Reopening Brussels Airport after the 22/03/2016 terror attacks

[flymd11]

And all this with most flights running with far below average load factors.

Flying from BRU right now, one suffers:
- Queueing on the road into the airport;
- Queuing for the security to get into the terminal + attitude from the staff + ridiculous requests such as a printed booking confirmation (far easier to fake than a mobile phone boarding pass);
- Longer than averages queues for security;
- Some facilities (BA lounge for example) remain closed.

[teach]

I can only repeat what I said earlier: if they keep this up, it WILL kill SN, and will cost thousands and thousands of jobs at and around BRU. I was laughed at right here for saying that just yesterday, but one day later and it already seems my predictions are coming true, with reports of people rebooking flights specifically to avoid the security theater at BRU, and calculating how much time they will SAVE by going through airports considerably further away than BRU like AMS or DUS.

Waiting an HOUR in your car just to get TO the airport, only to then enter another long queue to get into the building is simply NOT acceptable, and passengers will be voting with their feet in very large numbers.

Weeks after the real bloodbath, they're now causing a social bloodbath to boot.

[pilot_gent]

If the pre-check continues to run so smooth as it currently does, there hardly is any need to come earlier to the airport.

2 days ago I had to be at the airport (through the pre-check), in stead of driving 35 minutes to work, it took me 1 hour. very smooth...

And this is for an airport running at reduced capacity

Are you talking about driving for 1 hour to the airport or the pre-check to enter the terminal (the checks on the roads are not the pre-check I'm talking about and yes traffic jams at some locations are still a big problem at some hours, although it very much depends on the route you take). The pre-check to enter the terminal actually has a much bigger throughput than what was expected.

You're right, I was talking about the traffic jams. But aren't they kind of related? Maybe the pre-check at the terminal is going smooth because of the very slow rate at which cars are arriving at the terminal?

[Passenger]

AMS Schiphol Airport also has huge delays because of the terror thread:

Problems with / delays at the passport control: "sometimes a queue of 100 meters":
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/2550 ... es___.html
http://nos.nl/artikel/2096247-lange-wac ... iphol.html

Problems with / delays at the security checks: FNV (the Dutch federation of trade unions) has given AMS an ultimatum for a solution by 26th April:
http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/c ... p-schiphol

[lumumba]

AMS Schiphol Airport also has huge delays because of the terror thread:

Problems with / delays at the passport control: "sometimes a queue of 100 meters":
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/2550 ... es___.html
http://nos.nl/artikel/2096247-lange-wac ... iphol.html

Problems with / delays at the security checks: FNV (the Dutch federation of trade unions) has given AMS an ultimatum for a solution by 26th April:
http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/c ... p-schiphol

I will make a report from Amsterdam on Monday I fly true Schiphol.

[Poiu]

AMS Schiphol Airport also has huge delays because of the terror thread:

Problems with / delays at the passport control: "sometimes a queue of 100 meters":
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/2550 ... es___.html
http://nos.nl/artikel/2096247-lange-wac ... iphol.html

Problems with / delays at the security checks: FNV (the Dutch federation of trade unions) has given AMS an ultimatum for a solution by 26th April:
http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/c ... p-schiphol

Wrong translation: there are NO huge delays, but if nothing is done delays could occur during summer peak season.

[Jetter]

A que of 100 meters takes less time than the time to park your car at BRU alone.

[domtom]

I flew from Frankfurt to Brussels today (pretty full flight, but not sure about the return flight). Although the departures board looked like they had regular departures, the terminal looked pretty empty. Is BRU still operating at so called 20% capacity?

[sn26567]

More like 30% now.

[nordikcam]

More like 30% now.

La Libre says 75% next tuesday...

http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/env ... 22d62e72e1

[Passenger]

AMS Schiphol Airport also has huge delays because of the terror thread:
Problems with / delays at the passport control: "sometimes a queue of 100 meters":
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/2550 ... es___.html
http://nos.nl/artikel/2096247-lange-wac ... iphol.html
Problems with / delays at the security checks: FNV (the Dutch federation of trade unions) has given AMS an ultimatum for a solution by 26th April:
http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/c ... p-schiphol

Wrong translation: there are NO huge delays, but if nothing is done delays could occur during summer peak season.

The quote from Steven Van der Heyden (ex-TUI, now Corendon) was "Soms loop je zo door, soms staat er ineens een rij van 100 meter". I've translated that very correctly into "Sometimes there is no queue at all, sometimes there is a queue of 100 meters".

