Lufthansa acquiring Brussels Airlines

[euroflyer]

staff will be informed first though.

I think this alone is already a positive signal; finally someone who might have understood it is important to 'take the people with you', even if you cannot always deliver good news for everybody.

Lets keep fingers crossed they will have good news for SN and hopefully the ticket prices between Belgium and Germany will not increase too much

[euroflyer]

LH press release, not too much details, but speaking of SN "will continue operating and developing its strengths under its familiar brand with its own aircraft and crew, and expand its local advantages in the Belgian market. That includes a demand-driven route network including intercontinental connections" and "Brussels Airlines should retain its headquarters and management in Brussels". Membership in *Alliance for SN also under way.

http://konzern.lufthansa.com/en/html/pr ... 57/HOM&s=0

[euroflyer]

And similar media information by SN

http://company.brusselsairlines.com/en/ ... :141-19030

[Bralo20]

Some of the Media pictures of Lufthansa

[brusselsairlinesfan]

Very nice pics!

[Established02]

Some of the Media pictures of Lufthansa

Nice, but all three of them would expectedly get rejected by a.net, jp.net & pp.net.

[Moons / A]

I was thinking about the practical implications of an acquisition (on the long-term)... What does that mean for the fleet based at BRU ?

Does that mean that LH will station widebodies at BRU ? For example the Africa network, if they would increase the frequency and therefore base 1 or 2 A340-600's of LH to perform the extra flights bound Africa. Do passengers have to travel to Munich first when they want to fly to the USA or could LH base x-number of 747's at BRU? At this moment I could understand that a Belgian LH-traveller to the US still has to pass Munich first because it would create more income for LH. But when BA is 100% LH, is this still necessary?

Maybe I'm daydreaming or my knowledge about airlines acquisitions is poor !

[Bralo20]

Some of the Media pictures of Lufthansa

Nice, but all three of them would expectedly get rejected by a.net, jp.net & pp.net.

I think the photographer from Lufthansa did a decent job.


But yeah, I can imagine that they would be denied. I've sended some nice and rather exclusive pictures to Airliners from the crash in Brussels with the Kalita B742 and they were denied, the reason given was somewhat weird... Never posting any pictures there anymore

[Conti764]

I was thinking about the practical implications of an acquisition (on the long-term)... What does that mean for the fleet based at BRU ?

Does that mean that LH will station widebodies at BRU ? For example the Africa network, if they would increase the frequency and therefore base 1 or 2 A340-600's of LH to perform the extra flights bound Africa. Do passengers have to travel to Munich first when they want to fly to the USA or could LH base x-number of 747's at BRU? At this moment I could understand that a Belgian LH-traveller to the US still has to pass Munich first because it would create more income for LH. But when BA is 100% LH, is this still necessary?

Maybe I'm daydreaming or my knowledge about airlines acquisitions is poor !

Well, for as far my knowledge of aviation goes...

LH won't expand its presence at BRU for much else accept flights between BRU and Germany. SN will still be the sole *A-carrier which uses BRU as a hub. The European network of SN will be streamlined though, to fit in that of Star Alliance and to complement the current routes of other alliance partners as LX, TAP or OS. This would have also been done if SN would have joined *A without being bought by LH.

BRU will probably become the alliances gateway to Africa and therefor SN will have to expand its long haul fleet, with the help of LH. I don't think LH is going to station one or more widebodies at BRU to operate long haul flights. They will still operate their current destinations and SN will do so as well. Passengers could then travel trough either FRA, MUC of BRU, depending on the destination (or origin).

For other long haul flights, SN will probably offer these in code share with foreign *A-partners (ANA to Japan, SQ to SIN, TG to BKK, CO, UA and US to N-A, ... ) operated by those companies. SN might offer some own flights on their material to other airports in those countries which do not have a hub status or are no focus city to Star Alliance.

Those passengers could either fly to FRA or MUC on either their country's airline or LH or fly to BRU on their country's airline to transfer to Africa. Expect some other companies to reduce service to BRU as well, and some others to disappear.

[brusselsairlinesfan]

Well... that might bring some fresh news soon and create some popular topics here, ie "fleet renewal", new destinations", etc... just exciting!

[summersso]

The press releases give no indication of a timescale. When might we expect SN to join Star Alliance? Six months, a year, or longer? Will the Privilege scheme be replaced by Miles and More? Does anyone know if Lufthansa intend to review the current blight/bflex offering and bring it into line with the other airlines in the LH group?

Maybe we should start a whole new topic on the future of SN under LH!

[fcw]

Mr Davignon stated in an interview that BruAir doesn't need LH to survive as they have 300 mio in cash.
Why would anyone sell 45% (ie 135mio) to LH for 65mio???

[Prevangor]

^^^^ Eventully, Lufthansa will have to pay 250 Millions. And invest even more to keep it's new daughter running as a such and not as a step child.

I am convinced there will be new flights of Brussels Airlines to the Far East. Why? Nobody can just use the shortest way over Siberia and the Russion Far East. The routing has to be included in the bilateral ASA with Russia as, for instance, "the airline appointed by the Kingdom of Belgium may fly 7 times weekly from Brussels to Tokyo, with or without immediate landing in Moscow". (And still today, Aerflot gets almost all of the infamous "landing fees"). The overfly rights for "airlines appointed by Germany" seem to be exhausted, so that Air Berlin had to fly the longer, more southern routing to PVG and PEK. Belgium at the other hand has unused dormant rights (I don't know how many). I am shure there is a demand of several dozens seats daily between Brussels and Japan, China, Korea. And the rest can easylly be filled with connecting passengers, who all would save several hours each way compared to the long routing via DXB, AUH and the likes.

