- Brussels Airlines
Infobox_Airline
airline = Brussels Airlines
logo_size = 250px
fleet_size = 52
destinations = 115 (with codeshare)
IATA = SN
ICAO = BEL
callsign = BEE-LINE
parent = SN Airholding N.V.
company_slogan = "Flying your way"
founded =7 November 2006
headquarters = b.houseZaventem ,Belgium
key_people =Bernard Gustin (Managing director);Michel Meyfroidt (Managing director);Etienne Davignon , Chairman| hubs =Brussels Airport
frequent_flyer = Privilege
lounge = Business Centre
alliance =Star Alliance (future)
website = [http://www.brusselsairlines.com/ brusselsairlines.com]Brussels Airlines is the largest Belgian airline. It operates to over 50 destinations in 20
Europe an countries as well as long-haul flights to East, Central and West Africa. It also operates charter services, maintenance and training of cockpit and cabin crew ["Flight International "27 March 2007] . The airline is a member of IATA and theAssociation of European Airlines (AEA).History
Brussels Airlines was created following the merger of
SN Brussels Airlines (SNBA) andVirgin Express . On12 April 2005 , SN Airholding, the company behind SNBA, signed an agreement withRichard Branson , giving it control over Virgin Express. On31 March 2006 SNBA and Virgin Express announced their merger into a single company. On7 November 2006 , the new name, Brussels Airlines, was announced at a press conference at Brussels Airport. Brussels Airlines began operations on25 March 2007 .In January 2007, the company announced it had acquired a fourth Airbus A330-300, from the defunct company
Air Madrid .Through its Mauritius based subsidiary Pan African Airlines Leasing Company Ltd, Brussels Airlines founded the Congolese airline
AirDC , of which it owns 49%, and partner airlineHewa Bora Airways owning the remaining 51% [ [http://company.brusselsairlines.com/en/news/detail.aspx?uri=tcm:141-17451 Brussels Airlines press release December 3, 2007] ] .In December 2007 the airline expressed interest in joining an
airline alliances , considering it a priority for the airline. [ [http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flandersnews.be/News/071204_BrusselsAirlines Belgian Airliner to join alliance? December 4, 2007] ]In July 2008 it appeared that the project "
AirDC " was delayed, as the Congolese government did not give the required authorizations to start the new airline with Mauritian registered aircraft (through the Brussels Airlines owned and Mauritius based Pan African Airlines Leasing Company Ltd). Fact|date=August 2008On August 28, 2008 the German airline
Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines announced a possible linkup. [ [http://konzern.lufthansa.com/en/html/presse/pressemeldungen/index.html?c=nachrichten/app/show/en/2008/08/852/HOM&s=0] ]On September 15, 2008 it was announced that
Lufthansa will acquire a 45% stake in Brussels Airlines with an option to acquire the remaining 55% from 2011. As a part of this deal Brussels Airlines will joinStar Alliance . A date for the airline's entry into the alliance has yet to be determined. [http://konzern.lufthansa.com/en/html/presse/pressemeldungen/index.html?c=nachrichten/app/show/en/2008/09/857/HOM&s=0 Official press release by Lufthansa ] [http://company.brusselsairlines.com/en/news/detail.aspx?uri=tcm:141-19030 Official press release by Brussels Airlines]Company
Brussels Airlines is the operating name of Delta Air Transport S.A./N.V..cite web | title = General Conditions of Carriage | publisher =
Brussels Airlines | url = http://company.brusselsairlines.com/en/legal/misc/legalmentions.aspx | accessdate = 2008-06-17 ] From June 2008, the ICAO code is no longer DAT but BEL. On June 3rd 2008, the CEO, Philippe Vander Putten resigned. The board appointed Michel Meyfroidt and Bernard Gustin as Managing Directors.Service
On European flights, the airline offers two types of ticket, b.flex economy+ and b.light economy:
* b.flex economy+ is the more expensive ticket, offering full service, such as free newspapers and catering.
* b.light economy is the cheapest option, with snacks and drinks available for purchase.On medium- and long-haul flights (Africa, Moscow, Helsinki, Toronto and Tel Aviv) Brussels Airlines continues to offer economy and business classes.
Destinations
Fleet
The Brussels Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft as of June 2008: [ [http://company.brusselsairlines.com/en/company/fleet.aspx Brussels Airlines Fleet Information] ]
Airbus A319
Avro RJ85Avro RJ85 Fleet
Brussels Airline is planning to slowly retire older BAe and 737 aircraft for newer
Airbus A320 s,Boeing 737 NGs orE-Jet s.Fact|Please provide a source for this statement.| ()|date=September 2008Livery
The livery is similar to SN Brussels Airlines, with minor changes. The tail now has a 'dotted B' logo instead of the Sabena 'S-tail'. The orange cheatline on the fuselage has been removed. The light blue belly has been extended to cover the whole aircraft's length. The name 'Brussels Airlines' is written in dark blue on the upper fuselage, preceded by the airline's 'b' logo. Most planes have an altered 'b' logo after superstitious travelers complained about the thirteen dots bringing bad luck. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6383171.stm BBC News: 'Unlucky' airline logo grounded] ] The logo now contains fourteen dots. The callsign changed from S-TAIL to BRUSSELS AIRLINES and later to BEE-LINE.
Codeshare agreements
Brussels Airlines has
codeshare agreements with the following airlines: [ [http://company.brusselsairlines.com/en/company/partnerairlines.aspx Brussels Airlines Codeshare Agreements] ]
*Air Baltic (Riga)
*Air Malta (Malta)
*Air Sénégal International (Dakar)
*Alitalia (Rome, Milan Malpensa/Linate, Bologna, Turin)
*American Airlines (All US routes)
*British Airways (London Heathrow)
*Bulgaria Air (Sofia )
*Croatia Airlines (Zagreb)
*Cyprus Airways (Larnaca)
*El Al (Tel Aviv)
*Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa)
*Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi)
*Finnair (Helsinki)
*Flybe (Manchester, Southampton - ends soon)
*Hainan Airlines (Beijing)
*Jet Airways (Toronto, Newark, New York-JFK,Chennai, Dehli, Mumbai, Bangalore - begins soon)
*Lithuanian Airlines (Vilnius)
*LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw)
*Malév Hungarian Airlines (Budapest)
*Malmö Aviation (Göteborg, Stockholm Bromma)
*Royal Air Maroc (Casablanca)
*Swiss International Air Lines (Zurich, Geneva)
*TAROM (Bucharest Otopeni)
*Ukraine International Airlines (Kiev)References
External links
* [http://www.brusselsairlines.com Brussels Airlines official website]
* [http://www.b-places.com Brussels Airlines b.Places]
* [http://www.btheremag.com/ b.There! inflight magazine]
* [http://www.bspiritmagazine.com/ b.Spirit! inflight magazine]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/brusselsairlines Brussels Airlines] atYouTube
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