Atlantis wrote: 10 Oct 2025, 10:02Exactly. Warsaw has already higher pax figures for this year than BRU. They have a much smaller airport, only 1 terminal with pier but they have a strong home carrier.
WAW is slightly better located for connections to Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics. There is also the matter of the Polish diaspora being over 10 millions strong in North America. You could remove one 0 and that is still more than the Belgian diaspora. That is a lot of potential VFR traffic.
Point being, I don't think that WAW catching up to BRU is because of something WAW is doing, or BRU not doing.
There are 2 important issues here. The Polish people are earning more money, so they can afford to fly more then in the past.
The second, and very important one, is that the government support the airline industry. Meaning, they have very strong diplomatic connections to open new lines and they support the home carrier
Atlantis wrote: 10 Oct 2025, 10:02Exactly. Warsaw has already higher pax figures for this year than BRU. They have a much smaller airport, only 1 terminal with pier but they have a strong home carrier.
WAW is slightly better located for connections to Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics. There is also the matter of the Polish diaspora being over 10 millions strong in North America. You could remove one 0 and that is still more than the Belgian diaspora. That is a lot of potential VFR traffic.
Point being, I don't think that WAW catching up to BRU is because of something WAW is doing, or BRU not doing.
There are 2 important issues here. The Polish people are earning more money, so they can afford to fly more then in the past.
The second, and very important one, is that the government support the airline industry. Meaning, they have very strong diplomatic connections to open new lines and they support the home carrier
The GDP per capita is 25.000$ in Poland compared to 55.000$ in Belgium so this is not an valid argument.
The population arguments would be better they are 37 million people in Poland ...
Atlantis wrote: 12 Oct 2025, 10:24
Charleroi you need to compare with Modlin Airport, the second Airport in Warsaw. Low cost with low cost
Well, Wizzair's (lowcost) main base is in Chopin airport. Even Ryanair has more flights from Chopin than from BRU.
I think comparison is difficult, it's comparing apples and pears. Because both airports are different.
Warsaw Chopin has a lot of domestic connecting passengers too, BRU has 0...
Maybe the 'best' comparison would be when u calculate both Chopin and Modlin together on one hand, and BRU and CRL on the other?
Atlantis wrote: 12 Oct 2025, 10:24
Charleroi you need to compare with Modlin Airport, the second Airport in Warsaw. Low cost with low cost
Well, Wizzair's (lowcost) main base is in Chopin airport. Even Ryanair has more flights from Chopin than from BRU.
I think comparison is difficult, it's comparing apples and pears. Because both airports are different.
Warsaw Chopin has a lot of domestic connecting passengers too, BRU has 0...
Maybe the 'best' comparison would be when u calculate both Chopin and Modlin together on one hand, and BRU and CRL on the other?
There are several reasons Poland is developing well, where BRU simply can't compete:
- historically a large US and Candian diaspora
- a one-generation(since the lat 90s) strong intra European diaspora (UK, Norway) with flying needs (Germany may be better served by car, bus towards Western Poland)
- lately 2 mil people from the Ukraine in the country, having as well relatives in other countries
Despite that several other aspects have to be mentioned:
- higher population and rising net disposable income - net wages espedcially in Warsaw are on European level extremely competitive, as companies are large and have several management levels, taxes are Eastern European moderate, the city is a hub of regional centers
- furthermore , the vast majority of Polish people live on owned homes, thus when these are paid the net available income is raising
- within the younger population studying and doing office jobs (not just as waiters etc) is very common, thus their spending power is at very young age often higher than the one of Western European peers
Industry wise, we need to look at LOT's development:
- they have always been a hub and spoke airline towards the East
- recently they were increasing massively their capacities on short haul - 12x B737MAx and 8x E190/195 expansion since 2022
Matthias wrote: 28 Oct 2025, 10:51
Good news: as of june 3, 2026 Brussels Airlines will start flying to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays
Matthias wrote: 28 Oct 2025, 10:51
Good news: as of june 3, 2026 Brussels Airlines will start flying to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays
Matthias wrote: 28 Oct 2025, 10:51
Good news: as of june 3, 2026 Brussels Airlines will start flying to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays
Matthias wrote: 28 Oct 2025, 10:51
Good news: as of june 3, 2026 Brussels Airlines will start flying to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays
By direct flights or in combination with Entebbe, Kigali or Nairobi? I made last year CDG NBO JRO EBB AMS...wonderful trip ! Good to see SN there !
With Nairobi for the moment, but it could be link with other destination(s) when new A330’s will arrive in 2027
The rotation is BRU-JRO-NBO-BRU
So I suppose less NBO flying via KGL? Will they upgrade EBB, ad another airport in combo with KGL or will KGL get a direct flight on wednesday and saturday?
Monday KGL-EBB and NBO
Tuesday KGL-EBB and NBO
Wednesday BJM-EBB and JRO-NBO
Thursday KGL-EBB and NBO
Friday KGL-EBB and NBO
Saturday BJM-EBB and JRO-NBO
Sunday BJM-EBB and KGL-NBO
To make it simple, 4 direct NBO and 3 NBO via JRO/KGL instead of 5 direct NBO and 2 NBO via KGL. KGL goes from daily to 6x/week.
In absolute number of flight, it’s still 14 weekly flights to East Africa.
crew1990 wrote: 28 Oct 2025, 18:53
Monday KGL-EBB and NBO
Tuesday KGL-EBB and NBO
Wednesday BJM-EBB and JRO-NBO
Thursday KGL-EBB and NBO
Friday KGL-EBB and NBO
Saturday BJM-EBB and JRO-NBO
Sunday BJM-EBB and KGL-NBO
To make it simple, 4 direct NBO and 3 NBO via JRO/KGL instead of 5 direct NBO and 2 NBO via KGL. KGL goes from daily to 6x/week.
In absolute number of flight, it’s still 14 weekly flights to East Africa.
crew1990 wrote: 28 Oct 2025, 18:53
Monday KGL-EBB and NBO
Tuesday KGL-EBB and NBO
Wednesday BJM-EBB and JRO-NBO
Thursday KGL-EBB and NBO
Friday KGL-EBB and NBO
Saturday BJM-EBB and JRO-NBO
Sunday BJM-EBB and KGL-NBO
To make it simple, 4 direct NBO and 3 NBO via JRO/KGL instead of 5 direct NBO and 2 NBO via KGL. KGL goes from daily to 6x/week.
In absolute number of flight, it’s still 14 weekly flights to East Africa.
So there is no increase in fact.
No...no new aircraft ! But a nice dot on the map...a really beautiful destination ! Friendly airport !
crew1990 wrote: 28 Oct 2025, 18:53
Monday KGL-EBB and NBO
Tuesday KGL-EBB and NBO
Wednesday BJM-EBB and JRO-NBO
Thursday KGL-EBB and NBO
Friday KGL-EBB and NBO
Saturday BJM-EBB and JRO-NBO
Sunday BJM-EBB and KGL-NBO
To make it simple, 4 direct NBO and 3 NBO via JRO/KGL instead of 5 direct NBO and 2 NBO via KGL. KGL goes from daily to 6x/week.
In absolute number of flight, it’s still 14 weekly flights to East Africa.
Return to Kilimanjaro, not a "new" destination out of BRU : Sabena started flights in 1982. Can't find year they stopped, but suppose it was at least some years before bankruptcy.
SABENA - KILIMANJARO - FIRST FLIGHT.jpg (41.67 KiB) Viewed 8677 times
