Ryanair at Brussels Airport

[cathay belgium]

As FR don't fly to BRU yet, I guess we can welcome him on AerLingus
Or General Aviation?
CXB

[sn26567]

Where is the news conference? in Brussels airport?

No way: MOL is not welcome in Brussels Airport. It will be in the City!

[crew1990]

Actually, Ryanair already informed the crew about thebase opening...

"We are pleased to announce the following 4 New Bases:- Catania (CTA), Palermo (PMO) which
will open on 18th December 2013, Lamezia (SUF) which will open on 19th December 2013 and
Rome Fiumicino (FCO) which will open on 27th February 2014. We are urgently looking to
fill positions for the following:..."

[sean1982]

Rumours going around in CRL are that a base at BRU will be announced tomorrow with initially 2 based aircraft. If I were BRU, instead of publicly being disloyal to a new customer that can bring a couple of hundreds of thousands of new passengers to your airport, would take a good look at LGW and take a page out of their book on how to successfully combine LCC operations with legacy European and long haul routes. Squashed between THE 4 main airports in Europe and with overcapacity BRU would need to be thankfull rather then stuck up about this.

SN need not worry, focus on the long haul and use your European network to feed. they are not (really) fishing in the same pond.

[crew1990]

Brussels Airport want to protect their actual costumer instead of "being loyal" toward a potencial customer witch will put the chaos in the airport. As we say in french, Il ne faut pas mélanger les torchons avec les serviettes"!

[sean1982]

explain to me "put chaos"? What do you know about current affairs at FR?
and which customer are you talking about? SN? If so, why did BRU not protect them from U2 or Vueling?

[cathay belgium]

Sean,

Chaos indeed, as for now bru airport don't have much space to do it the FR way, like easyjet without bridges of buses... The only spots are already taken by easyjet which expands also...
Maybe busing them all to the old satellite would be an option as the LCC area or the parkinglot befor general aviation...
The easyjetport isn't already that pleasent to board with three planes leaving around the same time...
Bru opted a few years ago for NOT attracting LCC, with cancelling the LCCterminal and now they join BRU with taxes...
So the customer here is sn and the biz.pax indeed, .. They come to BRU without the public they want, the bizz.., as they aren't used to FR yet!, I would say FR landed here too soon, first they had to introduce their flexytickets... And guess if the price equals SN in the end, what would you choose, thinking that SN can guarantee connections,rebookings via LX,LH,...in case of...
But we will see what they show tomorrow...
BTW Alitalia rejected FR 'offer' ....

CXB

[Inquirer]

If I were BRU, instead of publicly being disloyal to a new customer that can bring a couple of hundreds of thousands of new passengers to your airport, would take a good look at LGW and take a page out of their book on how to successfully combine LCC operations with legacy European and long haul routes. Squashed between THE 4 main airports in Europe and with overcapacity BRU would need to be thankfull rather then stuck up about this.

Highly interesting reaction from BRU indeed, isn't it?

I must say I can understand it from a business point of view as I don't know for sure whether ryanair will bring them tens of thousands of new passengers as you say, or will just shift tens of thousands of existing passengers from one airline to another?

The result for BRU could indeed be very well a total wash, while weakening their hubbing capacities to the point where the airport becomes less attractive for airlines from far away to add it to their timetable?

Also, just a practical remark which may very well sound ridiculous to any expert out there, so my apologies up front, but just how do they think to fit in on the apron, especially in the morning as even Easyjet regularly needs to wait for a remote gate or whatever you call it to become free for them? It sounds strange if you see BRU in the afternoon, but in the morning, there is a lack of parking space for somebody who regularly flies in and out.

From their unilateral approach it seems Ryanair is (too?) eager to catch up with its competitors as quickly as possible and has forgotten to speak with its partners first? Not sure how I must thus rate their project management here, but is a guarantee they will find quite a bit more hurdles on their way then they had expected, as BRU is indeed as good as publically turning them down, which also settles a long standing discussion on this forum for once and for all, doesn't it?

