Brussels Airport (BRU) infrastructure: future

[Atlantis]

According to my estimates they will end up around 23.6 million. So a little bit less, but still a considerable growth ...
D

A careful forecast says about 23.4 or 23.5 million

2016 will be interesting seeing the forecast of Brussels Airlines that one extra long haul will be added and a handfull of A320 series.
Keeping an eye also on Jet Airways.

[Inquirer]

According to my estimates they will end up around 23.6 million. So a little bit less, but still a considerable growth ...
D

A careful forecast says about 23.4 or 23.5 million

2016 will be interesting seeing the forecast of Brussels Airlines that one extra long haul will be added and a handfull of A320 series.
Keeping an eye also on Jet Airways.

Is there any official news about Jet Airways?
I suppose no news is good news in this context, as they have been expected to be leaving for A' dam.

And about Brussels Airlines: are you going by what some insiders already hinted at here, or by "internal sources" which thus seem to indicate those insiders are bang on with their claims of a fairly large expansion next year?

Finally: as from what volume does the airport have to offer a third handling license?

[Atlantis]

No official news as also for KLM and Jet Airways it is still not official. Jet Airways also can't leave immediately and they also have their own business lounge at Brussels Airport.

About Brussels Airlines, it's fair to give them the honor first.

[LJ]

No official news as also for KLM and Jet Airways it is still not official. Jet Airways also can't leave immediately and they also have their own business lounge at Brussels Airport.
.

Moreover, Jet only has slots for a daily BOM-AMS as of January 2016. Nothing more is foreseen for W15 and beyond (at least at the moment).

[JOVAN]

I arrived Saturday morning from Doha.
Between 7 and 9 am the B Pier is very crowded with arrivals of 1.000 's of passenger.

It was disappointing to see the extreme long waiting lines.
It took exactly 55 minutes ( !!!) from the airplane to the belts , where fortunately my suitcase was waiting for me.

The (only ) 4 EU immigration counters were open.
The new e- counters were not yet in operation.

only 5 of the 6 non-EU counters were open.

there are no special counter for Crew, very embarrassing.

if BRU has ambition they should maybe invest in a better flow at immigration.

They can easily double the capacity by putting extra counters behind the existing ones (cfr VIE and BKK).

The transfer from B to B or B to A can also easily be improved by making a transfer point somewhere in the middle of the Pier.

A good architect can do wonders here.

Respect for the PAX please. The best way to grow is to make the airport more user - friendly and convenient.

[b-west]

Waiting times at border control are indeed very high in the morning. The e-gates, a very costly affair, are more broken than not, and even when they're operational, they're terribly slow and rather inefficient. Currently the border control at arrivals has 10 positions, and the 6 (useless) e-gates. Even with all positions manned, the present capacity is just too low to deal with all the arriving passengers. Some 2 years ago the airport missed out on a big opportunity to change the design of the cubicles, allowing for more control positions to be installed. In stead they chose for the cheap option, re-use the existing cubicles and simply moved them back a few meters, halfway on the ramp that connects terminal B with the luggage area. Even though it added some comic relief to the border control - due to trolleys, strollers and wheelchairs rolling down the ramp when people started looking for their documents at the cubicle - this operation achieved nothing, but simply moved the problem. Add to that a badly designed queuing system (fixed barriers would bring more order compared to the easily opened tensa lines) and there's little wonder the border control often descends in chaos during rush hour. One could only dream what an efficient border control there could have been if the cubicles were installed where that oh-so long luggage belt 4 is located.

Once (when?) the second part of connector opens, transfer pax will go there for their border control, thus easing the pressure on the existing one.

[JOVAN]

an impression.
did my bets not to show too many faces.

[JOVAN]

e-Gates closed.

SORRY

[sn26567]

Let's hope that Brussels Airport reads us and takes action. This is indeed not flattering for a world class airport.

The part of the Connector aimed at Pier B should open before the end of the year (at least that is what was announced the day of the inauguration). That should alleviate the problem a little bit.

[JOVAN]

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Waste.
Waste.
Why not do things right ??

[Stij]

I think Brussels Airport management knows a lot more about shopping malls then about airports...

It's impossible to reach a gate without going thru the duty-(free)shops. s when you have to run for your plane, You're blocked by Jef and Maria who just stroll as if they were strolling at Ikea. I HATE this.

BTW The situation at the FR gates is becoming ridiculous as well: try to find gate A31...
BTW2 The only exit for passengers (less then 2m wide) has already been a joke for a while now. I mean, 23 million pax (OK, deduct transfer pax), thru a corridor less then 2m wide.

