January 21, 2026
There is currently a remarkable mudslinging match going on between Starlink and Tesla owner Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, and Michael O’Leary, the CEO of Ryanair. What began as a business discussion about Wi-Fi on board airplanes has escalated into personal insults and even a laconic threat from Musk to buy Ryanair. […]
January 15, 2026
The Lufthansa Group, including its subsidiary Brussels Airlines, is tightening the rules for power banks on board flights. For example, they may no longer be used to charge devices, and storing them in the overhead compartment above the seats is also prohibited. The tightening of the rules is due to an increase in fire incidents […]
January 14, 2026
The Lufthansa Group, which includes Brussels Airlines, will offer free, high-speed Wi-Fi on its approximately 850 aircraft starting in the second half of 2026. It will do so using the Starlink satellite network from SpaceX, the American space company owned by billionaire Elon Musk. The collaboration with Starlink applies to the entire Lufthansa Group, which also […]
January 07, 2026
Lufthansa, founded on January 6, 1926, as “Luft Hansa,” celebrates its 100th anniversary today. The history of the German airline is almost as turbulent as aviation itself. From a technological pioneer in the 1920s to an active role during the Nazi regime, Lufthansa grew into Europe’s largest airline group, at least in terms of revenue. […]
January 06, 2026
Brussels Airport has experienced substantial growth in the intercontinental segment over the past few years. According to the business newspaper L’Echo, the share of so-called ‘long-haul’ flights rose by more than 11%. This growth is the result of a deliberate strategy to strengthen Brussels as an international hub. From Africa to North and Latin America […]
December 29, 2025
In 2025, 2,395 flights were canceled due to strikes at Brussels Airport. The seven-day national union action affected more than 330,000 travelers. According to the airport, these actions cost the Belgian economy approximately 175 million euros. Brussels Airlines says that these seven days of national union action “should not be repeated” in 2026. “We call […]
December 10, 2025
There has been a flood of reactions to Ryanair’s threats to reduce passenger numbers at Brussels Airport and Brussels South Charleroi by 1 million. Is this a bluff, a negotiating tactic, or will the higher flight tax in Belgium indeed jeopardize Europe’s largest airline’s profit targets? Whichever way you look at it, the International Air […]
December 01, 2025
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has issued a software update for its A320 Neo aircraft. This was prompted by a recent incident involving a JetBlue Airways Corp. aircraft. According to Airbus, this incident showed that intense sunlight can affect critical control data, potentially forcing the airplane into an unexpected dive. Initially, there was talk of a […]
November 27, 2025
According to Ryanair, Belgium is pricing itself out of the market now that the De Wever government has decided that the flight tax will be €10 for all flights from 2027, while other countries are reducing or completely scrapping their taxes. However, the Irish low-cost airline’s comment should be taken with a grain of salt. […]
November 25, 2025
From 2027, the air passenger tax in Belgium will increase for flights over 500 kilometers from €5 to €10 per departing passenger. This is the second time in this legislative period that the federal government will increase the tax on airline tickets. Brussels Airlines points out that it cannot pay the additional tax out of its […]
November 14, 2025
Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ space company, has launched another New Glenn rocket. On board is a scientific mission to study the planet Mars. The New Glenn has only one flight under its belt. In January, the rocket successfully placed dozens of tons of equipment into orbit around the Earth on its maiden voyage. However, the landing […]
November 11, 2025
Twenty-one European airlines have committed to stop making claims in relation to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions deemed misleading, the European Commission said on Friday. The airlines include some of the largest in Europe, such as Lufthansa (parent company of Brussels Airlines), Ryanair, KLM, and Air France. In May, the Belgian Federal Public Service Economy’s economic inspectorate, […]
November 03, 2025
Chinese EV giant Xpeng has begun mass production of a ‘real flying car’ with the first flying body rolling of the assembly line. It’s the first time a major automaker, not a start-up, has crossed that line. Xpeng’s flying-car division, recently rebranded Aridge, announced this week that the first model rolled off the line at […]
October 30, 2025
From June 3, Brussels Airlines will fly twice a week to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, as a stopover on flights to Nairobi, Kenya. Brussels Airlines specializes in flights to Africa. Next year, the airline will offer 18 destinations there. Parent company Lufthansa, on the other hand, will cut several European connections and domestic flights from its 2026 […]
October 22, 2025
The unions at Brussels Airlines are threatening to take action, such as a strike, following the dismissal of three flight attendants. The three refused to fly to Ghana after the cleaning crew reported pests on board, including fleas and bedbugs. According to Brussels Airlines, it was a false alarm. However, the action of the three […]
