard they were bussy with the IFE in C class.

OO-SFV will fly to DKR today

[HighInTheSky]

I suppose the whole A330 fleet will get these new seats? And I suppose SN will install IFE in both business and economy?

The plan for now is, and I stress that this might still change, new C class seats for the whole A330 fleet, expansion of the C class section from 30 to 42 seats with AVOD and installation of personal IFE in Y class.

I can now confirm that the whole A330 fleet will recieve a cabin refit. New seats in C and Y with AVOD in both classes.

OO-SFW will be the first to recieve this new interior when the C-check will be done.

[RoMax]

I can now confirm that the whole A330 fleet will recieve a cabin refit. New seats in C and Y with AVOD in both classes.

OO-SFW will be the first to recieve this new interior when the C-check will be done.

When will SFW get his C-check? And will the current configuration (30/254) stay?

I hope it will be very nice seats, in line with the "luxery" of LH/LX. Seats wich can compait against the AF offering (wich will introduce new business class on long haul service). High service combined with the lower prices offered by SN.

[HighInTheSky]

When will SFW get his C-check? And will the current configuration (30/254) stay?

I hope it will be very nice seats, in line with the "luxery" of LH/LX. Seats wich can compait against the AF offering (wich will introduce new business class on long haul service). High service combined with the lower prices offered by SN.

C-Check is planned for October 2010.

Don't know exactly which seats they will install, and haven't heard anything anymore about the 42 vs 30 seats neither...

[tolipanebas]

I haven't heard anything anymore about the 42 vs 30 seats neither...

It will remain at 30C, which is a pitty, since on some destinations they are always sold out weeks in advance (FIH), but the problem is on other destinations, SN can hardly fill 5 C seats (DKR), whereas Y class is doing fine.

Ideally, they'd have 2 cabin configurations, but with a fleet of only 5 planes, that is not possible.

[Atlantis]

And why not introduce a third class? A premium economy class. They could give it an exotic name for their flights to Africa.

Many airlines introduced a third class on board their aircraft with more service and a price between business and economy. Those classes are very popular and you have to book, on certain routes and with certain airlines, more then 6 months in advance.

[lumumba]

Hi Atlantis.
You mean like the premium class with A.F but I d'ont think it's a good idee with Brussels.
They have very good prices in the c class cheaper than all the competition with a very good product and service.
That's why it's always full at least on the FIH flights so it means that the price defference will be to close to the new class.
Pat

[134flyer]

Hopefully the new C seats will be fully horizontally flat, like e.g. the LX C seats. It’s also almost certain that LH’s new C seats (to be introduced when the 747-8i enters service) will be fully horizontally flat. This in contrast to the new AF C seats, which were presented earlier this week:

http://corporate.airfrance.com/en/press ... -courrier/

So even though AF will spend EUR 110 million in ‘enhancing’ their C product, these new C seats will still be ‘angled’ flat seats, and the AF Frequent Flyers are really outraged by this. So if SN’s new C seats will be fully flat, SN (and LH & LX) will have a superior (C) product over AF for years to come!

It will remain at 30C, which is a pitty, since on some destinations they are always sold out weeks in advance (FIH), but the problem is on other destinations, SN can hardly fill 5 C seats (DKR), whereas Y class is doing fine.

Ideally, they'd have 2 cabin configurations, but with a fleet of only 5 planes, that is not possible.

IIRC one of the SN managers stated in an interview some time ago that if a 6th A330 would enter the fleet, it could be used for new destinations, but also to add more frequencies to existing destinations or to make some destinations non-stop. So IMHO FIH could be a candidate for non-stop flights, anyway for at least a few times a week. Perhaps this could be a (partial) solution to the often sold out C cabin. To have 2 cabin configurations on a small A330 fleet would indeed not make much sense.

[Air Key West]

When Korongo takes off, I think a daily nonstop flight to FIH is a must. My guess is that Korongo's 737 will (inter alia) take pax from Lubumbashi to FIH to get on the flight to BRU, and it will take pax from SN's flight to FBM.
So, a 6th A330 would be used to offer daily nonstop flights to FIH if traffic rights are (still) available and to increase frequencies to other destinations in Africa.
We would then need a 7th A330 to fly to NYC. Why not ? My guess (for what it's worth).

[cnc]

i agree that SN shouldn't waste the 6th A330 for TATL flights but rather a nr 7

[RoMax]

i agree that SN shouldn't waste the 6th A330 for TATL flights but rather a nr 7

And that's what they will do.

SN will first focus on AFI, later on US. But if they think they have the money, these things could happen in the same year. So first a sixth A333 to AFI and than another one for flights to NYC both in 2011. But it's also possible that they will only lease a sixth A333 for AFI during 2011 (or even not one A333 in 2011 :p). One thing is sure, the next A333 will be used for AFI.

[Air Key West]

Slightly off topic, but anyway : according to www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl, BAe is selling eight old (?) A340s.
Does anyone know how "old" the planes are ? Could they be of interest to SN ?

[HighInTheSky]

Slightly off topic, but anyway : according to http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl, BAe is selling eight old (?) A340s.
Does anyone know how "old" the planes are ? Could they be of interest to SN ?

You really want to know?

Okay: 2 from Virgin Atlantic, serial numbers
002, G-VHOL, 03/02/1992
003, G-VSEA, 15/06/1992

and 2 from South African Airways, serial numbers
006, ZS-SLF, 20/07/1992
008, ZS-SLA ,07/12/1992

So these birds are old, to say the least

I would rather see one or more of the LX A343's coming...

[Air Key West]

Thank you, HighInTheSky.
Indeed, old birds and the LX A343s are definitely a better option. But how old are they by the way ?

[HighInTheSky]

Thank you, HighInTheSky.
Indeed, old birds and the LX A343s are definitely a better option. But how old are they by the way ?

CN 150, 24/10/1996
CN 154, 29/11/1996
CN 175, 30/04/1997
CN 179, 29/04/1997