Air Belgium in 2022

[flightlover]

CMA CGM has an own AOC in France, so yess all their planes will be transfered to that AOC. Airbelgium wass the easy way to start a flying branch fast when the aircargo marked was heated by the covid crunch in cargo shipping by sea and lack of pax flights.
Airbelgium on it's part could increase it's opps pretty cheap and set a trackrecord in fullcargo flying for themselve.

[JOVAN2]

Wondering if there is any update about AIR BELGIUM, financial situation, new shareholders, ... and new destinations ??

[TLspotting]

Wondering if there is any update about AIR BELGIUM, financial situation, new shareholders, ... and new destinations ??

New destinations, really late to launch them...

[Lux_avi]

Wondering if there is any update about AIR BELGIUM, financial situation, new shareholders, ... and new destinations ??

New destinations, really late to launch them...

Huh?

[TLspotting]

Wondering if there is any update about AIR BELGIUM, financial situation, new shareholders, ... and new destinations ??

New destinations, really late to launch them...

Huh?

It is December. Most of people have already made their plans for this summer and booked already.

[VoloperTe]

New destinations, really late to launch them...

Huh?

It is December. Most of people have already made their plans for this summer and booked already.

I do not agree on this point ! Many airlines has launched recently new long-haul flights, like ITA (San Francisco and Washington) for the next summer season. it's not too late for Air Belgium to launch a new destination. Belgian travellers are know for booking last minute holidays!!

[crew1990]

New destinations, really late to launch them...

Huh?

It is December. Most of people have already made their plans for this summer and booked already.

Absolutely not, booking follow statistically a normal law where the top of the curve if around february match. Which is logical since this is « weatherly speaking » the most depressive moment of the year. This is even why all the travel exhibition take place at that time.

[TLspotting]

Huh?

It is December. Most of people have already made their plans for this summer and booked already.

Absolutely not, booking follow statistically a normal law where the top of the curve if around february match. Which is logical since this is « weatherly speaking » the most depressive moment of the year. This is even why all the travel exhibition take place at that time.

Fair enough, interesting remark.

[Passenger]

For many long haul destinations, the decision "which airline?" is taken by the touroperator. Most touroperators publish a brochure, and they all prefer to distribute them 9-12 months in advance. People don't book that long in advance usually, but they make up their mind 9-12 months in advance: "next year we'll probably go to ... and we'll probably book with ..."

For long haul scheduled tours, the international/intercontinental flight is just one of the many reservations to be made. Accommodation allotments are the most important ones. And once that's done, the t/o can't change the departure day (1-2-3-4-5-6-7) anymore.

So: when Air Belgium starts a new route with a daily flight: no problem = the t/o can say "we have a flight change for your trip". But when Air Belgium offers only 3 flights a week, the t/o will not change all accommodation allotments and tour guide programs to match the Air Belgium schedule.

For long haul beach holidays (like Martinique), the problem is minor: the t/o can ask the client "if you leave one day earlier, you have a direct nonstop flight without surcharge".

[Lux_avi]

It is December. Most of people have already made their plans for this summer and booked already.

Haha. If only... Since covid, people book at the extreme last minute. Surely they make plans, look at their destination & so on but most people do not book that early in advance nowadays. It's a headache for airlines & travel agents. And it's pretty much in the news at every popular holiday period, by the way...

[sn26567]

According to articles behind a paywall in L'Echo and De Tijd, Air Belgium has completed the planned financial support of €10 million. It will not be new money, but new loans and an adjustment of existing loans by existing shareholders. The public shareholders will not invest ant additional money.

[brabel]

Anyone has an idea how the routes to south Africa are doing?
It s good that they have code shares from Johannesburg and Cape Town for sure, but would be even better to have some from BRU too...

[JOVAN2]

According to articles behind a paywall in L'Echo and De Tijd, Air Belgium has completed the planned financial support of €10 million. It will not be new money, but new loans and an adjustment of existing loans by existing shareholders. The public shareholders will not invest ant additional money.

This is good news.

Let us hope they do not take Bangkok as a new destination, because there are good chances that Thai comes back on the route BKK-BRU.
Thinking about the bad experiences with Chinese destinations and Hong Kong were oafter a few flights they had to stop...

South Africa seems to do well (almost full planes) . Caribbean might be viable in collaboration with TuiFly.

LAX and or SFR are logical destinations with stable markets, strong currencies and great potential of US and European citizens travelling both ways.
BRU has a big catchment area with rich and densely populated areas , around it.


20 million people in California a even more around BRU is impressive.

If BRU gets better train and bus connections with NL, Northern and Western France and western part of Germany the potential of the airport is really big.