What security staff is now also saying, is that AMS will have guaranteed and ultimate chaos as from the May holidays. They say they are at the limit with staff for today's capacity. RTV Noord-Holland: "Reizigers moeten vanaf de meivakantie rekening houden met urenlange wachttijden voor de security- en paspoortcontrole op Schiphol".
http://www.rtvnh.nl/nieuws/182508/lange ... eveiliging

A que of 100 meters takes less time than the time to park your car at BRU alone.

I guess it takes 1 to 2 hours for such a queue. Park your car at Brussels will probably not last that much, specially not with the new parkings now open.

- - -

KLM now says on its website: "be at AMS 2 hours before departure".
http://www.klm.com/travel/nl_nl/prepare ... /index.htm

KLM in The "Financieel Dagblad", 31 March: "be at AMS 3 hours before departure". KLM had to speak to Dutch media because earlier press reports stated "be at AMS 4 hours before departure".

http://fd.nl/economie-politiek/1145565/ ... bij-douane

- - -

Let's be fair please. The minimum check-in time is not compulsary: you are not refused entrance to the airport if you arrive only 2,5 hours in advance. Not at Brussels, not at Amsterdam. But I find it unfair towards the people at Brussels Airport to blame them for the "3 hours", whilst KLM advises exactly the same. Brussels Airport did an excellent job to re-open the airport in very short notice, specially given the last minute demands from the police unions. Stating that AMS is much faster today is untrue. Some people at Brussels will check in in half an hour, some people at Amsterdam will check in in half an hour. But the announced arrival time is, twice, 3 hours.

[sn26567]

More like 30% now.

La Libre says 75% next tuesday...

75% of the flights, not of the passengers!

[sn26567]

Air Transat to re-launch service from Montreal to Brussels on 26 April 2016.

[flymd11]

AMS Schiphol Airport also has huge delays because of the terror thread:

Problems with / delays at the passport control: "sometimes a queue of 100 meters":
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/2550 ... es___.html
http://nos.nl/artikel/2096247-lange-wac ... iphol.html

Problems with / delays at the security checks: FNV (the Dutch federation of trade unions) has given AMS an ultimatum for a solution by 26th April:
http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/c ... p-schiphol

AMS has had issues with passport control for the past 2-3 years. It is nothing new, and certainly not linked to the most recent terror threats. A non-Schengen arrival time can be painful, even at off-peak times. After queuing at passport control, one is sometimes left fighting a chaotic queue "customs queue" because they leave one small passageway open (wide enough for a single luggage trolley) for all arrivals. EU arrivals, which shouldn't get customs at all, enjoy the same customs chaos.

[thalenoi]

New Brussels Airport advisory published this afternoon: For both Schengen and non-Schengen flights, passengers are advised to arrive at Brussels Airport 3 hours ahead of their departure time.

Really?

I should be landing BRU on QR195 april 30 but all QR flights to BRU are canceled so far and departing again 29 may. But if it takes 1h to queue in a car and 10 minutes parking authorisation at P2 for friends to pick me up I don't see how that can be arranged unless I give a call and wait for 1h to have my pick-up...
And 4h to check in at my return including car check before reaching the airport???

These security measures are crazy, ain't they "vijgen na Pasen?"
I only now of HKT doing a bag scan at two doors before entering the dept hall.

As for QR flying to BRU again I was told to check one week before departure date.
I do consider rerouting to CDG and taking a TGV, but connecting tome at DOH is 45 min, which is their min con time, or 7h for the next flight to CDG or AMS.

These are bad times for BRU and Belgium, the financial loss will add up into the 100's millions of euros.
I have two more trips to Belgium booked this year via AMS because a biz class ticket + a Y class to AMS came 500 euro cheaper that 1 biz ticket to BRU on QR!

And I have a BA ticket BRU-LHR-YUL return in September, I hope all will be smoother by then.
Flying BA because OWE, many advantages versus AC with whom I ran into luggage problems last year...

[lumumba]

AMS Schiphol Airport also has huge delays because of the terror thread:
Problems with / delays at the passport control: "sometimes a queue of 100 meters":
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/2550 ... es___.html
http://nos.nl/artikel/2096247-lange-wac ... iphol.html
Problems with / delays at the security checks: FNV (the Dutch federation of trade unions) has given AMS an ultimatum for a solution by 26th April:
http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/c ... p-schiphol

Wrong translation: there are NO huge delays, but if nothing is done delays could occur during summer peak season.

