Brussels Airlines in 2024

[OO-PDM]

With the repaint of OO-SSF complete and OO-SNN leaving for EMA this evening (1 less EW-livery, good riddance) only 5 A320-family jets still wear the old livery. That's 24 repaints, and counting, in 3 years.

[rwandan-flyer]

Again no flight to Luanda today like last week this means they only have 1 flight a week !?
Looks they gone pull out of this market.

Last week the 2 flights were operated according to FlightRadar24. Flights are now operated on Tuesdays and Sundays. Not on the Mondays. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/sn359

Only TAP Air Portugal has huge capacity to Luanda thanks to their. Porto and Lisbon services to Luanda. Exclunding Ethiopian, All airlines serving LAD don't provide daily service. The competition is sitff and Angola has restricted policy about bilateral air services agreements. In less 10 years, KLM, British Airways, Iberia and Kenya Airways ended flights either due to the covid or due to the economy downturn in late 2010s due to the oil crisis.

Furthermore airline funds remain blocked in Angola. Angola is on the top in Africa https://www.premiumtimesng.com/business ... tml?tztc=1

However Ethiopian, Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways have added huge capacity with cheaper tickets and sometimes a better product.

Air France now operates 2 flights a week using the A330-200. They tag the flight with Pointe Noire since Summer 2023. Before the covid i remmember that they sometimes used the B777-300ER probably with the 1st class configuration. Luanda was among the best performing routes in term of revenues for AF in Africa with Libreville, Johannesburg, Dakar and Abidjan. I don't know if it's the case now.

[lumumba]

Again no flight to Luanda today like last week this means they only have 1 flight a week !?
Looks they gone pull out of this market.

Last week the 2 flights were operated according to FlightRadar24. Flights are now operated on Tuesdays and Sundays. Not on the Mondays. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/sn359

Only TAP Air Portugal has huge capacity to Luanda thanks to their. Porto and Lisbon services to Luanda. Exclunding Ethiopian, All airlines serving LAD don't provide daily service. The competition is sitff and Angola has restricted policy about bilateral air services agreements. In less 10 years, KLM, British Airways, Iberia and Kenya Airways ended flights either due to the covid or due to the economy downturn in late 2010s due to the oil crisis.

Furthermore airline funds remain blocked in Angola. Angola is on the top in Africa https://www.premiumtimesng.com/business ... tml?tztc=1

However Ethiopian, Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways have added huge capacity with cheaper tickets and sometimes a better product.

Air France now operates 2 flights a week using the A330-200. They tag the flight with Pointe Noire since Summer 2023. Before the covid i remmember that they sometimes used the B777-300ER probably with the 1st class configuration. Luanda was among the best performing routes in term of revenues for AF in Africa with Libreville, Johannesburg, Dakar and Abidjan. I don't know if it's the case now.

Air France uses smaller planes with a stop but flies five times a week instead of 3 times in the past.(and this to compete with Lufthansa groupe Who had six flights a week and now 5)
Emirates flies almost daily 6 times a week Qatar also grow from 2 to 4 times a week etc...
Lufhansa keeps 3 times a week Brussels Airlines is the airline that flies the longest to this destination and it has lost a lot of business.
But you are right the best option today is TAP with 9 flights a week that's very flexible with day and night flights.

[rwandan-flyer]

In deed, i have made a mistake, AF serves LAD 5 times a week and not 2 times a week. They prefer to add more flights but with a smaller aircraft instead of to keep serving Luanda with a bigger aircraft but with low frequencies.

About Qatar Airways they have added (again) flights mainly thanks to their new route to Kinhasa. Before it was between 1 and 2 flights a week, if i m right.

However i don't think that Emirates and Qatar Airways are big threats for Brussels Airlines. I think the biggest part of their traffic is with Asia. Note also that Air France makes a day stop at Pointe Noire. The flight from CDG to LAD leaves CDG in the late evening so not very useful for incoming pax from North America**. And with the ending of services by KLM and Kenya Airways, SkyTeam has a low presence in Luanda.

Same thing with Lufthansa, but they can rely on Brussels Airlines as you have said.

Only Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines and TAP Air Portugal provide good connecting on their whole network and can be a "threat" for SN, but they are all members of Star Alliance. Even without strong codeshare agreements, you can have strong syngeries.

** Houston is their biggest point to point market in 2023 in North America: 10 904 pax at the same level that Moscow, Manilla

[lumumba]

And on top of that you have 2 daily flights with TAAG with 777-300 that's also a huge part of the market also very interesting price wise.
And they have 2 flights a week to Madrid with connection to Brussels(Iberia) also interesting price wise.
It's quite easy because they have an agreement with Brussels Airlines too.
So you can combine that with flights to Madrid and so you have four flights with TAAG to Brussels with very competitive prices mostly cheaper on the same Brussels Airlines plane than with Brussels Airlines.

