Brussels Airlines' fleet renewal

[oldblueeyes]

Well, i am mixed about the Q400.

They were the right aircraft in the mid 2000s, replacing the 50seater regional Jets and fester than prev gen turboprops.
Nevertheless they were pricey in Operations and smaller feeder routes got LCC competition.

LH Group exited turboprops in the early 2000s, first the Dolomiti ATR and than the Augsburg Air Q400. Austrian remained exotic, with it's tiny 3 small feeder bases, 4 aircraft always in wetlease Else and just 7-8 Q400 really for VIE.

At the end it was partially political - the only way to make the All VIE cut, something BA did neerly 20 years ago by carving out FlyBE routes.

And now LH is looking actively to replace the CRJ with external Providers, so something more towards a US like Model.

[IronBirds@Brussels]

By this time, OO-SFF will be back on ops.

On a side note, there will never be more than 9 l/h flight per day during the S24. To allow to have a back up aircraft for AOG's. In S19 when there were 10 A330's there were 10 l/h flight on day 5. This decision has been taken to avoid cancelling flights in case of AOG's.

Sorry to came back with this topic... Several key points have been discussed regarding the l/h operations:

- Maintenance Issues: The A330 aircraft registered OO-SFF is undergoing an extended C-Check, reducing fleet availability for flights. This extended maintenance may be related to detailed inspections or necessary repairs to ensure the safety and reliability of the aircraft.
- Delivery Delay: The A330 aircraft registered OO-SFP was delivered late and still requires preparation before being operational. This delay may impact the airline's ability to fully utilize its fleet to meet demand.

Flight Limitation in Case of AOG: Brussels Airlines has decided to limit the number of long-haul flights to never exceed not 9 but 7 flights per day on the 8 available aircraft to ensure that a spare aircraft is available in case of an Aircraft on Ground (AOG) situation.
Each day, since the launch of Nairobi, BA cancels its least crowded and least profitable flight (often JFK, easy to reroute passengers).

What's new: Severe impact on l/h ops... Since the launch of flights to Nairobi, several flights have been canceled, including (departure flight & destination):
- 03/06 - SN501 - JFK - OO-SFG (Confirmed)
- 04/06 - SN205 - DSS - OO-SFG (Confirmed)
- 05/06 - SN501 - JFK - ??? (Confirmed)
- 06/06 - SN357 - FIH - OO-SFJ (Confirmed)
- 07/06 - SN501 - JFK - OO-SFE (Confirmed)
- 08/06
due to the limit of 7 flights per day in case of AOG.

In summary, extended maintenance issues, delivery delays, and the need to adhere to operational limitations in case of AOG have resulted in disruptions in BA' operations, particularly since the new flights to Nairobi.

It's extremely detrimental to the company's reputation! It's akin to playing Russian roulette for long-haul passengers, with a one in eight chance of their flight being canceled, often with less than a week's notice...

[Miqvell]

OO-SFP in hybrid livery

[oldblueeyes]

By this time, OO-SFF will be back on ops.

On a side note, there will never be more than 9 l/h flight per day during the S24. To allow to have a back up aircraft for AOG's. In S19 when there were 10 A330's there were 10 l/h flight on day 5. This decision has been taken to avoid cancelling flights in case of AOG's.

Sorry to came back with this topic... Several key points have been discussed regarding the l/h operations:

- Maintenance Issues: The A330 aircraft registered OO-SFF is undergoing an extended C-Check, reducing fleet availability for flights. This extended maintenance may be related to detailed inspections or necessary repairs to ensure the safety and reliability of the aircraft.
- Delivery Delay: The A330 aircraft registered OO-SFP was delivered late and still requires preparation before being operational. This delay may impact the airline's ability to fully utilize its fleet to meet demand.

Flight Limitation in Case of AOG: Brussels Airlines has decided to limit the number of long-haul flights to never exceed not 9 but 7 flights per day on the 8 available aircraft to ensure that a spare aircraft is available in case of an Aircraft on Ground (AOG) situation.
Each day, since the launch of Nairobi, BA cancels its least crowded and least profitable flight (often JFK, easy to reroute passengers).

What's new: Severe impact on l/h ops... Since the launch of flights to Nairobi, several flights have been canceled, including (departure flight & destination):
- 03/06 - SN501 - JFK - OO-SFG (Confirmed)
- 04/06 - SN205 - DSS - OO-SFG (Confirmed)
- 05/06 - SN501 - JFK - ??? (Confirmed)
- 06/06 - SN357 - FIH - OO-SFJ (Confirmed)
- 07/06 - SN501 - JFK - OO-SFE (Confirmed)
- 08/06
due to the limit of 7 flights per day in case of AOG.

In summary, extended maintenance issues, delivery delays, and the need to adhere to operational limitations in case of AOG have resulted in disruptions in BA' operations, particularly since the new flights to Nairobi.

It's extremely detrimental to the company's reputation! It's akin to playing Russian roulette for long-haul passengers, with a one in eight chance of their flight being canceled, often with less than a week's notice...

Problem description and opinion about it is not problem solving.

Would the company have a better option that cutting the end of the tail?

There is delay on approx 20 long haul aircraft within the group, the grass is not greener somewhere else. Even with additional 7 A359 expected to come this year we are still talking about 15 delayed 789.

[SabenaForever]

The situation is indeed not ideal, but as mentioned earlier, almost every airline is struggling with late aircraft deliveries. JFK is the least profitable and is the first choice when it comes to cancellations. The slots are very valuable at JFK... But isn't there a risk of losing them after all the cancellations?
Africa is the focus and I assume that United will take over more and more and then I think about the extra flight from Washington. But they are also waiting for a large number of B787s.

