Qatar European expansion

[sn26567]

QATAR AIRWAYS is to serve Copenhagen and Barcelona from the start of the summer season 30 March. With the Danish capital it will four flights a week considerably increasing its Scandinavian presence, the established route to Stockholm expanding to a daily service.

Barcelona will become Qatar Airways second city served in Spain, after Madrid, with daily flights.

News of the routes announcement comes just days after the airline unveiled plans to launch flights to Bengaluru, Bangalore (southern India), the Turkish capital Ankara and Japan's capital city of Tokyo over an eight-week period starting in February 2010.

The airline also plans to launch flights to Sydney, its second Australian destination, during 2010.

Source: AERBT and www.qatarairways.com

[cnc]

they can serve a second city in spain but not the capital of europe and belgium?

[Air Key West]

And as announced earlier this month, Emirates also prefers to fly to MAD, AMS and PRG rather than BRU.
http://www.emirates.com/be/english/abou ... 4&offset=0
It would be interesting to find out why non European airlines, except AC, have decide in recent years not to fly to BRU and to opt for other destinations.

[Atlantis]

Like I have said several times, every airline in on the radar of BRU. But, some of them refuse to fly to BRU because of no potential even with a bigger area (part of The Netherlands, France and Germany).

We are also a small country and we have no big Belgian communities in other countries (except Africa).
A solution can be is to work via a stopn f.e. BKK via Athens to BRU. In that way the risk is much lower for an airline.

[Air Key West]

Does Catalonia (BCN), Denmark (CPH) or the Czech Republic (PRG) have larger catchment areas than BRU, or do these countries have more expats than Belgium ? I doubt it. Yet, Emirates and QR want to fly there.

[Atlantis]

Some East European countries has some big communities in foreign countries like Australia. They fly mostly via the Emirates to Australia, one example.

Skandinavian countries has strong bands with Asia. That's why a lot of Belgians travelling via f.e. Helsinki to Asia.

In the other way, a lot of Scandinavian people fly via BRU to Africa. A lot of African people via BRU to the UK or the United States.

We have to deal with it that we can't expect every airline on Belgian soil.

[rolibkk]

Well, as simple as that - if there would be a market between DXB or DOH and BRU, then EK and QR would for sure fly to BRU, or SN Brussels would serve these destinations.
But is shows that BRU is just a secondary/niche market - just compare it with e.g. ZRH where EK has flights twice a day and SQ is going to start A380 flights next month.

[RoMax]

Thai Airways International said that they would considder BRU-BKK via ATH, because SN is asking for that. Same with ANA, both carriers are again looking at the market and the possebilities to fly to BRU, but Thai said that they don't have enough planes to fly non-stop to BRU and via ATH would be a solution (also less risky to fly triangle or something like that than non-stop).
But about Qatar. The main reason why they would start operations to BRU is because of the NATO. The US is asking to Qatar (but also other carriers) to start non-stop BRU-Doha. So maybe winter '10/'11 or summer '11.

[mitsuo.namen]

Thai Airways International said that they would considder BRU-BKK via ATH, because SN is asking for that. Same with ANA, both carriers are again looking at the market and the possebilities to fly to BRU, but Thai said that they don't have enough planes to fly non-stop to BRU and via ATH would be a solution (also less risky to fly triangle or something like that than non-stop).
But about Qatar. The main reason why they would start operations to BRU is because of the NATO. The US is asking to Qatar (but also other carriers) to start non-stop BRU-Doha. So maybe winter '10/'11 or summer '11.

Sources? thanks a lot

[Vinnie-Winnie]

When there is no market there is no flight it's logical!

About a BKK-ATH-BRU: I don't see the logic personally. Flying a half empty widebody on a short haul route is very expensive. Now if there was a lot Cargo then I say why not? Business Pax could also work although the inconvenience of a stop over would be a let down!

Not sure really but it really feels like the European sky will ressemble the american sky. A few big hubs scattered around europe, and then secondary airports which only have a limited amount of long-haul flights.

Bru is bound and meant to be a secondary airport unfortunately!

[mitsuo.namen]

Business is a risk. i can understand TG, SQ, NH ......
To me ok to me... I'll be happy if i can see a double daily EK in the few years....

[regi]

Vinnie,

we had Singapore Airlines flying to Manchester , stopping at BRU untill, I think 2 years ago.

BTW, Thai flew to BRU in the past.
Long time ago. And Sabena flew to Thailand , together with the charter company Sobelair, even to Phuket.

[mitsuo.namen]

It's a shame they are gone

[RoMax]

Thai Airways International said that they would considder BRU-BKK via ATH, because SN is asking for that. Same with ANA, both carriers are again looking at the market and the possebilities to fly to BRU, but Thai said that they don't have enough planes to fly non-stop to BRU and via ATH would be a solution (also less risky to fly triangle or something like that than non-stop).
But about Qatar. The main reason why they would start operations to BRU is because of the NATO. The US is asking to Qatar (but also other carriers) to start non-stop BRU-Doha. So maybe winter '10/'11 or summer '11.

Sources? thanks a lot

Oh god, I've posted that source on this forum once but I don't remember where. But it was a website of a Bankok newspaper (or something like that, it was from Bankok for sure ) with some quotes that where said on the 9th december when SN enterred Star Alliance to them. In that quote, SN and Thai said that they are looking at a route between BKK and BRU. Thai said that they don't have the airplanes for that, but a flight via ATH could be the solution. But like I said, they are looking at these kind of operations for the moment together with SN and Brussels Airport.
And SN (Bernard Gustin)also said that they want a route to Tokyo, and they want ANA on that route. So ANA is now together with SN looking at that route. That doesn't mean that this routes will come this or next year, but that they (ANA, Thai) are prepared to examine these routes that means something.


@regi: Singapore Airlines served BRU until 2003, in that year they stopped a lot of EU and US routes (a part was relaunched some years later).
And indeed Thai and Sabena were active on the BRU-BKK market, that's the reason that Thai mentioned why they stopped BRU-BKK, the concurrention with Sabena.

[sdbelgium]

@MR-Boeing: probably this one? http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/tou ... pportunity

[RoMax]

@MR-Boeing: probably this one? http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/tou ... pportunity

Yes that's one of them.

[mitsuo.namen]

@MR-Boeing: probably this one? http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/tou ... pportunity

Yes that's one of them.

thank you

[Vinnie-Winnie]

Yes but a long time ago... Before airlines started to think rationally as profit making businesses instead of instruments of national pride.

About SIA: They now operate dedicated Cargo aircrafts to BRU thanks to increase in worldwide time sensitive shipments. They therefore would mainly rely on Pax traffic if they were to resume service which by the looks of it does not seem financially beneficial.

All in all not good for BRU prospects!

[Atlantis]

All I can say is wait and see....

[fretn]

I think that Belgium really needs another asian carrier...
i just cannot imagine thai won't fly to brussels in the coming year(s).
the flights would always be full.
About Sia that's another thing, the brand has zero recognition in Belgium, most (non-aviation) people over here would think that they're a crappy airline based on their name alone.