[oldblueeyes]

Some of the comparisons here are done without considering the realities of various airlines.

SN is operating in a restricted capacity environment - contrary to other airlines it had no China and co business thus not under consideration to allocate excess capacity to other routes.

And with new capacity coming in, it is as always a judgement of Option A vs Option B. The attractivity of Brussels seem from Luana may be very different vs the attractivity of Luanda seen from Brussels.

[TimTam]

To Luanda or not to Luanda. That is the question. For SN really ? Increased capacity ? Dropwise. An airline constraint by an uncaring big boss and his also uncaring and to some extent incompetent string of temporary CEO's who do not want to contradict the big boss for fearing not to get a promotion at LH. Spending money on an ugly new livery and ugly new uniforms. I call this throwing money out of the window. Long-haul flights regularly cancelled or AOG. A disgraceful business class in Europe. After the big boss's blackmail towards the Italian gouvernment, I hope he will not get any of the airlines he would like to grab for peanuts like with SN, for the good of these airlines. Who would still fly SN, if they have a choice ?

[lumumba]

To Luanda or not to Luanda. That is the question. For SN really ? Increased capacity ? Dropwise. An airline constraint by an uncaring big boss and his also uncaring and to some extent incompetent string of temporary CEO's who do not want to contradict the big boss for fearing not to get a promotion at LH. Spending money on an ugly new livery and ugly new uniforms. I call this throwing money out of the window. Long-haul flights regularly cancelled or AOG. A disgraceful business class in Europe. After the big boss's blackmail towards the Italian gouvernment, I hope he will not get any of the airlines he would like to grab for peanuts like with SN, for the good of these airlines. Who would still fly SN, if they have a choice ?

Woaw you really hate Brussels Airlines but this is bashing it has nothing to do on this forum!
Get yourself a good psychologist and spend a few years there, it will be necessary.

[JOVAN2]

To Luanda or not to Luanda. That is the question. For SN really ? Increased capacity ? Dropwise. An airline constraint by an uncaring big boss and his also uncaring and to some extent incompetent string of temporary CEO's who do not want to contradict the big boss for fearing not to get a promotion at LH. Spending money on an ugly new livery and ugly new uniforms. I call this throwing money out of the window. Long-haul flights regularly cancelled or AOG. A disgraceful business class in Europe. After the big boss's blackmail towards the It4alian gouvernment, I hope he will not get any of the airlines he would like to grab for peanuts like with SN, for the good of these airlines. Who would still fly SN, if they have a choice ?

Good description of situation at SN.
So sorry that SN has ended up in the hands of such uncaring people.
This is costing Belgium many jobs and new business.

[oldblueeyes]

At the time Sabena ceased operations it had 14 long haul aircraft. It was by no means an important player in the long haul business in Europe.

Even as such, it was not an airline able to generate cash out of its fleet and network.

SN as reborn carrier focused on what was and is sustainbale economically under existing resources - i am sure that all Belgian investors having 55% of shares until 2014 would have loved to get more than the mere 28 Mil from Lufthansa , but either they had not enough money to invest properly and increase valuation or this was the best realistic (even overall dissapointing) outcome of the "huge potential".

If someone needs a discussion about potential, there is another thread related to Air Belgium - built up with all the strategy and management that led SN be acquired so cheap by Lufthansa. Feel all free to benchmark the economic outcome- the management was acting free of any big brother and shwoed everything that could have been achieved standalone.

[SLM]

Any photos of the oo-snn in the new livery? Many tx

[nordikcam]

OO-SFH on the way to Abu Dhabi...as SN9901 ! Technical check ?

[WilcoW]

At the time Sabena ceased operations it had 14 long haul aircraft. It was by no means an important player in the long haul business in Europe.

Even as such, it was not an airline able to generate cash out of its fleet and network.

SN as reborn carrier focused on what was and is sustainbale economically under existing resources - i am sure that all Belgian investors having 55% of shares until 2014 would have loved to get more than the mere 28 Mil from Lufthansa , but either they had not enough money to invest properly and increase valuation or this was the best realistic (even overall dissapointing) outcome of the "huge potential".

If someone needs a discussion about potential, there is another thread related to Air Belgium - built up with all the strategy and management that led SN be acquired so cheap by Lufthansa. Feel all free to benchmark the economic outcome- the management was acting free of any big brother and shwoed everything that could have been achieved standalone.

Don't you think that SN could have had a different path if the Belgian investors had found a strategic partner earlier? Lufthansa didn't come right away either.

[KriVa]

Probably en route with a tech stop in Abu Dhabi for maintenance in Manila.
OO-SFJ has been in Manila since Oct 27th, so it would make sense the maintenance in SFJ is just about complete.

[oldblueeyes]

At the time Sabena ceased operations it had 14 long haul aircraft. It was by no means an important player in the long haul business in Europe.