October 17, 2025
A pet travelling on an airplane falls under the definition of ‘baggage’. The European Court of Justice has declared this. The declaration arose from a dispute between a Spanish airline and a passenger whose dog was lost during transportation. Whether animal welfare organizations will be happy with this legal ruling is another question. They consider […]
October 14, 2025
Despite millions in aid from Flanders and the federal government, totaling 13,5 million euros, Antwerp Airport’s financial situation is so dire that the so-called alarm bell procedure is in effect. This means that any creditor can ask the court to dissolve the company. Nevertheless, for Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA), who is […]
October 13, 2025
Tomorrow, Belgian trade unions will mobilize en masse against the Arizona government’s plans. They are hoping for a repeat of 2014, when 100,000 demonstrators turned up to protest, among other things, an index jump. The unions are particularly concerned about the government’s pension reforms, the planned expansion of flexi-jobs, and lower pay for night work. […]
October 10, 2025
The head of Lufthansa does not believe the aviation sector will achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. CEO Carsten Spohr attributes this to the slow development of technology and the increased availability of more sustainable aircraft fuels. The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection goals. The company aims to achieve a neutral CO2 […]
October 03, 2025
A new study funded by the European Commission and conducted by Ghent University on the working conditions of pilots and cabin crew at airlines in the EU reveals some alarming trends that are not necessarily encouraging for airline passengers. High workloads, fatigue, stress, and feelings of dehumanization are commonplace, and the pressure for efficiency and […]
September 29, 2025
Lufthansa plans to reduce its administrative workforce by approximately 4,000 by 2030. Most of the jobs will be lost in Germany. The jobs will become redundant because processes “will be digitized, automated, and consolidated,” says the German airline group. Brussels Airlines expects a “limited impact”. At the same time, the group also announced “the largest […]
September 22, 2025
Several European airports, including Brussels Airport, Heathrow, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Dublin, and Cork, have been disrupted on Friday and in the weekend by a cyberattack on external service provider Collins Aerospace. Even though it’s been a few days, the fallout is still being felt. The attack affected the American aviation company, which supplies software for […]
September 22, 2025
Droneport in Sint-Truiden, a 30-hectare industry park specifically for aviation, drone, advanced air mobility, and unmanned flight testing, wants to build its own solar park on the nearby site and company buildings. The business park aims to generate its own energy to fly electrically. An agreement in principle has been reached to launch the solar […]
September 18, 2025
Two Xpeng AeroHT eVTOLs collided at an air show in Changchun, China, according to various Chinese and American media reports. At least one passenger was taken to the hospital with injuries, but these are not believed to be life-threatening. The cause of the accident is still unclear. There have been relatively few incidents involving eVTOLs, […]
September 16, 2025
During July and August, around 5 million passengers traveled through Brussels Airport. That is an increase of 3%. In August, the airport welcomed 2,5 million passengers, the same as in July. The number of arriving passengers was particularly high, 200,000 more than departing passengers. Due to the large number of local passengers, the share of […]
August 21, 2025
The most polluting way to travel is almost always the cheapest. Or: Trains are often slightly cheaper than planes. It’s a matter of interpretation or wording, but these are two headlines about a new Greenpeace study on the fact that flying in Europe is cheaper than talking the train in more than half of all […]
August 01, 2025
Heathrow Airport in London wants to expand for 49 billion pounds, or more than 56 billion euros. The plan includes the construction of a controversial third runway of 3,5 kilometers, which is expected to cost at least 24 billion euros. A new terminal will also have to be built, current facilities will have to be […]
August 01, 2025
Lufthansa more than doubled its profits in the second quarter of this year despite recent trade tensions. “The Lufthansa Group remains on track,” says CEO Carsten Spohr, referring to the net profit of 1.2 billion euros. Air France-KLM also reported significantly higher profits in the past quarter compared to the same period a year earlier. […]
July 23, 2025
Charleroi Airport has received a new environmental permit from the Walloon government. The permit for Brussels South Charleroi Airport is valid for 20 years. The cargo-specialized Liège Airport has also received a new environmental permit. The new permit comes with several conditions related to noise pollution and the environment. Adjusted noise rules and quota to […]
July 22, 2025
