Brussels Airlines future and financial perspective

[Inquirer]

According to the vrt, Brussels Airlines is again flying on all of its destinations, although on some routes still with less (daily) frequencies; spokesman Geert Sciot mentions a number of +80% of all scheduled flights being operated.

Also, they refuse to openly quantify the financial cost of the terrorist attacks for them, but say they will go ahead with their expansion plans as foreseen this year (incl. the hiring of some 240 new Belgian staff) and expect to grow their customer base further vs last year, posting a positive result.

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/binnenland/1.2635421

[DannyVDB]

I am realy (positively) surprised. This is not obvious at all !

I understood that they claim they will grow their number of pax (which would also be amazing). If true: wow ! But I would say: wait and see. I do not really read they target a positive fianncial result per se ...

Cheers from Addis Ababa,
Danny

PS: flight BRU-Paris-Addis was full in a B777-LR with maximum 100 people from BRU, the rest from Paris. I was unhappy since I wanted to have my first B787 flight

[sean1982]

According to the vrt, Brussels Airlines is again flying on all of its destinations, although on some routes still with less (daily) frequencies; spokesman Geert Sciot mentions a number of +80% of all scheduled flights being operated.

Also, they refuse to openly quantify the financial cost of the terrorist attacks for them, but say they will go ahead with their expansion plans as foreseen this year (incl. the hiring of some 240 new Belgian staff) and expect to grow their customer base further vs last year, posting a positive result.

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/binnenland/1.2635421

First of all, kinda sad that they are only willing to give positive figures and stay completly silent when there is negative news to report.

Secondly, your transalation is wrong. Yes they will keep the planned investments and they are planning on realising a pax growth, but it doesnt say anything about making a profit anymore! After all, more pax doesnt mean more money. It does indicate they are sticking to a LF positive/yield negative approach, which is good but also risky.

[Boeing767copilot]

Lufthansa wants to postpone acquisition Brussels Airlines

BRUSSEL 21/04 (BELGA) = Lufthansa zou de overname van Brussels Airlines uitstellen. Volgens het Duitse magazine WirtschafsWoche zou op de raad van bestuur van volgende woensdag nog geen beslissing over de Belgische dochter worden genomen, in tegenstelling tot eerdere berichten. Het magazine beroept zich op een manager die vertrouwd is met het dossier.
"Het bestuur heeft op bijna elke zitting vorig jaar over de aankoop van Brussels Airlines gesproken, maar nu wordt er niets beslist", luidt het op de website van WirtschaftsWoche. De reden voor het uitstel zouden de gevolgen van de terreuraanslagen van 22 maart in Brussel zijn. Brussels Airlines is de grootste speler op de luchthaven van Zaventem en voelt de impact dus hard. "Voor we over een integratie van Brussels Airlines spreken, moeten de vliegoperaties weer normaal verlopen", zegt de manager aan het magazine.
Maar het zou enkel om uitstel gaan, geen afstel. "We werken duidelijk richting aankoop", aldus de bron bij Lufthansa.
Brussels Airlines is voor 45 procent in handen van Lufthansa, maar beschikt over een optie om de rest van de aandelen te verwerven. Die zijn in handen van een reeks Belgische investeerders.

http://www.wiwo.de/unternehmen/dienstle ... 79400.html

By Google translate:

BRUSSELS 21/04 (Belga) = Lufthansa would postpone the takeover of Brussels Airlines. According to the German magazine WirtschafsWoche would be taken on the Belgian subsidiary on the board of directors next Wednesday no decision, contrary to earlier reports. The magazine cites a manager who is familiar with the dossier.
"The board has at almost every meeting last year discussed the acquisition of Brussels Airlines, but now nothing is decided," it reads on the Wirtschaftswoche website. The reason for the delay would be the consequences of the terrorist attacks of 22 March in Brussels. Brussels Airlines is the largest player in the Zaventem airport and feel the impact so hard. "Before we talk about the integration of Brussels Airlines, flight operations should go back to normal," said the manager of the magazine.
But it would only go to a postponement, not a cancellation. "We have clear direction acquisition," the source at Lufthansa.
Brussels Airlines is 45 percent owned by Lufthansa, but has an option to acquire the remaining shares. Owned a series of Belgian investors.

[Inquirer]

I am realy (positively) surprised. This is not obvious at all !

I understood that they claim they will grow their number of pax (which would also be amazing). If true: wow ! But I would say: wait and see. I do not really read they target a positive fianncial result per se ...

Cheers from Addis Ababa,
Danny

PS: flight BRU-Paris-Addis was full in a B777-LR with maximum 100 people from BRU, the rest from Paris. I was unhappy since I wanted to have my first B787 flight

Indeed, quote ambitious given the circumstances: indicative of the fact this is far from the end sometimes predicted here.