The quote from Steven Van der Heyden (ex-TUI, now Corendon) was "Soms loop je zo door, soms staat er ineens een rij van 100 meter". I've translated that very correctly into "Sometimes there is no queue at all, sometimes there is a queue of 100 meters".

What security staff is now also saying, is that AMS will have guaranteed and ultimate chaos as from the May holidays. They say they are at the limit with staff for today's capacity. RTV Noord-Holland: "Reizigers moeten vanaf de meivakantie rekening houden met urenlange wachttijden voor de security- en paspoortcontrole op Schiphol".
http://www.rtvnh.nl/nieuws/182508/lange ... eveiliging

A que of 100 meters takes less time than the time to park your car at BRU alone.

I guess it takes 1 to 2 hours for such a queue. Park your car at Brussels will probably not last that much, specially not with the new parkings now open.

- - -

KLM now says on its website: "be at AMS 2 hours before departure".
http://www.klm.com/travel/nl_nl/prepare ... /index.htm

KLM in The "Financieel Dagblad", 31 March: "be at AMS 3 hours before departure". KLM had to speak to Dutch media because earlier press reports stated "be at AMS 4 hours before departure".

http://fd.nl/economie-politiek/1145565/ ... bij-douane

- - -

Let's be fair please. The minimum check-in time is not compulsary: you are not refused entrance to the airport if you arrive only 2,5 hours in advance. Not at Brussels, not at Amsterdam. But I find it unfair towards the people at Brussels Airport to blame them for the "3 hours", whilst KLM advises exactly the same. Brussels Airport did an excellent job to re-open the airport in very short notice, specially given the last minute demands from the police unions. Stating that AMS is much faster today is untrue. Some people at Brussels will check in in half an hour, some people at Amsterdam will check in in half an hour. But the announced arrival time is, twice, 3 hours.

I just bought my ticket and they told me that without luggage and with the Internet check in 40min is perfect ...
Nevertheless like I said I will give a feed back.
And last week from Brussels Midi with KLM with 1h20 to get from the train to the plain it went very smoothly but maybe it's worse this week if so I will tell you.

To be clear here the new Police check if they continue they will kill the airport.

And like I said last week went very smooth true Amsterdam .

[Flanker2]

I don't understand the big deal about BRU airport access.
CDG, DUS or AMS by car or train to take a shorthaul flight? You are still 2 hours or more on the way and guess what, you still need to be at the airport at least an hour before.
For longhaul flights there is no change.

Granted, it's a mess.
When our politicians screw up, we pay the bill, get used to it.
Not being cynical, just a realist.

[evyncke]

CDG, DUS or AMS by car or train to take a shorthaul flight? You are still 2 hours or more on the way

If you live nearby BRU, then may be... But, not all BRU passengers live nearby... In my own case, DUS is only a 70-minute drive compared to a 50-minute drive to BRU. Both airports being a Star Alliance one.

Guess where I am flying next time? For sure on long-haul perhaps less certain on short haul because ICE/Thalys/Eurostar are way better and faster now

[lumumba]

I don't understand the big deal about BRU airport access.
CDG, DUS or AMS by car or train to take a shorthaul flight? You are still 2 hours or more on the way and guess what, you still need to be at the airport at least an hour before.
For longhaul flights there is no change.

Granted, it's a mess.
When our politicians screw up, we pay the bill, get used to it.
Not being cynical, just a realist.

That's not the way it's works none of the long haul flights that I take departs from BRU.
Normally I fly true Frankfurt so I in the past I arrived 25 to 35 minutes before departure and then in Frankfurt you stay approximately 2H in transit.
Today if you do the same it's much longer if you have to be at least 2h to 3h in advance .
And shure if you compare to Brussels Midi where even 10 minutes is enough to jump on the train.

Another example my colleague is flying to Moscow this week end .
He prefere to go to Amsterdam with the Thalys (his flight is at 13h) than to be at the airport at 5:10 in the morning!
Regards

[Kris]

My sister flies to IAD today on SN's flight. Traffic jam for 40 minutes to get to the airport, 50 minutes for the pre-terminal check. They just checked in. Now there's still the usual check in the terminal to come. Ridiculous. Imagine this theatre still being around in the holiday months...