The Brussels Airlines press conference of 30 January 2014

[Inquirer]

Note from moderator: all posts related to the press conference of <Brussels Airlines on 30 January 2014 have been re-grouped in this single topic.

I doubt you can use those planes on European routes???

Or are they going to announce more than just new European routes then?

It could also be that somebody is just playing a joke on us here.

Regardless what all the real news is that BRU.airlines has to tell tomorrow, it seems that it isn't going to be a non issue, so I was just wondering if you are going to attend their press conference too, Andre, since you seem to have access to those kind of things? Would be cool to have somebody from around here on the front row again!

[Flanker2]

I doubt you can use those planes on European routes???

Or are they going to announce more than just new European routes then?

Tolipanebas pointed to more than European route announcements, and said that some of us will be amazed.
The planes are obviously a more long-term matter and I doubt that we'll know what they will be used for at this point, even if it's true and they are announced.

[RoMax]

About SN's new destinations, I just saw on facebook in response to a post of Geert Sciot ("Preparing for an impressive Brussels Airlines Press Conference. Stay tuned as we will announce later today some very nice new destinations !"). There are two responses that seem to indicate that these people already know that Malta will be one of them, one of these is Peter Davies saying "Including MLA I hear", Peter Davies is the current CEO of Air Malta btw (but has close relations with Belgian aviation as a previous SN ceo and a long career with DHL Express). The other response came from someone working for Malta Air Traffic Services.

[tolipanebas]

Indeed, MLA is part of it, as well as a bunch of FR destinations served from CRL.

In total close to half a million extra seats will be marketed through BRU.

[tolipanebas]

As already shared before, the last RJ100 will leave the fleet by April 2016.

SN will then become an all Airbus airline with a total of at least 30 A319s/A320s (so plus 11), supplemented by 2 wetleased Q400s (so minus 2) as well as 4 100-seaters (both preferably sourced from within the LH group).

The first additional A320 is to arrive soon, followed by 2 more A319s before summer to support a very significant leisure expansion in Southern Europe, which is about to be announced...

[danieln]

Are there any Luchtzak-members at the press conference who can give updates as soon as it begins?

[tolipanebas]

SN will not just announce summer routes to the south of Europe, it will also return to a Central European country it left last year... and it will do so in full force.

[sn26567]

I'm at the press conference and I will report immediately.

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[tolipanebas]

Enjoy André... and don't forget to take notes, as there is quite a lot of news to report on, which I'll let you do; so much more fun than just posting the list of new destinations hereunder.

BTW- after you're done posting them, have a look at who flies them too, albeit from CRL.

[crew1990]

so if i understand well, sn goes back to poland then and in full force

[Inquirer]

I'm at the press conference and I will report immediately.

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So you did get an invite after all then?

Nice to have somebody from around here on the front row.

I've read a hint of Tolipanebas about them returing to an eastern european country; could that be Poland?

[lumumba]

We are waiting

[crew1990]

so no plan for the a321...

[convair]

Maybe I wasn't too far off then in my post of Jan 5. Just SN/LH being slightly bolder than I expected.

[Inquirer]

De Tijd is having a first article about it, calling it the biggest network expansion ever for them:
http://www.tijd.be/nieuws/ondernemingen ... .art?ckc=1

Not all 9 summer routes are named though, so there's still some work to do, but interesting reading nevertheles, I should think?

They also announced to return to WAW and Krakow!
Good news for me, personally, since that means less connections through FRA then!

[convair]

Now that the arrival of another A320 (OO-SNG) seems confirmed and member RTM is hinting that the last RJ85 (presumably OO-DJP) will be staying with the fleet for a while and the replacement decision will come this year, the guessing game can start again .

Looking first at the number of aircraft to be replaced (from 2015 onwards?):

1 RJ85
12 RJ100
4 DH4 wet-lease (as 1 lease will already be terminated end March, according to tolipanebas)

Total: 17 (if you consider the coming A320 as a "replacement" for the terminated DH4 lease).

A small number of A319/A320 seems realistic. However, taking into account the size of the planes to be replaced, a small fleet of smaller planes can be expected.

Turboprops?
I personnally like them, the DH and the ATR, but for me, and I believe for many pax as well, an hour flight in these is enough; I know people who do not fly them at all because of claustrophobia.
And they are not very popular in the LH group. To me, SN should only consider them at a later stage to open new and close-by destinations such as Rotterdam, Luxemburg, Nantes, Eindhoven...

So, a 10-12 aircraft fleet of a small jet can be expected. LH has both E190/5 and CRJ 700/900 but rather more of their higher capacity models.
I wouldn't be surprised if LH was to pass on to SN a number of their CRJ700s, while increasing its own fleet of the 900s.

To summarize my guess:

10 CRJ700 ex-LH
4 A320, making a total of 10
3 A319, making a total of 17

That's the one I was referring to.

[sn26567]

Increased frequencies: Florence Palermo Catania Marseille.
Return to Warsaw with night stop and to Krakow.
Extra frequencies to Madrid
9 new destinations: Athens Bari Cagliari Malta Montpellier Sevilla Ajaccio Bastia Figari

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[sn26567]

New commercial strategy supported by service:
1. To be even more competitive
2. Brand new web environment
3. New loyalty strategy in addition to Miles&More
4. New products: 4 instead of 3 for pax used to low cost

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[sn26567]

Two more A319s as soon as possible. Accelerated phase out of Avro RJ100 until 2016. No announcement on long haul

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[crew1990]

what do u mean with new product?