SN operates a dedicated Red Devils flight to Sao Paulo

[Passenger]

May be crewing solution to avoid expensive positioning of crews to Sao Paulo. One full crew for the Brussels-Dakar flight, resting in Dakar before the return flight. Double cockpit crew for Dakar-Sao Paulo and back, with single cabin crew positioning (off-duty) on the way back.

Positioning crews commercially before and after the flight to Sao Paulo to bring both plane and crew back would be a lot more expensive.

If that's the case, too bad the team has to take the stop in Dakar on top of such a long flight already. But it shows how airliners work. It looks all nice on the outside, but on the inside money is all that matters. Good luck to the crews flying the Dakar - Sao Paulo - Dakar. It ain't fun to do 2 legs and +14 hours through multiple time zones in a metal tube... especially in the silence of the atlantic...

With Brussels Airlines' partner Lufthansa flying Frankfurt-Sao Paulo, it wouldn't have been that expensive to position crew there for the return. So the reason probably is range limitations.

[Lysexpat]

C'mon!!! The flight's to GRU not to Mars!!!
The stop at Dakar is not a big deal as it is a day flight..I would say actually makes the flight more entertaining.. would have been more of a nuisance had it been a stop in the middle of the night..

The team is good and could go far in the tournament. If you want to win the worldcup, every detail is important.
Players can't even have a glass of coke during the first 4 hours, so a 14h trip iso 12 will probably make a difference.
Two take offs and landings are surely more entertaining for the aviation lover, but it does increase fatigue.

[tangolima]

Hello

Stop in DKR is for crew change and the stop also has something to do with payload restrictions on the A330-300.
The A330-200 has got less restrictions concerning payload. The French and Russian team flew direct with an A330-200 from their home countries.

Greetings,

PS: Do not forget the first game of the Red Devils is on 17JUN2014 so they still have got 7 days to get used to the timezone. Although the Russian team who is playing also for the first time on 17JUN2014 is already in Brazil since 2 days ago...

[sn26567]

A selection of my pictures of the departure (knowing that journalists and photographers who did not fly to Brazil with the special flight were kept at a distance from the players and the crew):

Advertisement for the flight

Gadgets!

Two and a half hours before departure, in front of Abelag

A Belgian post lady with a bag of wishes

The welcome crew

The journalists climb on board through the back door

Interview of the chefs de cabine for Radio 2 (VRT)

Arrival of the fans

The fans climb on board through the central door

Brussels Airlines CEO Gustin came to encourage the team

Arrival of the Red Devils coach

Coach Marc Wilmots and Federation CEO Stevens

Part of the team

Part of the team

Part of the team

Last part of the team

The full team and the SN welcome crew

Embarkation of the team through the front door to the business class section

Team captain Vincent Kompany climbs on board

Taxiing to Rwy 25R

And the video of the take-off was posted above.

[sn26567]

With Brussels Airlines' partner Lufthansa flying Frankfurt-Sao Paulo, it wouldn't have been that expensive to position crew there for the return. So the reason probably is range limitations.

LH2014 flew from FRA to SSA (Salvador)

[arthurv]

I'm looking foward to the general panic on social websites as soon as flight SN2014 suddenly disappears from the flight tracking sites (like flightradar24) due to lack of coverage...

[Stij]

And the madness has officially started!

I'm not a big football fan, but when I was a student the Devils played World Cups as well and we always did a barbeque with spare ribs and beer, yes, during the exams... Called my old buddies again and we're meeting up for Belgium Russia. Gonne be fun!

Cheers,

Go Devils,

Stij

[Comet]

Lovely photos, brilliant one of Marc Wilmots I wish I could have been at BRU to see them, I get sick and tired of having the crap England team rammed down my throat. The sooner England are out of the tournament the better!

[luchtzak]

Landed in Dakar: http://www.flightradar24.com/BEL2014/389b52d

[luchtzak]

Take-off from Dakar to Sao Paolo!

[Bracebrace]

With Brussels Airlines' partner Lufthansa flying Frankfurt-Sao Paulo, it wouldn't have been that expensive to position crew there for the return. So the reason probably is range limitations.

Smaller companies like SNBru might very well not negociate this in partnership contracts because there is no need for it for their own network. You need to fly in a cockpit crew, and fly out a full cockpit and cabin crew as well since they require rest and cannot return immediatly after the flight. Add hotel costs to the business class requirement and the sum rises 10000s of euros...

[sn26567]

The data and infographics of today's SN2014 flight:

http://www.brusselsairlines.com/en-be/m ... aphic.aspx

[convair]

According to FR24, they just flew over Rio. Arrival SAO in 30 minutes.

[AirOpinion]

quick question: If it was a fuel stop, why didn't they fuel at an airport where fuel is cheaper?

[convair]

Landed!

[Boavida]

[tangolima]

quick question: If it was a fuel stop, why didn't they fuel at an airport where fuel is cheaper?

Hello

The stop in DKR was because of:
1) Crew Change
2) Payload restrictions on the A330-300 (an A330-200 could fly non-stop)

Greetings,

[HQ_BRU_Lover]

Probably also because there are not too much alternates? I mean: Airports on the Canary Islands are probably too far away from GRU, airports in Eastern Brasil are probably too far away from BRU? Also internal operational procedures at SN should not be forgotten (maybe they took some extra cargo, apart from the scheduled flight, with them to DKR?).

[sn26567]

Dakar was an ideal intermediate stop: the second crew of the SN2014 flight had been sent there by a regular flight one or two days before and could rest in the hotel where SN crews are staying at the usual discount price.

[SN0911]

quick question: If it was a fuel stop, why didn't they fuel at an airport where fuel is cheaper?

Hello

The stop in DKR was because of:
1) Crew Change
2) Payload restrictions on the A330-300 (an A330-200 could fly non-stop)

Greetings,

Correct And the Football Association needs as many business seats as possible for the entire team/Staff so the A333 has the advantage