As part of the summer agreement, the Belgian government, under the leadership of Bart De Wever (N-VA), has approved the renewal of the boarding tax on flights. This is what the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reports. The agreement also confirms that the tax applies retroactively: even those who have already purchased their ticket may be […]
July 15, 2025
The aircraft maintenance company Sabena Engineering has inaugurated a new hangar at Brussels Airport. Among other things, it will take care of the Belgian army’s A400M military transport aircraft. The hangar has a surface area of 6,000 m². The first aircraft will be able to be serviced there by the end of the summer. Sabena […]
July 14, 2025
Heathrow Airport wants to invest 10 billion pounds, or 11,6 billion euros, to redesign terminals and improve punctuality using artificial intelligence. The London airport has submitted an investment plan for this purpose to the British Aviation Authority. 10 million passengers extra The project should eventually increase capacity by 12%, up to more than 70,000 m² […]
July 11, 2025
The Portuguese government has been toying with the idea of privatizing the airline TAP Air Portugal for some time. It has now relaunched that operation. In the process, 49,9% will be sold. Major European airline groups, such as Air France-KLM, IAG (British Airways, Iberia) and Lufthansa are interested. “We believe we can complete the privatization […]
July 01, 2025
Lufthansa’s planned entry into Latvian airline airBaltic has been approved by the German competition authority. The German airline group will now have a 10% stake in airBaltic, which has Riga as its central hub. Otherwise, airBaltic’s main shareholder remains the government of Latvia. The entry involves a sum of € 14 million. Although the deal […]
June 27, 2025
The increase in the flight tax that the De Wever government wants to introduce will cost Brussels Airlines 1 million euros. So, write the business newspapers L’Echo and De Tijd. Indeed, it turns out that the increase also applies to tickets that were already purchased before the introduction of the new law, usually on July […]
June 25, 2025
Although the average CO2 emissions per passenger per km are on average up to 10 times higher for a private jet flight compared to a regular scheduled flight, the demand for private flights in Belgium is five times higher than in the rest of Europe. According to the business newspaper L’Echo, which bases its figures […]
June 23, 2025
Brussels Airlines expects nearly 2 million passengers in July and August, the airline reports. That’s 600,000 more than a year earlier. To cope with this influx of passengers, the Lufthansa subsidiary will deploy a fleet of 50 aircraft, or six more than last year. Among other things, Brussels Airlines is adding an extra Airbus 320 […]
June 18, 2025
Two years after the European consumer organization BEUC filed a complaint, airlines are still engaging in greenwashing, or using misleading environmental claims, according to Testaankoop/Test Achats and its European umbrella organization, BEUC. While the situation has “slightly improved,” greenwashing remains the norm in the airline industry, according to the consumer organizations. Still a widespread practice […]
June 17, 2025
The Belgian air traffic controller Skeyes has developed a digital platform that publishes drone flight data in real-time. The platform was officially certified on Monday by the Federal Public Service Mobility at the Skeyes site in Steenokkerzeel (Belgium). It marks a new step toward an airspace where both drones and manned aircraft can fly safely. […]
June 16, 2025
Flanders will become the new largest shareholder of Brussels Airport. Through its investment company PMV, it will invest 2,77 billion euros in the airport located in Flemish Zaventem, acquiring a 39% stake in the airport operator. “We want to be in the cockpit when it comes to the future of our airport. If we don’t […]
June 13, 2025
More than 80% of Lufthansa’s flights arrived on time at its Frankfurt and Munich hubs this year. It provides the best punctuality figures in ten years for the German national airline. Yet, Lufthansa still faces several challenges to ensure punctuality. An increasing number of drone sightings and storms hamper operations, while a lack of technical […]
June 06, 2025
European transport ministers propose that air passengers will now be entitled to compensation only for flight delays of four hours or more. European legislation currently provides for compensation of three hours or more of delay if the airline is at fault. However, the proposal still requires approval from the European Parliament and the European Council. […]
June 03, 2025
Airlines have become slightly less optimistic about 2025. They now expect to carry just under five billion passengers, down from an earlier forecast of 5.22 billion, and generate $979 billion in revenue instead of the previously projected $1,000 billion. This update was shared by IATA, the global airline industry association, during its annual general meeting […]
June 02, 2025
The airline industry’s ambition to move to zero emissions by 2050 is in jeopardy. This was stated by IATA, the global airline umbrella organization, at a summit in New Delhi, India, to discuss the state of the industry. The aviation sector currently produces approximately 3% of global CO2 emissions; however, due to climate-skeptic policies, including […]
May 27, 2025
After the US, France now also has the necessary equipment to conduct fire resistance tests on aircraft engines. So reports the French business newspaper Le Figaro. The platform for aircraft engine fire research will be located at the French National Center for Aerospace Research (ONERA), 15 km south of Toulouse. The center, founded in 1968, […]