Even as such, it was not an airline able to generate cash out of its fleet and network.

SN as reborn carrier focused on what was and is sustainbale economically under existing resources - i am sure that all Belgian investors having 55% of shares until 2014 would have loved to get more than the mere 28 Mil from Lufthansa , but either they had not enough money to invest properly and increase valuation or this was the best realistic (even overall dissapointing) outcome of the "huge potential".

If someone needs a discussion about potential, there is another thread related to Air Belgium - built up with all the strategy and management that led SN be acquired so cheap by Lufthansa. Feel all free to benchmark the economic outcome- the management was acting free of any big brother and shwoed everything that could have been achieved standalone.

Don't you think that SN could have had a different path if the Belgian investors had found a strategic partner earlier? Lufthansa didn't come right away either.

Earlier , later, or SN /LH would have had less tensions between managements etc. - the probability that the company would have been looking different is big. To which extend this would have been matching personal projections of all of us - rather unlikely, as opinions are individual.

Let's remember, as Sabena collapsed , the fleet had more regional aircraft / 26 AVROs/BAEs which was the backbone of the future SN.
There were 35 A320/B737 fam. => 3 of the A319 and 10 ex Virgin Express later made it to Brussels Airlines.
It had 14 long haul aircraft, at the new start only 4 made it to SN.

With the fusion of Virigin Express, there was a large external airline as a partner/shareholder, Virgin Atlantic. And the fleet was fairly the one of a regional airline serving local needs.

Without judging a posteriori things in good / bad, the shape of future Brussels airlines was decided in the early 2000s:

- the focus on regional aircraft was representing the best educated guess to serve local needs at local risk those days, but SN missed the upcoming LCC trend - a decision rather towards A320/B737 family and building on the upcoming P2P trend may have been brought a different dynamic; on the other hand staying to regional and not mergin with Virgin Express may have made SN to a 2nd FlyBe and likely the company won't be today anymore a player in the market

- having Virgin Atlantic as a shareholder with a strong focus on TATL, and Singapore Airlines with 49% shares in Virgin Atlantic and their interest to be a hub for SE Asia, may have led to the niche role on long haul left for SN in the concept after re-start; we just have to look towards a brand like CSA and how much long haul they developed after Korean took a stake in them; but on the other hand this was the impulse to shift gradually the fleet towards the A320family

- even within LH there was a window of opportunity to coordinate the touristic, budget long haul few years ago ; one one hand this concept was not well designed and dysfunctional without feeders, on the other hand the brand issue became very sensible as everything should become Eurowings - who knows how this may have been looking today with a better decision?

- also under LH SN was initially targeted as a cusomter for C-Series /todays' A220 family - as a player with an all A223 fleet, this may have been today bigger and SN could have been playing the role foreseen in the coming years for Air Baltic? - but there was a decision of those days Belgian management to go for used A319 / on the other hand this is the foundation to look now forward towards a harmnized fleet one level up , eg A320 and some 321 in the future

All in one, it's not white or black, but of course, there may have been various grey options.

[JOVAN2]

At the time Sabena ceased operations it had 14 long haul aircraft. It was by no means an important player in the long haul business in Europe.

Even as such, it was not an airline able to generate cash out of its fleet and network.

SN as reborn carrier focused on what was and is sustainbale economically under existing resources - i am sure that all Belgian investors having 55% of shares until 2014 would have loved to get more than the mere 28 Mil from Lufthansa , but either they had not enough money to invest properly and increase valuation or this was the best realistic (even overall dissapointing) outcome of the "huge potential".

If someone needs a discussion about potential, there is another thread related to Air Belgium - built up with all the strategy and management that led SN be acquired so cheap by Lufthansa. Feel all free to benchmark the economic outcome- the management was acting free of any big brother and shwoed everything that could have been achieved standalone.

Don't you think that SN could have had a different path if the Belgian investors had found a strategic partner earlier? Lufthansa didn't come right away either.

Earlier , later, or SN /LH would have had less tensions between managements etc. - the probability that the company would have been looking different is big. To which extend this would have been matching personal projections of all of us - rather unlikely, as opinions are individual.

Let's remember, as Sabena collapsed , the fleet had more regional aircraft / 26 AVROs/BAEs which was the backbone of the future SN.
There were 35 A320/B737 fam. => 3 of the A319 and 10 ex Virgin Express later made it to Brussels Airlines.
It had 14 long haul aircraft, at the new start only 4 made it to SN.

With the fusion of Virigin Express, there was a large external airline as a partner/shareholder, Virgin Atlantic. And the fleet was fairly the one of a regional airline serving local needs.

