June 06, 2023
Last Friday, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) began accepting seat reservations for its groundbreaking commercial electric flights in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark… in 2028. After that, there are no seats available anymore. “This extraordinary event presents an opportunity for travelers to become part of aviation history. Each of the three inaugural flights, scheduled to take place in […]
May 30, 2023
The Comac C919, China’s first domestically manufactured aircraft, made its maiden commercial flight on Sunday. It should mark a turning point for the Chinese aviation industry, which has long wanted to compete with famous Western aircraft such as the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. The C from Comac forms an ABC for a reason […]
May 26, 2023
The die is cast. After months of negotiations, German airline group Lufthansa will take a minority stake in Italian airline ITA Airways. The Germans are injecting 325 million euros into ITA in exchange for a 41% stake. Eventually, they may acquire the airline outright. Additional government funding In addition to the capital increase by Lufthansa, […]
May 25, 2023
Brussels Airport Company, the operator of Zaventem airport, posted a net profit of 16 million euros last year. It is the first time in three years that it’s back in the black. “The profit in 2022 was still limited, but it does shed light at the end of the tunnel,” said airport chief Arnaud Feist. […]
May 16, 2023
There will be 66 200 solar panels on the grounds around Ostend airport. Energy company EnergyVision will start installing them there in autumn. Ostend-Bruges airport will so become one of the largest solar parks in Belgium. The project involves an investment of 35 million euros. The electricity generated should power the airport, while part also […]
May 11, 2023
Technology company Uber, which offers taxi rides and meal deliveries with its app, is to expand its services. This summer, it will launch a feature in the UK that will allow users to book flights directly in its app. The feature was launched on Uber’s UK app for multimodal travel options last year, and the […]
May 04, 2023
Brussels Airlines posted sharply higher sales in the first quarter at 280 million euros than a year earlier. However, the airline still lost 44 million euros but maintains that it is “on track for strong black figures for all of 2023”. Parent company Lufthansa also posted a loss in the first quarter, a net loss […]
April 12, 2023
More than 1,6 million passengers in March traveled through Brussels Airport, an increase of 42% compared to March 2022. Furthermore, the share of departing transfer passengers was over 17%, an increase of 84% compared to 2022. Brussels Airport reported this. The increase is partly due to the (extended) semester break in French-speaking schools and the […]
April 11, 2023
Airbus Helicopters, the helicopter manufacturing division of the European aircraft giant Airbus, has signed a contract to supply 50 H160 helicopters to GDAT, one of China’s largest helicopter leasing and operating companies. The order is estimated to be worth between 750 million and 1 billion dollars. It is the most significant H160 order in the […]
April 05, 2023
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, one of Europe’s largest air hubs, will, from 2025-2026, ban night flights and private jets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution. Aircraft will be banned from taking off between midnight and 6 a.m. and will not be allowed to land before 5 a.m., the airport’s CEO Ruud Sondag said in […]
April 04, 2023
Planes at Brussels Airport cause strong annoyance to 220 000 residents. As a result, the cost of health damage would amount to more than 1 billion euros annually. This emerged from a new study by Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), the Flemish federation for a better environment. The study, carried out by study agency ENV-ISA at […]
March 30, 2023
Private jet flights in Europe reached record levels last year – most of which were ultra-short journeys. As a result, the number of private jet flights increased by 64% last year, reaching a record high of 572 806. Together, they emitted 3,4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. In Belgium alone, private flights more than […]
March 28, 2023
From Brussels Airport you can fly to nine new destinations this summer. These are Toronto (Canada), Billund (Denmark), Seville (Spain), Kayseri (Turkey), Monastir (Tunisia), and Béjaïa, Constantine, Oran, and Tlemcen (Algeria). From Brussels Airport, 59 airlines will thus depart to 175 destinations in summer. Brussels Airlines, with four additional aircraft in its fleet, will fly […]
March 24, 2023
It’s light. It packs a lot of energy. And it could make electric planes a reality. So when Amprius first announced its revolutionary lithium-ion battery pack, there were reasons to be enthusiastic. And cautious. The sector of battery developers is famous for making promises that it finds difficult to keep afterward. But in the case […]
March 24, 2023
Germany’s Dorothea von Boxberg (49) will become the new CEO of Brussels Airlines. The top woman will take the helm of the airline from 15 April. Von Boxberg was, for the past two years, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, the cargo airline which, like Brussels Airlines, is part of the German airline group Lufthansa. She succeeds […]
March 22, 2023
