BRU Summer 2025: news, new routes, airlines

[lumumba]

Maybe not entirely on topic, but when AA starts receiving its A321XLR, PHL-BRU is pretty much a given according to insiders on A.net...

Why would AA come to BRU with only one route to a smaller destination like PHL? In the past, they also flew to BRU from JFK and ORD.

PHL is AA's primary North Eastern American hub.

They served JFK and ORD during the heydays of the codesharing with SN, two markets now pretty well covered by United and A++.

And Dallas also daily with their beautiful metallic 767 in fact the CEO of AA had wild ideas for Brussels but it went another way.

[Matt]

This could also explain :
Delta Air Lines restarts Atlanta ! From May 2025, 3x weekly.

As from 5th June 2025

Atlanta, a big city but not mega, has the biggest airport in the world in PAX numbers. It makes the city and the state og Georgia an economic powerhouse
Atlanta is the center of conventions, trade fairs and other events.
Imagine that Brussels and BRU would have a similar ambition. Just imagine.

Where would you find the place around BRU for a mega-airport like KATL?

Forêt de soignes maybe, if you tear it down. Expanding BRU? I can bet the ecologists are on their back feet already. ("achterste poten") Heck, even night flights are a big issue.

Atlanta is a big convention center, always has been, and draws a lot of business and tourism.

KATL has NO other big airports in the direct neighborhood. Also, KATL is a major hub for one of the biggest carriers in the world.

What ambition can BRU have here?

AMS, ORY and CDG are close for market share, BRU has no major home carrier (at least, not the size like Delta) , meanwhile, BRU has to compete with AF/KLM.

Business and conventions? Maybe, but then you need the halls as well (which we sorely lack in Belgium as a whole, I mean, we can't even build a new stadium in Brussels or Bruges )

Point to the matter is: Belgians sorely lack ambition in many regards and are really conservative. The less Belgians have to change; the better with a very big "under the church-tower mentality".

It is unfortunate , but BRU airport cannot do a big sudden growth spurt because of all that. Demand will always be lower in BRU and when you try to change that, there are always a million things that will slow you down (just look at the ambitious plans of your beloved KF, it went south real fast)

Slow, steady and cautious growth is, unfortunately, the way forward for BRU as an airport.

[JOVAN2]

As from 5th June 2025

Atlanta, a big city but not mega, has the biggest airport in the world in PAX numbers. It makes the city and the state og Georgia an economic powerhouse
Atlanta is the center of conventions, trade fairs and other events.
Imagine that Brussels and BRU would have a similar ambition. Just imagine.

Where would you find the place around BRU for a mega-airport like KATL?

Forêt de soignes maybe, if you tear it down. Expanding BRU? I can bet the ecologists are on their back feet already. ("achterste poten") Heck, even night flights are a big issue.

Atlanta is a big convention center, always has been, and draws a lot of business and tourism.

KATL has NO other big airports in the direct neighborhood. Also, KATL is a major hub for one of the biggest carriers in the world.

What ambition can BRU have here?

AMS, ORY and CDG are close for market share, BRU has no major home carrier (at least, not the size like Delta) , meanwhile, BRU has to compete with AF/KLM.

Business and conventions? Maybe, but then you need the halls as well (which we sorely lack in Belgium as a whole, I mean, we can't even build a new stadium in Brussels or Bruges )

Point to the matter is: Belgians sorely lack ambition in many regards and are really conservative. The less Belgians have to change; the better with a very big "under the church-tower mentality".

It is unfortunate , but BRU airport cannot do a big sudden growth spurt because of all that. Demand will always be lower in BRU and when you try to change that, there are always a million things that will slow you down (just look at the ambitious plans of your beloved KF, it went south real fast)

Slow, steady and cautious growth is, unfortunately, the way forward for BRU as an airport.

Nobody expects something that you describe.

But BRU should drop its Calimero mentality of "i am small...etc"
With a location in the middle of Europe s busiest center, and a huge catchment area of almost 30 million people... And the fact that Brussels is already a leading city for conferences and events, there should be more ambition to grow.

[Lux_avi]

Nobody expects something that you describe.

But BRU should drop its Calimero mentality of "i am small...etc"
With a location in the middle of Europe s busiest center, and a huge catchment area of almost 30 million people... And the fact that Brussels is already a leading city for conferences and events, there should be more ambition to grow.

Nobody (except some politicians) will disagree with that.
The question is how do you realize that?

There is small difference between reality and your dreams.

[Homo Aeroportus]

This could also explain :
Delta Air Lines restarts Atlanta ! From May 2025, 3x weekly.

As from 5th June 2025

Just got this email :

H.A.

[Atlantis]

The second UA EWR daily flight will start now at 27th June. The plane will arrive at 07:00 am and depart again at 08:45 am

[JOVAN2]

The second UA EWR daily flight will start now at 27th June. The plane will arrive at 07:00 am and depart again at 08:45 am

What is schedule for other UA flight ?

[Miqvell]

The second UA EWR daily flight will start now at 27th June. The plane will arrive at 07:00 am and depart again at 08:45 am

What is schedule for other UA flight ?