BTW, I didnt mention anything about finances nor profit/loss, as the article doesn't talk about them either.
That 'positive result' I talk about if of course the simple head count often discussed overhere.
Sorry for the understandable confusion, Danny, which is entirely my creation indeed.

PS: are we going to get a trip report from your journey on Ethiopian?

[Passenger]

According to the vrt, Brussels Airlines is again flying on all of its destinations, although on some routes still with less (daily) frequencies; spokesman Geert Sciot mentions a number of +80% of all scheduled flights being operated. Also, they refuse to openly quantify the financial cost of the terrorist attacks for them, but say they will go ahead with their expansion plans as foreseen this year (incl. the hiring of some 240 new Belgian staff) and expect to grow their customer base further vs last year, posting a positive result.
http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/binnenland/1.2635421

First of all, kinda sad that they are only willing to give positive figures and stay completly silent when there is negative news to report.

First of all: not one company will report "negative news" with pleasure, unless law obliges them (example a profit warning for stock exchange registered companies).

Secondly: there are enough luchtzak members to report the negative news about Brussels Airlines. Even without knowing the facts...

[sean1982]

Kinda difficult to come up with facts if the airline refuses to provide them. Then you're down to educated guesses. Something you're very familiar with (as you do exactly the same with FR)

Inquirer, how does "posting a positive result" relate to loadfactors?

[Inquirer]

Inquirer, how does "posting a positive result" relate to loadfactors?

It doesn't, yet then who said it does, other than you here, right now?
Looks that after misreading the word 'result' as 'FINANCIAL result', something I can fully understand given the context this was posted in by me and for which I take the blame, you now persist in misreading it as 'LOADFACTORS', something which gives the impression of being a misunderstanding of much lesser good faith, sorry to say.

I can only advice once more to carefully read every word written: "expecting to grow their customer base further vs. last year, posting a positive result" and not to add any further meaning to whatever is literally written there by me, especially since it was subsequently clarified as being related to nothing more than "simple headcount".

As to your valid comment the airline refuses to publish operational data; I note that the airport as well as several other stake holders affected by the events in Brussels are doing exactly the same and rightfully so IMHO; personally I would find it extremely inappropriate to see any of the business hit last month act as if it is again just business as usual for them, so soon, especially as they all likely still have several employees in medical recovery. It's not the kind of message a truly caring employer wants to send to both his affected staff nor the outside world at present.

I am sure they have gathered all the fractioned figures from before the attacks as well as from after the attacks from Brussels, Liege, Antwerp, Frankfurt and Zurich internally by now and had a very good look at them: given the fact they dont plan on cutting back on any of their expansion plans or halt the hiring of quite a significant number of additional staff, it leads me to think they mustn't be so overly dramatic after all then given the circumstances, or you'd be seeing them act accordingly quite quickly, even in the absence of any explicit communication on these figures.

[sean1982]

I would find it extremely inappropriate to see any of the business hit last month act as if it is again just business as usual for them, so soon, especially as they all likely still have several employees in medical recovery. It's not the kind of message a truly caring employer wants to send to both his affected staff nor the outside world at present.

Very strange .. In another topic you say

Business is not romance, you know?

Contradictio in terminis

[Pocahontas]

Looking at TikTak on the tele now, tik nu ben jij, neen ik stond op hoog. Al wat ge zegt zijt ge zelf... YAWN!!:.

[Inquirer]

I would find it extremely inappropriate to see any of the business hit last month act as if it is again just business as usual for them, so soon, especially as they all likely still have several employees in medical recovery. It's not the kind of message a truly caring employer wants to send to both his affected staff nor the outside world at present.

Very strange .. In another topic you say

Business is not romance, you know?

Contradictio in terminis

So safeguarding your corporate profile as a responsible employer isn't part of running your business in a sensible way any longer?

Seriously, you're trying a little bit too hard, sir.

Anyway, I take it as a real complement my posts are apparently logged and cross referenced: quite an achievement by somebody who doesn't know what he's talking about, dixit an airline top manager like yourself.

[sean1982]

I would find it extremely inappropriate to see any of the business hit last month act as if it is again just business as usual for them, so soon, especially as they all likely still have several employees in medical recovery. It's not the kind of message a truly caring employer wants to send to both his affected staff nor the outside world at present.

Very strange .. In another topic you say

Business is not romance, you know?

Contradictio in terminis

So safeguarding your corporate profile as a responsible employer isn't part of running your business in a sensible way any longer?

Seriously, you're trying a little bit too hard, sir.