Brussels Airlines and sister airlines Lufthansa and Swiss are going to the Council of State against the new system of variable airfares at Brussels Airport. The new fares will take effect on 1 April. The airlines’ appeal is against the Terminal Navigation Charges elaborated by Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo). The charges, which must be […]
March 06, 2023
Brussels Airlines carried over 6,8 million passengers last year, almost double the 2021 figure. That also led to a doubling of revenue, to 1,2 billion euros. On that basis, Brussels Airlines was able to limit the operating loss to 75 million euros, a halving compared to last year. This year, the airline aims to leave […]
February 23, 2023
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Axxicom Airport Caddy are launching an experiment with self-riding wheelchairs this week. The wheelchairs, equipped with smart technology from WHILL Autonomous Mobility, are already being used successfully at major airports such as Tokyo International Airport in Japan. The wheelchair service should improve customer satisfaction and contribute to Schiphol’s objective to make […]
February 22, 2023
Belgian aerospace company Sonaca joins the Limburg-based start-up SOLiTHOR to develop solid-state batteries for regional aviation and future air taxis (VTOLs). Solid-state batteries are lighter, have more energy density, and are considered safer than current lithium-ion batteries with a fluid electrolyte. SOLiTHOR will be responsible for cell research, development, testing characterization, format design, and production […]
February 22, 2023
Alauda Aeronautics has unveiled its latest iteration of the Airspeeder. This Mk4 version is the first to be designed for manned operation, with previous Airspeeders being remote-controlled. A racing series is scheduled for 2024, but Alauda is still looking for support from OEMs and racing teams. The Airspeeder was first announced in 2019 with a […]
February 01, 2023
On Tuesday, US aircraft maker Boeing delivered the very last sample of its Jumbo 747 jets, identified by the ‘hump’ at the front. With the delivery of the 1 574th example of the 747, the curtain falls on an iconic aircraft, also known as the ‘Queen of the Skies’, that played an important role in […]
February 01, 2023
Peter Gerber steps down as CEO of Brussels Airlines with immediate effect and is also leaving parent company Lufthansa Group. The airline announced that former CEO Christina Foerster will take over in ad interim. Gerber will start as CEO of German airline Condor on 1 February 2024, the latter announced. That 58-year-old Gerber is leaving […]
January 19, 2023
German airline group Lufthansa is the only bidder to take a stake in Italian airline ITA Airways, the successor to Alitalia. This was announced by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance on Wednesday evening, after the deadline. Earlier in the day, French-Dutch airline group Air France-KLM had announced that it would not submit a […]
January 17, 2023
Antwerp Airport reopened its connection with London on Monday. Luxembourg-based airline Luxair is responsible for the link to London City Airport. In the first phase, they will fly to the British capital four times a week. Although flying is climate-friendly compared to before, traveling by Eurostar remains a good deal less polluting, even if the […]
December 08, 2022
France will ban short-haul domestic flights in favor of the train. The country was given the green light by the European Commission to abolish flights between cities if the link by train offers an alternative solution with trips of fewer than 2,5 hours. But Willie Walsh, the Director General of the International Air Transport Association […]
December 08, 2022
Brussels Airlines is expanding its fleet and offering in preparation for summer 2023. It is also creating more than 200 new jobs. The airline is thus adding five new Airbus A320 neo aircraft to its fleet, reducing its carbon footprint. Most of the additional jobs are flying personnel, some of whom are already being trained. […]
December 06, 2022
European aircraft giant Airbus believes in hydrogen to propel aviation in the future. It solemnly pledged to have an H2 airplane commercially ready by 2035. The hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine showed last week could be the ideal solution for planes for mid-haul flights with up to 100 passengers and a range of 1 000 nautical […]
December 06, 2022
Air France-KLM is to buy 800 000 tons of non-fossil Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) over ten years from TotalEnergies to meet its environmental objectives. The two companies signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding for this, starting in 2023. The fuel will be produced by TotalEnergies in its biorefineries and made available to Air France-KLM […]
December 05, 2022
France will ban short-haul domestic flights in favor of the train. The country was given the green light by the European Commission to abolish flights between cities if the link by a train offers an alternative solution with trips of fewer than 2,5 hours. When the measure was first announced, it was contested by the […]
December 02, 2022
Low-cost airline Ryanair has signed an agreement with Shell to supply more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The oil and gas group will help make SAF more available to the Irish carrier’s fleet at 200 European airports. This mainly concerns Ryanair’s largest bases in Dublin and London Stansted. Ryanair has already partnered with Neste, the world’s […]
December 01, 2022