EWR 757-200 - arrival 07:00, departure 08:45
ORD 787-10 - arrival 09:00, departure 10:15
EWR 787-10 - arrival 07:45, departure 11:15
IAD 777-300 - arrival 07:15, departure 12:00

[JOVAN2]

The second UA EWR daily flight will start now at 27th June. The plane will arrive at 07:00 am and depart again at 08:45 am

What is schedule for other UA flight ?

EWR 757-200 - arrival 07:00, departure 08:45
ORD 787-10 - arrival 09:00, departure 10:15
EWR 787-10 - arrival 07:45, departure 11:15
IAD 777-300 - arrival 07:15, departure 12:00

Two EWR flights landing with only 45 minutes interval. That is rather strange. But good if it helps SN flight to Africa with more PAX.

Strange then there are not more arrivals from British airports , knowing the UK has a huge African community spread over many cities. SN has only 3 destinations left in UK....

[longwings]

EWR 757-200 - arrival 07:00, departure 08:45
ORD 787-10 - arrival 09:00, departure 10:15
EWR 787-10 - arrival 07:45, departure 11:15
IAD 777-300 - arrival 07:15, departure 12:00

Two EWR flights landing with only 45 minutes interval. That is rather strange. But good if it helps SN flight to Africa with more PAX.

Even if Brussels claims an African specialty, it is still a competitive market and only the most ardent beer drinkers enjoy spending several hours at BRU flying from Africa to the US. An earlier departure to EWR makes BRU a more compelling connection point. Expect the 8:45 departure to be filled mostly with connections.

Now if United thought they could convince more lazy Belgians to wake up earlier, they would have made 8:45 the 787 flight (kidding!).

Depending on how well this schedule works out, the 757 could be replaced by an A321XLR or a 787-8 in 2026.Or canceled and the other EWR flight upgauged back to a 777, there will be enough by then.

[rwandan-flyer]

What is schedule for other UA flight ?

EWR 757-200 - arrival 07:00, departure 08:45
ORD 787-10 - arrival 09:00, departure 10:15
EWR 787-10 - arrival 07:45, departure 11:15
IAD 777-300 - arrival 07:15, departure 12:00

Two EWR flights landing with only 45 minutes interval. That is rather strange. But good if it helps SN flight to Africa with more PAX.

Strange then there are not more arrivals from British airports , knowing the UK has a huge African community spread over many cities. SN has only 3 destinations left in UK....

You have 2 morning arrival from London Heathrow (8h55 & 9h15). UK is a very competitive market to and from Africa. On SN network, Nairobi, Kigali, Accra are linked non stop with daily flights.

And from secondaries cities you have the choice with Turkish Airlines, KLM, Air France, Qatar Airways, Emirates or Egytpair.

TOP 5 markets from and to London on destinztions served by SN (point to point demand on 2023)

Nairobi : 195 441 pax (Kenya Airways, RwandAir, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian, KLM, British Airways, Egytpair, Air France, Qatar Airways)

Accra : 153 182 pax (Kenya Airways, RwandAir, Emirates, Ethiopian, Turkish Airlines, KLM, ITA Airways, British Airways, Egytpair, TAP Air Portugal, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways)

Entebbe : 68 951 pax (Kenya Airways, RwandAir, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian, KLM, Egytpair, Qatar Airways)

Kigali : 20 849 pax (Kenya Airways, RwandAir, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian, KLM, Egytpair, Qatar Airways + RwandAir)

Dakar : 18 215 pax (Iberia, Air Algérie, Royal Air Maroc, ITA Airways, Air France, Tap Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines)

[Boeing767copilot]

Transavia summer 2025: “Fewer destinations from BRU, more focus on stability”

(In Dutch)
https://www.travmagazine.be/nl/transavi ... abiliteit/

[brabel]

Transavia summer 2025: “Fewer destinations from BRU, more focus on stability”

(In Dutch)
https://www.travmagazine.be/nl/transavi ... abiliteit/

Dropping Malaga and Alicante

[koninckske]

The opposite: ONLY Alicante and Malaga on sale for now. Other destinations tbc at a later moment!

[Atlantis]

The opposite: ONLY Alicante and Malaga on sale for now. Other destinations tbc at a later moment!

Exactly. They will gradually add more flights.
I think it's not a bad idea. This Summer was a disaster for them regarding maintenance during peak moments. Broken planes, not having spare planes etc. BRU was mostly kept out from those situations but they want to do it different. Not only BRU is involved BTW.

But it's a good opportunity for SN to "steal" more pax from others. And adding 4 extra planes from Air Baltic will help

[crew1990]

Production plan for S25 has been communicated internally. So I guess it will soon be communicated

[Atlantis]

Production plan for S25 has been communicated internally. So I guess it will soon be communicated

You mean for SN?

[crew1990]

You mean for SN?

Yup indeed

[luchtzak]

As from April 2025, Brussels Airport to Montpellier bi-weekly Transavia flights. No further info.

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air- ... ntpellier/

[koninckske]

As from April 2025, Brussels Airport to Montpellier bi-weekly flights. No further info.

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/air- ... ntpellier/

Flight are bookable from 10 April 2025. Thursday and Sunday, Flights operating from MPL base.