[sean1982]

There is no "FR way" in a lot of spanish airports we allready use airbridges and have 35 to 40 min turnarounds. Terms and conditions have changed as well. From 1 december passengers will be allowed to have 2 cabin bags, 90 bags will be allowed in the cabin, the rest of them will be placed in the aircraft hold free of charge. As you know FR will also introduce assigned seating from 1st of feb and coming soon are a frequent flyer program and flexi-tickets for business people.

And I can tell you one thing, the price will still be cheaper.
The discussion is long from settled, people in CRL were convinced. 2 planes based in BRU

BRU will quickly see whats on the table, hopefully with less attitude as they are fighting a losing battle with a lot of their competitors in the neighbourhood.

It is off course easier to stand on the side shouting hown unfair the world is, then to actually take part. If they really say no to FR, it will be their loss.

[crlhub]

Brussels airport is of course 'in the know' for FR,it is impossible not to be.They are just joking saying they discovered 'the all story' in the newspapers..blablalbla.If the management knows about all the details in CRL(there is just a press release embargo they respect at FR request)..of course BRU is also in the know.
It may even be interesting for CRL as well as they are forced to refuse LCC for the two peak times(morning and early evening).They just have possibilities and I guess slots(?)for the off peak periods of the day.
The CEO of CRL Cloquet said in an interview in 'trends fr'(if not wrong?) recently that it was a big problem as all airlines which want to come to CRL want to fly in the morning with a return at night.
So they can just accomodate charters flights and leisure destinations from LCC because the timing is not very important for those routes.
But one thing is sure there will be an overcapacity to FCO and let say ROM in general for both airports from BRU and CRL.
Probably also for BCN/MAD/LIS/MAN...if announced wednesday?

MAN is a real pure 100% business destination which would find its share of pax at BRU very fast.
The other 4 being a mix of business/vfr/citytrips/leisure destinations.

FR probably wants to destroy AZ and SN once and for all.
As AZ already refuses to work with FR of course I do not see SN accepting any offer.

It will be very difficult for SN to keep his feeder flights profitable(for AZ they will always find a 'combinazione' it is a big country,it is Italy).

SN being already in financial troubles..not sure for us.
It is possible in retaliation that the RW gov sell his shares in SN(even for peanuts).
They never got any return in terms of jobs,of whatever from SN..not even a 'merci'.

If BRU wants to start a war(on LCC of course) it will be a total one,and the main victim will be SN.

Very short view of the BRU management once again.
Do they want to take the responsabilty for a second 'sabena',and loose their main customer/ hub operator?

[Flanker2]

SN has been dying for years now. There is room for a Belgian airline, we have seen that Belgian entrepreneurs can and will start new airlines from the ground up if the demand is there.
Examples: VLM, Delsey, VG, Jetair Thomas Cook, City Bird, Cargo B, TNT Airways, SN Brussels Airlines, Virgin Express.

Maybe it's time to look out for a fresh start, with entrepreneurs who aren't in the business just for shows, but to lead a successful aviation operation that can be competitive and create stable and good jobs. That's what SN Brussels Airlines was all about, but somewhere along the way, they lost their ways.

So even if this FR arrival puts SN's business in jeopardy in the mid-term, I think that my friends at SN will be able to find a new job in a new (Belgian) airline, instead of suffering in silence and agony under the current working conditions.

As a passenger, I welcome FR's arrival in BRU and hope that they come in big.
FR will not only steal passengers from other BRU-operating airlines. It will also transfer some demand from CRL users, especially in Flanders and Brussels. It will also attract more passengers from Southern Holland.
BRU can't base its business model on a weak customer such as SN. That's not long-term planning. They need to hear out all the offers.

As for parking space, there is plenty of room on the West-aprons, even if FR has to bus the pax there.

Let's also be honest with ourselves. SN's 500€ return fares are not exactly stimulating people from SME's to come to Belgium for business.