In an unusual partnership, French carmaker Renault and airplane builder Airbus have announced a partnership to develop innovative battery technology. Apart from reducing the weight of the battery packs and looking at solutions for energy management, both companies will cooperate on solid-state development. Instead of joining forces with another carmaker, Renault has chosen one of […]
November 29, 2022
It’s a world first, says the British airplane engine manufacturer Rolls Royce with the same name as the car, but no other than historical connections: a modern turboprop airplane engine running on green hydrogen. It didn’t fly yet, but it was a successful ‘ground test’ together with the British low-budget airline easyJet. H2ZERO, as the […]
November 22, 2022
Europe’s largest airline group Lufthansa has launched a campaign to recruit 20 000 employees in Europe. According to the group’s statement, Lufthansa will recruit these new employees in 45 professions at its site in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium. In particular, technicians, IT specialists, lawyers, pilots, and cabin crew are being sought. The campaign comes […]
October 28, 2022
Brussels Airlines made record profits in the third quarter. The adjusted operating profit or ‘adjusted debit’ amounted to 51 million euros, “the best quarterly result in Brussels Airlines’ 20-year history,” the airline said. With the strong increase in demand, good development of liquidity, and financial support of parent group Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines will be able […]
October 14, 2022
It’s getting crowded in the air. Just a week after Volocopter took its maiden flight in Rome, Chinese brand Xpeng took its so-called ‘flying car’ airborne in Dubai. The demonstration flight was organized by its aviation subsidiary, Xpeng Aeroth. Over 150 attendees witnessed the X2 lifting off and hitting the skies on the opening day […]
October 10, 2022
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the UN body created in 1944 to regulate, among others, safety, efficiency, and environmental protection in global aviation, has agreed to the common goal to make the whole sector climate-neutral by 2050. Of the 193 member states of the 41st Assembly in Montreal, the organization’s sovereign body that meets […]
October 10, 2022
German air mobility company Volocopter has taken the next step on its roadmap toward offering flying taxi services. At Fiumicino Airport in Rome, their 2X electric air taxi took off in front of onlookers from the media and airport officials. The test flight is a prelude to offering real taxi rides in 2024. While the […]
September 30, 2022
Alice, the fully electric propeller airplane from American aircraft builder Eviation under development, has made its maiden flight this week at Grant County International Airport (MWH), flying for 8 minutes at an altitude of 3 500 feet (1 066 m). Alice is targeted at commuter and cargo markets and will typically operate flights ranging from […]
September 27, 2022
Airline company EasyJet will invest billions in hydrogen technology and more fuel-efficient aircraft, among other things, to achieve emission-free flying by 2050. The British low-cost airline reported this on Monday when presenting its detailed future plans. According to CEO Johan Lundgren, these measures and investments in hydrogen-powered jet engines, or a “roadmap to net zero”, […]
September 14, 2022
From today, there will be direct flights again between Belgium and South Africa. That will be ensured by the airline Air Belgium, which will fly twice a week from Brussels Airport to Johannesburg and Cape Town. According to Air Belgium’s CEO, Niky Terzakis, these are the first direct flights between Belgium and South Africa in […]
September 13, 2022
Last summer, the airports of Antwerp and Ostend-Bruges welcomed almost 50% more passengers than last year. After two years of travel restrictions, the airports welcomed almost 160 000 passengers during the summer holidays. This means that these Flemish regional airports, managed by the French engineering group Egis, currently have 80% of the number of passengers […]
September 12, 2022
The motor show in Detroit, officially known as the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), will now take place in September and is following a new concept. The media day is next Wednesday, on the 14th of September, and after some professional days, the show opens to the public from 17 to 25 September. Being […]
September 07, 2022
Passengers of Lufthansa Group’s airlines no longer must queue up at the check-in desk in the departure hall of Brussels Airport to have their suitcases labeled and taken to the aircraft. Instead, thanks to a new baggage drop-off system, they can now carry out this procedure themselves, the airline and the airport have announced. The […]
September 01, 2022
German airline Lufthansa is missing out on the take-over of ITA, the successor to Alitalia. The Italian government withheld the bid of the American investment company Certares, together with airlines Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines. Exclusive negotiations for the take-over are now being started with the latter parties. Lufthansa has submitted a bid together […]
August 24, 2022
Brussels Airlines wants to expand, with more planes and more staff. Vacancies have already been published and various growth scenarios are on the table. This was announced internally at the airline on Tuesday. “We are currently investigating various growth scenarios, which we will work out in more detail soon,” says spokesperson Maaike Andries. More clarity […]