May 20, 2025
Ryanair’s net profit is down 16% compared to last year, to 1,6 billion euros. That’s according to figures for the fiscal year that ended at the end of March. The Irish low-cost carriers had to cut their prices by 7% to fill up planes. That strategy led to a record number of just over 200 […]
May 19, 2025
Airline ticket prices have risen sharply over the past few years, and the trend is not over yet. According to the Belgian statistics bureau Statbel, the average cost of tickets rose by 11,1% in April. That makes you pay as much as 71% more for a plane ticket today than you did 20 years ago, […]
May 14, 2025
The Belgian Nathan De Valck will be the new CEO of Deurne and Oostende airports. So reports the Gazet van Antwerpen. De Valck will start as the top executive there on June 16th. De Valck is currently with the air cargo company Worldwide Flight Services for the airports of Brussels and Liège. The French company […]
May 12, 2025
IAG, the group behind British Airways and Iberia, is expanding its fleet with 71 new aircraft. The orders are neatly divided between Boeing, an American manufacturer, and its European rival, Airbus. The order involves more than 20 billion dollars. The planes would be delivered between 2028 and 2033. IAD did not release how much specifically […]
May 07, 2025
Last year, the Dutch flew 100 billion km, or 2.5 million times around the world. This was calculated by the Knowledge Institute for Mobility Policy (KiM). It’s as many kilometers as the Dutch drive by car annually, but with the difference that half of all the kilometers flown are traveled by 9% of the Dutch […]
May 06, 2025
Aviation’s future is at risk if it does not undergo a fundamental transition, says ‘Call Aviation to Action,’ a group of more than 50 aviation executives urging the sector to become more sustainable. The Dutch initiative, which includes various people, including directors, pilots, and technicians, believes that aviation cannot possibly continue on its current course […]
May 03, 2025
Trade tensions between the United States and Europe may cloud the important summer airline season. So says Lufthansa, pointing to changed consumer behavior due to economic uncertainty. Brussels Airlines, a subsidiary of the German airline group, suffered an adjusted operating loss (EBIT) of 53 million euros during the first quarter of this year. However, because […]
April 29, 2025
CO2 emissions from planes taking off from a European airport last year are back almost at the same level as in 2019, before the Covid-19 crisis. So, Transport & Environment (T&E) reports. The NGO that fights for more environmentally friendly transportation calls the airlines’ promise to return greener after the coronavirus pandemic “a joke.” Last […]
April 22, 2025
Brussels Airport will invest half a billion euros in infrastructure to accommodate the passenger growth expected in the coming years. The project involves the construction of a new intermodal hub, an expansion of the departure and arrival hall, a new hotel, a new drop-off zone, and a green boulevard with a park. The investment is […]
April 16, 2025
China has ordered its airlines to stop taking further deliveries from Boeing, the US manufacturer that, along with Airbus, ranks as one of the world’s largest aircraft producers. This reports news agency Bloomberg. This is a retaliatory measure in the trade war launched by US President Donald Trump. Beijing has also asked Chinese airlines to […]
April 03, 2025
Irish airline Ryanair ended its fiscal year with a record: for the first time in its history, it rounded the 200 million passenger mark. The airline says it is the first time a European airline has done so. Based on passenger figures, Lufthansa, which includes Brussels Airlines, is the number two airline in Europe. That […]
April 02, 2025
Between 2019 and 2023, business flights fell by 34%. That’s according to a new report by the NGO Transport & Environment. However, 44% of the 326 companies in the Travel Smart ranking still have no target applying to business travel, putting overall progress at risk. Especially the disproportionate flying of private jets by large companies […]
March 28, 2025
Europe’s major airlines think that Europe’s ReFuel legislation is not going to succeed in creating the affordable market for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that is promised. They said this at a press conference in Brussels. They fear there will not be enough production. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report, released on Thursday, predicts a shortfall […]
March 27, 2025
Brussels Airlines has presented its new themed aircraft, an Airbus A320 painted with a design based on the Atomium. The theme was chosen after a design competition. The first commercial flight of ‘Atomium’ is scheduled today toward Prague. However, on Monday, it will most likely not fly. Due to the general strike in Belgium directed […]
March 24, 2025
Brussels Airport is adding six new destinations to its network this summer, starting on March 30th. These destinations are both within Europe and intercontinental. Passengers will be able to fly directly from Brussels Airport to 180 destinations offered by 68 airlines. Some new summer destinations, such as Curaçao (TUI fly) and Bangkok (Thai Airways International), […]