[Pocahontas]

Ryanair will love BRU airport. Certainly when it is RWY 01 in use, when there is -SN (or more). Same for FCO, an airport that takes your time

[sean1982]

Ryanair will love BRU airport. Certainly when it is RWY 01 in use, when there is -SN (or more). Same for FCO, an airport that takes your time

Just like MAD, STN, LGW, BCN, LIS, DUB, AGP and whole bunch of other airports we operate into.

[Acid-drop]

Don't forget that ... CRL is extremely busy at some time of the day.
Their only choice is maybe another airport. BRU ... maybe MST, maybe LIL, maybe LGG who still have to announce something, who knows. Maybe all together. It wouldn't be a surprise if CRL gets news today too.
Dont forget also that they will provide just the same for at least 60 euro more, the target is those who don't count, probably the euro folks.
You already have plenty of flights every day to Roma, this new link is all about stealing pax from another airline. Guess who will suffer most.

The result for BRU could indeed be very well a total wash, while weakening their hubbing capacities to the point where the airport becomes less attractive for airlines from far away to add it to their timetable?

It is a real possibility that the goal of Ryanair is to create a big chaos. BRU is sitting between 2 chairs, crying like a spoiled kid many times and still they "cannot" refuse them.

[crlhub]

FCO/BCN/AGP and three planes based at BRU.Their goal is mainly to destroy Vueling.

http://www.lecho.be/actualite/entrepris ... 4-3017.art

[sean1982]

what time is the press conference?

[crlhub]

at 11.00

update:according to a crl insider,no change for CRL,flights to roma ciampino will continue to be operated.

[sean1982]

Here it is:

Ryanair Announces Brussels Zaventem Base From Feb 2014

10 NEW ROUTES TO ALICANTE, BARCELONA, IBIZA, LISBON, MALAGA, PALMA, PORTO, ROME, VALENCIA & VENICE



1,500,000 NEW PASSENGERS p.A. & 1,500 NEW jobs FOR BRUSSELS



Ryanair, Europe’s favourite low fares airline, today (27 Nov) announced it would open its 2nd Belgian base (62 in total) at Brussels Zaventem in Feb 2014 with 4 based aircraft and 10 new routes to Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza, Lisbon, Malaga, Palma, Porto, Rome, Valencia & Venice, which will deliver up to 1,500,000 passengers p.a. and sustain some 1,500 “on-site” jobs* at Brussels Zaventem with up to 200 weekly flights.



Ryanair’s new Brussels Zaventem base from Feb 2014 will deliver:


•10 new routes to Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza, Lisbon, Malaga, Palma, Porto, Rome, Valencia & Venice
•4 based aircraft
•Over 1,500,000 new passengers p.a. at Brussels Zaventem
•Over 1,500* jobs sustained at Brussels Zaventem



Ryanair celebrated its new Brussels Zaventem base and 10 new routes by releasing 100,000 seats on sale at prices from £15.99 for travel in Jan and Feb, which are available for booking until midnight Thursday (28 Nov).



In Brussels today, Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:



“Ryanair is delighted to announce Brussels Zaventem as our second base in Belgium in addition to Brussels Charleroi. These 10 new routes with daily or multiple daily frequencies to Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza, Lisbon, Malaga, Palma, Porto, Rome, Valencia and Venice, are ideal for business passengers or families booking getaways from summer 2014, who can also enjoy Ryanair’s recently announced customer service improvements.



We are actively listening to and responding to our customers so that they can continue to enjoy the lowest fares and the most on-time flights, but can also enjoy our new Ryanair.com website with easier bookings, a free second small carry-on bag, 24 hour grace periods for minor booking errors, quiet flights pre-8am and post-9pm, and fully allocated seating for all passengers from 1st February, with further improvements for business passengers and families set to be rolled out over the coming months.

[BRU]

Think indeed that this is more aimed at competing with vueling than anything else...

[Acid-drop]

how can do so much without talking to BRU ?????
this is a joke

competing with vueling

They kill them in the egg.