Anyway, I take it as a real complement my posts are apparently logged and cross referenced: quite an achievement by somebody who doesn't know what he's talking about, dixit an airline top manager like yourself.

Dont take too much pride. You can leave your sarcasm at the door btw.

If you try to make you arguments fit in a guy Verhofstadt good news style by being inconsistent in different topics then I need to point this out. What's the point of having a discussion otherwise anyway? You really seem to have a problem with people disagreeing with you

But what do I know right? I only worked myself up in the business for 13 years

[Inquirer]

Sarcasm?
You're clearly misreading me once again, sir.

Seriously, all my respects for your career so far.
As you slowly grow into middle management of a true multinational for the first time in your professional life, you'll certainly find out that many of the corporate general beliefs you hold and defend here with much energy are not nearly built on as solid grounds as you think they are; I have no doubt that if you defend them in the same way as you do here, you'll quickly come across many senior people who will let you feel just that too, often in a much more direct way than I've been doing here.
Hopefully you'll have left the ridiculous idea of infallibility where you got it from by then, or you'll be extremely frustrated at work, going by the difficulties you've shown to refrain yourself over largely irrelevant things posted here already.

Good evening.

[sean1982]

No I havent misread you in the slightest.

And im not the one who is preaching infallibility here
In fact, knowing my strenghts and weaknesses, together with a healthy dose of motivation, is what got me this far in the first place.

[Passenger]

What's the point of having a discussion anyway? You really seem to have a problem with people disagreeing with you.

For you, there are only 2 possibilities in a discussion here:
1. Sean is right. All others have to shut up.
2. Sean is wrong. So 1. automaticly applies.

I only worked myself up in the business for 13 years

Well, you really don't behave like someone with that experience. You are a Ryanair employee. Why do you constantly attack and/or insult and/or denigrate and/or ridiculize Brussels Airlines? Compared to your airline, they are a very very small airline. So just leave them alone.

Think about the content of the word "concullega". We are competitors indeed, but at the same time we are colleagues. So behave as a trade colleague. It makes life a lot more enjoyable.

[teach]

Un-freaking-believable how the very same people can ruin thread after thread after thread with the exact same petty bloody nonsense, and continue to get away with it...

Sean, Inquirer and Passenger, kindly take your petty personal fights to PM where they belong, and stop boring us with them. Please.

[Conti764]

What's the point of having a discussion anyway? You really seem to have a problem with people disagreeing with you.

For you, there are only 2 possibilities in a discussion here:
1. Sean is right. All others have to shut up.
2. Sean is wrong. So 1. automaticly applies.

I only worked myself up in the business for 13 years

Well, you really don't behave like someone with that experience. You are a Ryanair employee. Why do you constantly attack and/or insult and/or denigrate and/or ridiculize Brussels Airlines? Compared to your airline, they are a very very small airline. So just leave them alone.

Think about the content of the word "concullega". We are competitors indeed, but at the same time we are colleagues. So behave as a trade colleague. It makes life a lot more enjoyable.

Sean is not even 1/10 as negative about SN as you are about FR.

[OO-ITR]

Sean is not even 1/10 as negative about SN as you are about FR.

Good. Glad you got that off your chest. Can we MOVE ON now?

Thnx

[sean1982]

Un-freaking-believable how the very same people can ruin thread after thread after thread with the exact same petty bloody nonsense, and continue to get away with it...

Sean, Inquirer and Passenger, kindly take your petty personal fights to PM where they belong, and stop boring us with them. Please.

Teach, its not about personal fights for me. I have always tried to give my factual opinion on SN or any other company based on my expirience and knowledge. I think the LH take over thread is a good example of that. The fact of the matter is that, if one even dares to approach a negative point on SN, the shit hits the fan and personal attacks are flying left and right and I'm not the kind of person to sit there and let the shit hit me.

I have nothing against SN, far from ... I have some friends who work there and I hope for everyone who works there that the company will be a huge succes! But I dont see it that way at the moment. Im sorry if I piss people off with my not always rosy view on belgian aviation, but that's just how I perceive its state at the moment.

I joined this forum back in 2003, when I started flying. Long before the others you mention. I have always from the beginning stated I worked for FR and up untill about 6 years ago that didnt seem to be a problem. Everything was discussable and moderators almost never had to intervene. Almost never was I personally attacked or vice versa. Through favorable moderating this place has turned into a forum where only one POV is allowed and if you dont agree then personal attacks are the norm and accepted
I dont really care anymore. I will be leaving "the competitor" soon and that will be one argument less that passenger and the likes can use against me when they dont like my opinion. Just sitting down at a table and exchanging opinions (as a matter of speech) seems to be impossible here. Sad

[teach]

Sean, I don't care.