August 18, 2022
American Airlines, claiming to be the world’s biggest airline, announced it has placed an order and paid a non-refundable deposit to US aerospace company Boom Supersonic for 20 supersonic Overture airplanes with an option for an additional 40. United Airlines has a deal for 15 aircraft and an option for 35 more, and Japan Airlines […]
August 12, 2022
In the coming years, Ryanair will no longer offer tickets at absolute bottom prices, such as 0,99 or 9,99 euros. This is what the top man Michael O’Leary of the Irish low-cost airline said in a radio interview with the BBC. Due to rising fuel and energy prices, accelerated by the war in Ukraine, Ryanair […]
August 05, 2022
Three years after flying over the Channel with a self-developed ‘Flyboard’, French former jet-ski world champion Franky Zapata has demonstrated his ‘flying car’, the JetRacer. The drone-like VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft with one seat is propelled by ten micro turbo-jet engines. It can reach an altitude of 3 000 meters and a top […]
August 05, 2022
Lufthansa, led by its cargo arm, has achieved its first quarterly net profit in over two years. Europe’s leading air transport group expects to post an operating profit of at least 500 million euros in 2022. “The Lufthansa group is back in the green,” boss Carsten Spohr said in a statement. “It’s now a matter […]
August 03, 2022
The German airline group Lufthansa and its Belgian subsidiary Brussels Airlines are testing a new environmentally-friendly ticket fare on the Scandinavian market. In addition to the classic Light, Classic, and Flex fares, a so-called ‘green fare’ has also been available since Tuesday in the booking process for European flights from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. With […]
July 26, 2022
According to the American aerospace manufacturer Boeing, global aviation will need 2,1 million new employees over the next 20 years due to the growth of its commercial aircraft fleet. That fleet is expected to nearly double to 47 080 commercial aircraft by 2041, Boeing says in its new Pilot and Technician Outlook (PTO), which it […]
July 20, 2022
Europe’s second biggest low-budget airline, British-based Easyjet, will work with British aerospace giant Rolls Royce (not the carmaker) in developing jet engines running on hydrogen. Both parties announced at the Farnborough aerospace fair that they will start ground tests this year, aiming to get the technology airborne by 2030. H2ZERO, as the cooperation is baptized, […]
July 18, 2022
Lufthansa more than doubled its turnover in the second quarter compared to last year. The German airline profited substantially from the increased demand for air travel as passengers rush to board planes again for business trips and their summer vacation, but the profit was also achieved because Lufthansa significantly increased the prices of its airline […]
July 18, 2022
The Antwerp-based private aircraft company Flyinggroup has ordered 50 e-VTOL VX4 airplanes from British Vertical Aerospace (Vertical), a pioneer in electric aviation. Delivery is expected by 2025. Flyinggroup, headquartered in Deurne (Antwerp), manages a fleet of more than 45 private planes in Europe and the Middle East, of which 15 are stationed in Antwerp. Now, […]
July 08, 2022
On Thursday, the European Parliament agreed to set a roadmap for the sector to fly on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from food waste, animal fat, or hydrogen, and CO2 instead of pure fossil kerosine. The MEPs went further than the EU Commission, setting the bar to 85% added SAF by 2050 instead of the […]
June 28, 2022
The extension of the P3 ‘Holiday’ car park at Brussels Airport has been completed, providing 2 000 extra spaces, Interparking and the airport announced on Monday. The extension brings the total number of parking spaces available at Brussels Airport to 13 000. The extension is spread over ten floors, with two underground levels, and will […]
June 27, 2022
The European Commission calls on all partners in the aviation sector to join forces in an alliance on zero-emission aviation. Over the next two decades, the Commission says, more than 44,000 new aircraft are expected to be on the market. It estimates the potential market volume for zero-emission aircraft at 26 000 by 2050, with […]
June 14, 2022
Seventeen Dutch companies and organizations have set up a partnership to develop a complete zero-emission drivetrain replacement for traditional propeller airplanes for the short-haul, based on electric motors fueled by fuel cells and hydrogen. They want to become a tier-one supplier of their HAPSS system to retrofit existing turboprop airplanes up to 40 to 80 […]
June 13, 2022
Hungarian low-budget airline Wizz Air will explore with European airplane builder Airbus all facets of flying ultra-low-cost on hydrogen. That includes the hydrogen aircraft, operations, infrastructure, the network, scheduling issues, ground bases, and airports. For this, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus that is to launch its hydrogen planes by 2035. Wizz […]
June 10, 2022
German airline Lufthansa and its low-cost subsidiary Eurowings announced they would cancel +1 000 flights in July. This is because there is not enough staff, both in-house and at airport service providers, to ensure the planned flight supply. Many airlines and airports in Europe, which often let employees go during the corona crisis, are struggling […]