[Duke]

OO-SFP in hybrid livery

With the red dots on the tail, it would have been a wonderful livery... Far better than the actual pyama livery...
And it would be very easy and quite cheap to transfer planes from LH to Brussels Airlines...

[Atlantis]

According to a newer interview with Aerotelegraph the remaining A330 from LH should migrate to Discover.
So, let's see if SN's growth ambition may be fueled by external A333

All remaining A333 of LH are indeed foreseen for Discover. Maybe the ones for SN will come from Swiss? They have a relatively younger A333 fleet, max 15 years, and have the same engines.

Just loud thinking. Previous A330 for SN came or from SQ or CX.

[TimTam]

If think it was SQ (not 100 % sure, though). Apart from aircraft available within the LH Group, there seem to be second or third hand A330s available on the market for SN's expansion.

[oldblueeyes]

Available aircraft is a theoretical measure, as some other cobditions need to be met :

- somehow good technical shape - not all aircraft are ageing similarly , Dependance on climate and maintenance
- right engines
- ideally interior that does not need extended conversions

If all these things are met, it comes about questions of market price vs book value of Internal aircraft and competitions ( currently Traktion from the P2F market).

If there would be a gap of few months or a year, the 3x A332 Discover has could be a back up solution - they can fly few months longer.

[rwandan-flyer]

If think it was SQ (not 100 % sure, though). Apart from aircraft available within the LH Group, there seem to be second or third hand A330s available on the market for SN's expansion.

You can't buy a 2nd hand aircraft like you buy like an used car

If you see some airline prefer, lease or suspends some routes instead of to add 2nd hand aircraft.

Air France leases aircraft from ASL France Euro Atlantic, Privilege Style, Danish Air Transport or Amelia, Qantas from Finnair https://www.google.com/search?q=qantas+ ... s-wiz-serp

American which suspended last year several routes in 2023 and will also cuts flights in 2024-2025 due to delays with 787 deliveries (https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/ ... boeing-787) or Air New Zealand with their route to Chicago to late 2025!!! (https://onemileatatime.com/news/air-new ... o-flights/) even in the past they have leased aircraft from Eva Air but it's not enough https://www.google.com/search?q=air+new ... s-wiz-serp.

I can't imagine how some people will react there if SN is forced to suspend some routes during many months in USA and Africa in 2024 and in 2025 due to lack of planes

Here are the items to take into consideration to add 2nd hand aircraft. Once again some airlines won't choose this option for various reasons

The Benefits of Buying Second-Hand Aircraft

One of the significant advantages of buying second-hand aircraft is that it could provide significant cost savings for operators.

Maintenance Cost Considerations

While the initial purchase price of a second-hand aircraft may be lower than that of a new one, it’s important to consider the potential ongoing maintenance costs.

Assessing the Condition of the Aircraft

Before buying a second-hand aircraft, it’s crucial to assess its condition to ensure its airworthiness and meets regulatory requirements.

Evaluating the Aircraft’s Maintenance History & Aircraft Status

When considering purchasing a second-hand aircraft, it’s important to evaluate its maintenance history, aircraft status, and airworthiness to ensure that you’re making a sound investment.

Planning for Modifications or Upgrades

Modifications or upgrades may be necessary to make a second-hand aircraft suitable for an airline’s fleet.

Bridging the Aircraft Maintenance Schedule with the Operator’s Maintenance Schedule

Depending on the aircraft type and the operator’s maintenance plans, it may be necessary to bridge the aircraft’s current maintenance Last Done Next Due (LDND) and the manufacturer’s Maintenance Planning Document (MPD) with an operator’s Aircraft Maintenance Program (AMP).

Obtaining Necessary Approvals

Buying or leasing a second-hand aircraft may require approvals from regulatory bodies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The approval process can take several months, depending on the complexity of the modifications or upgrades required.

https://flydocs.aero/news-insights/blog ... our-fleet/

[Boavida]

OO-SFP in hybrid livery

And yet another livery-version joins the fleet! Maybe for the next one they could go for a combination of a EW-tail, light blue belly and new Brussels-titles

[longwings]

Available aircraft is a theoretical measure, as some other cobditions need to be met :

Add to the list airlines hesitating to sell their fleet until they receive a confirmed delivery date from Airbus or Boeing for the replacement aircraft due to ongoing delays.

4 A330s are actively marketed now. 3 are either CJ or cargo. The 4th has GE engines...

[Atlantis]

The fourth A320neo, OO-SBD, will enter the fleet tomorrow? Or at least arriving at BRU

[DannyVDB]

Indeed, I think so. As flight SN9904, should arrive around 3:40 pm. But changes can always happen of course ...

Good to see the NEO fleet growing a bit. I assume it will reinforce operations during the busy summer season (July, August and beyond).

Curious whether an A319 will leave the fleet in Autumn.

Danny

[oldblueeyes]

If the fleet is expected to grow net by 2 narrowbodies per year, i would rather bet that the current 319 would stay longer, unless they have to many cycles on very short routes.

[Delta Sierra]

OO-SBD will by flying home tomorrow.

[HQ_BRU_Lover]

FR24 states TLS-FRA-BRU iso direct flight TLS-BRU: would think this is an error.

[TimTam]

Oh Gott, wie tief Deine Wege !

[sn26567]

FR24 states TLS-FRA-BRU iso direct flight TLS-BRU: would think this is an error.

I see TLS-BRU, followed the next day by BRU-FRA (a first commercial flight, although with a charter number SN1008)

[HQ_BRU_Lover]

Will modifications take a month again on SBD or is that process something which is speeding up with each delivery? No critics here, just asking.