It seems very likely to me that Brussels Airlines will get at least a dozen widebodies from various bankruptcy assets or returns to lessors. Different to OS they have such a good European network, it is plain waste not to use it for feeding more longhaul flights.

And how about a PrivatAir connection between Brussels and St. Louis? (To get a corporate contract for this route, LSG might sign a worldwide exclusive contract with InBev. Well, here I am just joking).

[b-west]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a return of Singapore Airlines pax flights to BRU... If LH keeps to the same principles as they did when they took over LX, then SN and BRU (and ultimately we as the passengers) have a great future ahead of them!

[sn26567]

* Final point: would someone please correct the topic title -it's spelt "targeting"!

Targetting in English, targeting in American. The US and the UK are two countries separated by a common language!

But since the deal is done, the title will be changed completely...

[beaucaire]

LX have curently a A330-200 parked in Zürich which was supposed to be returned to LH-but they don't take the plane...
Speculations are on...

[JOVAN]

[

LH won't expand its presence at BRU for much else accept flights between BRU and Germany. SN will still be the sole *A-carrier which uses BRU as a hub. The European network of SN will be streamlined though, to fit in that of Star Alliance and to complement the current routes of other alliance partners as LX, TAP or OS. This would have also been done if SN would have joined *A without being bought by LH.

BRU will probably become the alliances gateway to Africa and therefor SN will have to expand its long haul fleet, with the help of LH. I don't think LH is going to station one or more widebodies at BRU to operate long haul flights. They will still operate their current destinations and SN will do so as well. Passengers could then travel trough either FRA, MUC of BRU, depending on the destination (or origin).

For other long haul flights, SN will probably offer these in code share with foreign *A-partners (ANA to Japan, SQ to SIN, TG to BKK, CO, UA and US to N-A, ... ) operated by those companies. SN might offer some own flights on their material to other airports in those countries which do not have a hub status or are no focus city to Star Alliance.

Those passengers could either fly to FRA or MUC on either their country's airline or LH or fly to BRU on their country's airline to transfer to Africa. Expect some other companies to reduce service to BRU as well, and some others to disappear.

My guess:

Europe:
Germany, PL, CH, P, Scandinavia,... streamlining of all flights....more regular flights to those countries, connecting better to long-hauls where LH,TP,LX.. are strong;

More flights to German cities like Stuttgart, Hannover;

Drop all flights to un-important destinations like Faro, Cagliari, Catania...

Probably BRU will become gateway to Africa (except North, and South..). More A330's, more destinations.

Maybe, with LH's help, SN will get more frequencies to Moscow, St. Pete (SN is not able to ger clearance for a second flight to DME .....)

Asian airlines: maybe a few flights a week to BKK with TG; nothing more as LH has already taken the Belgian market for business people to Asia (40 ex-BRU passengers to PEK via FRA yesterday, mostly business people with Gold or Silver LH cards; this people will stick with LH).

North America: one or two more destinations with UA maybe, replacing AA on ORD-route for instance.

The gain for BRU will come from increased HUB-function for Africa, and who knows more intra-European connections.


LH and *A is the best thing that could happen to BRU and SN.

Now lets hope that some old crocodiles at SN and Zombies at BRU will disappear soon,
and give BRU what it desserves: a European Top-10 airport.

[itami]

My guess:

Europe:
Germany, PL, CH, P, Scandinavia,... streamlining of all flights....more regular flights to those countries, connecting better to long-hauls where LH,TP,LX.. are strong;
More flights to German cities like Stuttgart, Hannover;
Drop all flights to un-important destinations like Faro, Cagliari, Catania...
Probably BRU will become gateway to Africa (except North, and South..). More A330's, more destinations.
Maybe, with LH's help, SN will get more frequencies to Moscow, St. Pete (SN is not able to ger clearance for a second flight to DME .....)
Asian airlines: maybe a few flights a week to BKK with TG; nothing more as LH has already taken the Belgian market for business people to Asia (40 ex-BRU passengers to PEK via FRA yesterday, mostly business people with Gold or Silver LH cards; this people will stick with LH).
North America: one or two more destinations with UA maybe, replacing AA on ORD-route for instance.
The gain for BRU will come from increased HUB-function for Africa, and who knows more intra-European connections.
LH and *A is the best thing that could happen to BRU and SN.
Now lets hope that some old crocodiles at SN and Zombies at BRU will disappear soon,
and give BRU what it desserves: a European Top-10 airport.

Jovan, I'm afraid with this poor recipe BRU will never be a European Top-10 airport.

[brusselsairlinesfan]

My dream : to see some own SN metal over the North Atlantic... (I know that it has been discussed several times before but...).

[Conti764]

My dream : to see some own SN metal over the North Atlantic... (I know that it has been discussed several times before but...).

It might happen, but not to destinations already served and having a hub function for the US *A-carriers. Flight to NY (EWR), ORD, SFO, IAD, IAH, PHL would be operated by the partners.

Flights to other airports may be operated by SN (BOS is the most likely candidate), with the help of the alliance partners. And I hope SN will update their fleet with some PTV.