BRU Summer 2026: news, new routes, airlines

[convair]

So, SN will soon be faced with hard competition on its Kinshasa and perhaps future Lubumbashi destinations. Time to look for new l/h opportunities in Africa or elsewhere!

[lumumba]

So, SN will soon be faced with hard competition on its Kinshasa and perhaps future Lubumbashi destinations. Time to look for new l/h opportunities in Africa or elsewhere!

Come back to Luanda!

[nordikcam]

So, SN will soon be faced with hard competition on its Kinshasa and perhaps future Lubumbashi destinations. Time to look for new l/h opportunities in Africa or elsewhere!

I would like to know if competition between SN and Air Senegal is so hard on the Dakar route ? Competition between new Air Cote Ivoire and Air France on the CDG Abidjan route is not I guess ( only 40% load factor for Air Cote Ivoire )

[Conti764]

So, SN will soon be faced with hard competition on its Kinshasa and perhaps future Lubumbashi destinations. Time to look for new l/h opportunities in Africa or elsewhere!

It's not the first time SN is confronted with competition from the RDC and every time they survive.

Rwandair is a decent carrier, yet SN still flies comfortably to Rwanda.

[nordikcam]

If the Brussels Airport website is right, Emirates will come back with one flight per day.

Also some flights to Doha would restart. Many are still canceled (second to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, ...)

However, even with flights restored, I think many people will avoid the Middle East anyway, so few passengers I assume.

People that have to go beyond the ME will rather go through Istanbul, or fly Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok to go to e.g. Australia or New Zealand.

Also flights to China and Japan would do well, no?

There were some interesting articles about the shift of tourists from ME (and beyond) to Europe.

Also African flights might do better since the other way around people will avoid going through the ME to go there as well ...

What do you think?

Regards,
Danny

Here is the current situation for the ME3 :
Emirates : resumed on March 9 and double daily as of March 29
Etihad : to resume on March 21 and daily as of April 2
Qatar: to resume on March 29

By the way, I found the recent load factors for BRU-CKG, there's a nice increase :
The week the conflict started : 67% / 76% / 78%
The week after : 87% / 91% / 78%
This is the first time it has exceeded 90% since its launch in November.

Source : CAAC

What is the reality on the ground? EK flies once a day, EY sends a plane from time to time (I suppose they are rather empty) and QR on a passenger flight has no longer served Brussels since the start of the conflict!

[convair]

So, SN will soon be faced with hard competition on its Kinshasa and perhaps future Lubumbashi destinations. Time to look for new l/h opportunities in Africa or elsewhere!

It's not the first time SN is confronted with competition from the RDC and every time they survive.

Rwandair is a decent carrier, yet SN still flies comfortably to Rwanda.

Good to know, but it's no reason to stay put. And I don't mean to abandon any of our Africa destinations which, as far as I know is SN's bread and butter, but to try and find more actively new opportunity in developing areas.

"Gouverner c'est prévoir"

[convair]

So, SN will soon be faced with hard competition on its Kinshasa and perhaps future Lubumbashi destinations. Time to look for new l/h opportunities in Africa or elsewhere!

Come back to Luanda!

Would mother Lufty let us?

[Atlantis]

Almost one month before Summer season 2026 will start. Time to make an overview of what we can expect.

Short and medium haul:

Transavia: opening a crew base in Brussels and adding a fourth plane in BRU.

Brussels Airlines: Copenhagen: 5 extra flights. Praque: 4 extra weekly flights. Budapest: 2 extra weekly flights and 17 extra flights to Spain and Portugal (Barcelona, Malaga, Porto and Alicante).

SAS: Copenhagen: 5 times a day. Stockholm: 2 times a day. Oslo: 2 times a day.

GP Aviation: route to Pristina on 30th March with 2 weekly flights with the B734.

LOT Polish Airlines: new flight to Gdansk from 29th April with 4 weekly flights. Aircraft with be the B737Max.

TUI: new flight to Kayseri as from 19th June with 2 weekly flights.

Volotea: new airline and destination: Asturia on 31st March, 3 weekly flights with the A320.

Air Serbia: increase on the Belgrade route from 3 to 5 weekly flights.

Vueling: new flight to Palma on 26st March with 4 weekly flights and up to 6 weekly flights before the Summer season.
Many increases from them on several routes.

Royal Air Maroc: flight to Tetouanon 27th March with 2 weekly flights with the E190.

KM Malta: adding an extra early departure. 8 weekly flights.



Long haul:

Air Canada: YYZ 4 times a week with the B789

Air Canada: bigger aircraft on the YUL route: B77W as from 1st June

Air Canada: new flight from Halifax on 19th June. 3 weekly flights with the B737Max.

Delta Airlines: Flight to Atlanta as from 9th March with daily flights.

ANA: increase to 3 weekly flights

Brussels Airlines: as of 3rd June, new flight to Kilimanjaro with 2 weekly flights.

Brussels Airlines: from 31st March till 31st May, only 4 times a week to IAD instead of 5 times a week.

LATAM: New airline and destination as from 1st June 2026 to Sao Paulo with the B789. 3 Times a week

Air Transat: increase from 4 to 5 weekly flights with the A321LR to YUL.