But we have beautiful new shops indeed! As if we were waiting for that.

On the positive side: it''s amazing how many pax security in the connector can handle. When I saw the flow of pax going there I thought... oh oh... but no, it went extremely smooth...

Cheers,

Stij

[JOVAN]

Actually, if the BRU Management would be clever, they would work to improve the flows everywhere in the airport.
If people go smoothly through the controls, they have time for a coffee, some shopping etc.

Now BRU management create bottlenecks, waste of time and nervousness.

[airbuske]

I'am curious if Brussels Airlines , Lufthansa , Jet Airways , Air Canada , United are happy with this situation.
This summer we had a lot of passengers who missed their connection in the A terminal due to the congestion at the border control.
If they are coming ex USA, Canada ,... the incoming carrier has to rebook the passenger , meaning extra costs.

[lumumba]

It's true that when you arrive at the B gates in the mornings you have to wait a long time.
But the biggest problem for me it's that it is also a mess the way it's organized .
It's not clear at all that's a shame I had to intervene for gatecrashes multiple times...

[Predixs]

I think Brussels Airport management knows a lot more about shopping malls then about airports...

It's impossible to reach a gate without going thru the duty-(free)shops. s when you have to run for your plane, You're blocked by Jef and Maria who just stroll as if they were strolling at Ikea. I HATE this.

BTW The situation at the FR gates is becoming ridiculous as well: try to find gate A31...
BTW2 The only exit for passengers (less then 2m wide) has already been a joke for a while now. I mean, 23 million pax (OK, deduct transfer pax), thru a corridor less then 2m wide.

But we have beautiful new shops indeed! As if we were waiting for that.

On the positive side: it''s amazing how many pax security in the connector can handle. When I saw the flow of pax going there I thought... oh oh... but no, it went extremely smooth...

Cheers,

Stij

It's common practice for airports to let their passengers walk through the shops because that generates more money for the airport (A lot of money).

Here's a nice video that explains their reasoning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqI_sxewpX0

Enjoy

[Conti764]

I always failed to understand why BRU never installed some coffeestands or anything else at the very dull arrival at pier B...

When AP-w got postponed I already said it was a mistake because an airport can grow faster in pax numbers then in infrastructure. BRU is now being faced with reality, I can imagine some people avoiding the airport in the future when having to qeue like this. Shameful.

Besides, building extra checkpoints is pretty useless with a lack of manpower to man them.

[JOVAN]

How about this

[Stij]

It's common practice for airports to let their passengers walk through the shops because that generates more money for the airport (A lot of money).

Here's a nice video that explains their reasoning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqI_sxewpX0

Enjoy

Could be, but that doesn't mean I have to like it...



Cheers,

Stij

[Atlantis]

Next round of BRU bashing, unbelievable

Always the same people who like to put their personal and private frustrations on the net. Maybe to find a good doctor is better

Let us start from the beginning!!

Many years ago when the airport was still of the government, nothing changed. No big investments.
Since they decided to sell the airport to private investors we could see that a lot is and was changing. Funds were available to invest in better infrastucture, to attract more and new airlines, new shops, to make long term plans, etc
Since Macquarie Airports and current The Canadian Pension Invest Group, we could see that they have some good strategies and the current Management is a real hit!!!!!! Don't forget that they have to build everything up that former management was not able to do!!!

Since the current management, there is now also a whole new Cargo team who is taking care about being in contact with current and new cargo operators, to help handlers, to invest a lot in pharma, cold chain supply, etc. This was even not excisting before!!!

The Connector is a real pleasure, the crossing time is really decreased because after security you are at your gate before you know it.

About shops, well, you can like it or not but they are there and will stay there. An airport has to have additional income and retail, restaurants, bars, etc are a real big income.
Don't forget that the income they have from a lot of aviation related and non-related is invested in the future, the future for you as a passenger!!!

Of course, a lot can be better. Don't you think that the management don't know this, that they don't work on this? But you can't implement a solution the next day already.

A very good advice I would like to give: work first at the airport, on the floor and at the management and you will see and believe with how many parties they have to talk, to negociate and to decide before something can happen.

Have faith, it will be ok, good and better. So it more positive because then you can talk on a constructive way.

[airazurxtror]

The traveller does not care about the state of the airport ten years ago or how it will be in ten years time : he wants it to be convenient today, when he is using it.
Right now, Brussels Airport is not convenient and thus can rightly be criticized.