Tetris wrote: 21 Aug 2025, 06:30
Due to the delay introducing the 12th A330, there is an alternative growth plan rumoured:
2026:
-Washington will not return, A/C can be used for growth on the existing destinations (and thus continuing expansion as planned)
-United increasing frequency from Washington, possibly even double daily (from daily today).
Plausible. Not sure the market exists for a daily B77W/787, but by mid 2026, there ought to be enough new deliveries for a double daily B789 or a daily B77W/A21N.
Despite the inferior comfort, the B752 to EWR is getting a higher yield in the premium cabin thanks to the shorter connecting time in BRU for passengers from Africa. I could see a similar attempt with an A21N to IAD, and this time with no loss of comfort.
Tetris wrote: 21 Aug 2025, 06:30
Due to the delay introducing the 12th A330, there is an alternative growth plan rumoured:
2026:
-Washington will not return, A/C can be used for growth on the existing destinations (and thus continuing expansion as planned)
-United increasing frequency from Washington, possibly even double daily (from daily today).
Plausible. Not sure the market exists for a daily B77W/787, but by mid 2026, there ought to be enough new deliveries for a double daily B789 or a daily B77W/A21N.
Despite the inferior comfort, the B752 to EWR is getting a higher yield in the premium cabin thanks to the shorter connecting time in BRU for passengers from Africa. I could see a similar attempt with an A21N to IAD, and this time with no loss of comfort.
If United really goes double daily, it’ll kill any attempt by Brussels Airlines to enter with a narrowbody.
Tetris wrote: 21 Aug 2025, 06:30
Due to the delay introducing the 12th A330, there is an alternative growth plan rumoured:
2026:
-Washington will not return, A/C can be used for growth on the existing destinations (and thus continuing expansion as planned)
-United increasing frequency from Washington, possibly even double daily (from daily today).
Plausible. Not sure the market exists for a daily B77W/787, but by mid 2026, there ought to be enough new deliveries for a double daily B789 or a daily B77W/A21N.
Despite the inferior comfort, the B752 to EWR is getting a higher yield in the premium cabin thanks to the shorter connecting time in BRU for passengers from Africa. I could see a similar attempt with an A21N to IAD, and this time with no loss of comfort.
If United really goes double daily, it’ll kill any attempt by Brussels Airlines to enter with a narrowbody.
Which narrowbody? LH group is not ordering an A321LR and the A321 (non-LR) does not have the range. (and it is still questionable if SN will get an A321)
Before entering a market with an aircraft, you first need the aircraft. I say: let UA have a double daily to IAD and codeshare it. Use the capacity elsewhere. (Lusaka, Dar es Salaam, Brazzaville and Luanda come to mind )
Those 4 destinations are just my opinion, not rumours or speculations !
Tetris wrote: 21 Aug 2025, 06:30
Due to the delay introducing the 12th A330, there is an alternative growth plan rumoured:
2026:
-Washington will not return, A/C can be used for growth on the existing destinations (and thus continuing expansion as planned)
-United increasing frequency from Washington, possibly even double daily (from daily today).
Plausible. Not sure the market exists for a daily B77W/787, but by mid 2026, there ought to be enough new deliveries for a double daily B789 or a daily B77W/A21N.
Despite the inferior comfort, the B752 to EWR is getting a higher yield in the premium cabin thanks to the shorter connecting time in BRU for passengers from Africa. I could see a similar attempt with an A21N to IAD, and this time with no loss of comfort.
Reading this, would it make sense to swap the 752 and 78X on the EWR flights? Connections to Africa are indeed more convenient on the 752 with current schedule.
The United flight to IAD is Rather late for Africa connections if I am not mistaken (around noon I think) so a second Daily replacing SN will need to be early enough to make sense I believe.
Only downside of UA taking over the 2nd IAD frequency is that this will probably mean no new destination for them next year. Really think it is about time UA adds SFO or LAX!
Point to point marlet Africa California is not very high. Ethiopian has failed on its LAX service despite various routing (via Lomé or Dublin).
For the period of 2024:
Largest Africa marker for San Fransico is Cairo with 28 700 pax followed by Johannesburg with 12 780 pax and Nairobi with 12 180 pax
About Los Angeles it's a big bigger with Cairo with 66 000 pax followed by Johannesburg with 24 000 pax and Nairobi with 15 000 pax.