Air Senegal: flights to Dakar. Continuation from Winter 2025-2026.

Air China: daily to Beijing with the A332 as from 24th March.

Air China: flights to Chengdu: 3 times weekly with the A333 as from 26th March

A bit more details:

The extra early departure flight, Tuesday morning, of KM Malta Airlines is as from end of March.

The extra flights of Air Serbia are on Tuesday as from 30th March and on Thursday as from May.

Extra update:

1. Air Transat will increase the number of flights from previous 4 weekly flights to 5 weekly flights as from 24 June to Montréal. Extra flight on Wednesday

2. Dan Air will increase the number of flights from 2 weekly flights to 3 weekly flights to Bacau. Extra flight on Wednesday.

Quick update. This week, 2 new airlines will come to BRU. GP Aviation to Pristina on Monday and Friday. They have changed the equipment from the classic B734 to the A319 and this as from tomorrow 30th March. In the first months, certain days are already sold out.

The day after, 31st March, Volotea will start flights to Asturia with 3 weekly flights with the A320

[lumumba]

So, SN will soon be faced with hard competition on its Kinshasa and perhaps future Lubumbashi destinations. Time to look for new l/h opportunities in Africa or elsewhere!

Come back to Luanda!

Would mother Lufty let us?

Historically, Sabena had a strong presence here; unfortunately, I don't know if it will be easy to retrace our steps. I think it was a mistake to stop.

They could have kept even one flight per week knowing that in any case the office here is now shared with Lufthansa so it wouldn't have been a problem of costs.

[ZavCity]

I have my doubts about GP Aviaition..By the way the A319 as the rest oif the fleet except one (734) is all white and is leased fromBulgarian airlines..

[Miqvell]

I have my doubts about GP Aviaition..By the way the A319 as the rest oif the fleet except one (734) is all white and is leased fromBulgarian airlines..

Your doubts were correct. They cancelled several destinations, incl. Brussels.

[Miqvell]

LATAM announces a codeshare agreement with Brussels Airlines to expand connectivity with Europe

The destinations included are: Sweden (Stockholm and Gothenburg), Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich), Denmark (Copenhagen), Switzerland (Geneva and Zurich), Poland (Krakow and Warsaw), France (Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse), the United Kingdom (Manchester), Norway (Oslo), the Czech Republic (Prague).

Source : R7

[nordikcam]

LATAM announces a codeshare agreement with Brussels Airlines to expand connectivity with Europe

The destinations included are: Sweden (Stockholm and Gothenburg), Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich), Denmark (Copenhagen), Switzerland (Geneva and Zurich), Poland (Krakow and Warsaw), France (Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse), the United Kingdom (Manchester), Norway (Oslo), the Czech Republic (Prague).

Source : R7

And will SN put its code on flights to GRU or even GIG?

[rwandan-flyer]

If the Brussels Airport website is right, Emirates will come back with one flight per day.

Also some flights to Doha would restart. Many are still canceled (second to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, ...)

However, even with flights restored, I think many people will avoid the Middle East anyway, so few passengers I assume.

People that have to go beyond the ME will rather go through Istanbul, or fly Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok to go to e.g. Australia or New Zealand.

Also flights to China and Japan would do well, no?

There were some interesting articles about the shift of tourists from ME (and beyond) to Europe.

Also African flights might do better since the other way around people will avoid going through the ME to go there as well ...

What do you think?

Regards,
Danny

Here is the current situation for the ME3 :
Emirates : resumed on March 9 and double daily as of March 29
Etihad : to resume on March 21 and daily as of April 2
Qatar: to resume on March 29

By the way, I found the recent load factors for BRU-CKG, there's a nice increase :
The week the conflict started : 67% / 76% / 78%
The week after : 87% / 91% / 78%
This is the first time it has exceeded 90% since its launch in November.

Source : CAAC

Qatar Airways won't back to Brussels at least before mid June 2026 (based on QR website):

Middle East war: Qatar Airways will not return to Brussels National Airport before at least mid-June

Qatar Airways normally operates around ten flights per week between Doha and Zaventem. However, since the start of the war in the Middle East, operations at Doha airport have been disrupted and it is no longer running at full capacity.

https://www-rtbf-be.translate.goog/arti ... _hist=true

[Miqvell]

Quick update. By the end of this week, Air China will already upgrade the Beijing route from the current A332 to the A333.

Extended by one month, 333 now in use until June.

[Atlantis]

Quick update. By the end of this week, Air China will already upgrade the Beijing route from the current A332 to the A333.

Extended by one month, 333 now in use until June.

Very nice. I could see them upgrading it to a bigger plane if available.

[Miqvell]

Quick update. By the end of this week, Air China will already upgrade the Beijing route from the current A332 to the A333.

Extended by one month, 333 now in use until June.

Now scheduled for the whole summer season, hopefully soon year-round.

[Atlantis]

Quick update. By the end of this week, Air China will already upgrade the Beijing route from the current A332 to the A333.

Extended by one month, 333 now in use until June.

Now scheduled for the whole summer season, hopefully soon year-round.

You mean the A333 year-round or both new routes year-round?