Without judging a posteriori things in good / bad, the shape of future Brussels airlines was decided in the early 2000s:

- the focus on regional aircraft was representing the best educated guess to serve local needs at local risk those days, but SN missed the upcoming LCC trend - a decision rather towards A320/B737 family and building on the upcoming P2P trend may have been brought a different dynamic; on the other hand staying to regional and not mergin with Virgin Express may have made SN to a 2nd FlyBe and likely the company won't be today anymore a player in the market

- having Virgin Atlantic as a shareholder with a strong focus on TATL, and Singapore Airlines with 49% shares in Virgin Atlantic and their interest to be a hub for SE Asia, may have led to the niche role on long haul left for SN in the concept after re-start; we just have to look towards a brand like CSA and how much long haul they developed after Korean took a stake in them; but on the other hand this was the impulse to shift gradually the fleet towards the A320family

- even within LH there was a window of opportunity to coordinate the touristic, budget long haul few years ago ; one one hand this concept was not well designed and dysfunctional without feeders, on the other hand the brand issue became very sensible as everything should become Eurowings - who knows how this may have been looking today with a better decision?

- also under LH SN was initially targeted as a cusomter for C-Series /todays' A220 family - as a player with an all A223 fleet, this may have been today bigger and SN could have been playing the role foreseen in the coming years for Air Baltic? - but there was a decision of those days Belgian management to go for used A319 / on the other hand this is the foundation to look now forward towards a harmnized fleet one level up , eg A320 and some 321 in the future

All in one, it's not white or black, but of course, there may have been various grey options.

You do not mention Swissair in your overview full of management buzz words.
The Swiss have actually plundered SN.
They had an impossible dream of becoming bery big. They bought AOM, Air Litoral and more.

Even without 9/11 they would have gone bankrupt.

SR continued later as LX with Swiss government money. Switzerland is very rich because it is a Fiscal Paradise.

Anyway, LH and its CEO in particular have been in charge since 2008. Making SN a holiday-airline is about their only achievement.

[oldblueeyes]

LH had a minority stake since 2008, based on the structure emerged as SN and merged with Virgin Express. They way that company was shaped until than was not a LH decision.

Indeed, between 2008 and 2014 there was a tension between SN and LH management - by the way CEO in 2008 was still Mayrhubr and from 2011 Christoph Franz, Spohr from 2014.

LH achieved what they wanted to do - acquiring the remaining 55% for almost nothing. From their prospective it made sense to keep SN smaller ( why to invest twice, once to grow the company and a second time to buy the remaining share for more more money) , a growth strategy would have been the job of the investors looking for an exit.

LH is not to blame to have been executing what made their deal cheaper, at the end of the day. And despite local pride, there is nothing bad on having a company/brand designed for more price sensitive clients and markets.

[WilcoW]

LH had a minority stake since 2008, based on the structure emerged as SN and merged with Virgin Express. They way that company was shaped until than was not a LH decision.

Indeed, between 2008 and 2014 there was a tension between SN and LH management - by the way CEO in 2008 was still Mayrhubr and from 2011 Christoph Franz, Spohr from 2014.

LH achieved what they wanted to do - acquiring the remaining 55% for almost nothing. From their prospective it made sense to keep SN smaller ( why to invest twice, once to grow the company and a second time to buy the remaining share for more more money) , a growth strategy would have been the job of the investors looking for an exit.

LH is not to blame to have been executing what made their deal cheaper, at the end of the day. And despite local pride, there is nothing bad on having a company/brand designed for more price sensitive clients and markets.

Well, in the end, LH seems to have given a master class in strategic acquisitions.

[Homo Aeroportus]

Probably en route with a tech stop in Abu Dhabi for maintenance in Manila.
OO-SFJ has been in Manila since Oct 27th, so it would make sense the maintenance in SFJ is just about complete.

The paint was probably not dry yet, but finally Juliet is now coming back.
She took off minutes ago at 16:15 UTC, short stop over planned in AUH so probably augmented flight crew?
OO-SFJ is to run SN277 on Saturday 07DEC.
Nice to have her back to maintain scheduled flights. Seems KGL-EBB was cancelled today according to Brussels Airport.

H.A.

[rwandan-flyer]

Probably en route with a tech stop in Abu Dhabi for maintenance in Manila.
OO-SFJ has been in Manila since Oct 27th, so it would make sense the maintenance in SFJ is just about complete.

The paint was probably not dry yet, but finally Juliet is now coming back.
She took off minutes ago at 16:15 UTC, short stop over planned in AUH so probably augmented flight crew?
OO-SFJ is to run SN277 on Saturday 07DEC.
Nice to have her back to maintain scheduled flights. Seems KGL-EBB was cancelled today according to Brussels Airport.

H.A.

About Kigali it was planned. SN has reduced flights during a big part of November till mid Dec 24. I guess it's because some SN A330s were or are in maintenance

No flights on Tuesdays and Thursdays



They will also reduce flights during a big part of January 2025. Then back to the daily service from FEB25.