However SN serves only Nairobi and not Cairo (served by Egytpair from Brussels) and not Johannesburg
Top market for Africa on United Airlines hubs are Washington and New York, followed by Chicago and Houston
TOP 3 markets for Washington (SN destinations) :
Accra : 70 700 pax (served by United Airlines)
Nairobi : 46 600 pax (Top 3 of the biggest undeserved market served from Nairobi)
Douala : 23 994 pax (biggest market for Douala in USA)
Almost 400 pax per day with the top 3 markets, of course there is a strong competition from others carriers. But you have to add that some people have another flight over IAD to Seattle, Minneapolis or Dallas. Some others markets in USA have a good demand with Africa like for Nairobi :
Seattle Nairobi : 24 730 pax in 2024
Minneapolis Nairobi : 54 160 pax in 2024
Dallas Nairobi : 22 660 pax in 2024
Rwanda Aviation News (Drones, Air Force, Civil Aviation, Space, Air Balloon): https://www.facebook.com/RwandAn-Flyer-153177931456873
FienV wrote: 29 Aug 2025, 07:48
Johannesburg is attractive on paper, but ultra-long haul with high competition from Gulf carriers makes it very hard to profit.
Exactly and South Africa has been tried multiple times from BRU in the past without a lot of success.
FienV wrote: 29 Aug 2025, 07:48
Johannesburg is attractive on paper, but ultra-long haul with high competition from Gulf carriers makes it very hard to profit.
Many have tried, all have failed.
Stay away from JNB, especially with an A330, you need a beefy plane with high yields to make that work. Ask Air Belgium how a fiasco that was
FienV wrote: 29 Aug 2025, 07:48
Johannesburg is attractive on paper, but ultra-long haul with high competition from Gulf carriers makes it very hard to profit.
Many have tried, all have failed.
Stay away from JNB, especially with an A330, you need a beefy plane with high yields to make that work. Ask Air Belgium how a fiasco that was
Air Belgium lacked feeder lines on the European side... it was doomed from the start.
This being said... It is indeed from Belgium mainly a price sensitive VFR route.
Aunty Lufty wants you to fly via FRA or MUC at pretty high fares and be happy with that.
So personally I mainly fly ET or TK. The Gulf is just a bit to much of a detour.
FienV wrote: 29 Aug 2025, 07:48
Johannesburg is attractive on paper, but ultra-long haul with high competition from Gulf carriers makes it very hard to profit.
Many have tried, all have failed.
Stay away from JNB, especially with an A330, you need a beefy plane with high yields to make that work. Ask Air Belgium how a fiasco that was
Air Belgium lacked feeder lines on the European side... it was doomed from the start.
This being said... It is indeed from Belgium mainly a price sensitive VFR route.
Aunty Lufty wants you to fly via FRA or MUC at pretty high fares and be happy with that.
So personally I mainly fly ET or TK. The Gulf is just a bit to much of a detour.
That and the fact that with an A330 you cant take off with full load in JNB if you want to make it to BRU (that's why the return flight was via CPT for Air Belgium )
Matt wrote: 29 Aug 2025, 09:23
That and the fact that with an A330 you cant take off with full load in JNB if you want to make it to BRU (that's why the return flight was via CPT for Air Belgium )
Matt wrote: 29 Aug 2025, 09:23
That and the fact that with an A330 you cant take off with full load in JNB if you want to make it to BRU (that's why the return flight was via CPT for Air Belgium )
Brussels Airlines schedules frequency changes on Brussels – New York JFK route in the first quarter of 2026. Reflected in recent schedule update, the Star Alliance member will reduce from 5 to 4 weekly from 17JAN26 to 05FEB26, 3 weekly from 06FEB26 to 13FEB26.
We used to see here SN fans (like me) crying for more A333s.
For the time being, though, SN is only operating 8 l/h flights per day, including the 4 IAD flights/week whose return was once considered to be postponed to the 2027 Summer season!
Given that SFD is in HK for maintenance, this means that not one but two A333s are left as "spare" every day.
) 
