August 10, 2026
The Belgian Interfederal Screening Committee, a body tasked with ensuring that major investments by foreign, non-European organizations do not lead to geopolitical surprises, has decided to block the acquisition of the Ostend-based helicopter operator Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen (NHV) by a Chinese investor. These concerns relate to “risks to national security, Belgium’s strategic interests, and possible […]
August 05, 2026
High fuel prices, an Ebola outbreak in East Africa, and strikes by third parties led Brussels Airlines to have a difficult start to 2026, with an adjusted operating loss of 70 million euros. This represents a 50% decline compared to the same period last year. In response, the airline has scrapped its fleet expansion plans. […]
July 31, 2026
Air France-KLM saw its net profit decline by 71% to 190 million euros in the second quarter. This is due to the sharp rise in kerosene prices caused by the war in the Middle East. On the other hand, the airline group managed to pass on the lion’s share of those higher kerosene costs to […]
July 24, 2026
Last week, the Flemish government reached an agreement on subsidies for regional airports – a long-standing “headache” because these airports have been operating at a loss for years despite receiving operating subsidies. Pursuant on this agreement, the Flemish Parliament was provided with documents for debate in the Finance Committee. However, the document also inadvertently included […]
July 23, 2026
The Irish low-cost airline Ryanair will, after all, withdraw 5 airplanes from Charleroi and cut 2 million seats for the 2026 winter and 2027 summer seasons in Belgium due to the federal government’s increase in the boarding tax. By actually pulling planes out of service now, Ryanair is effectively sending the message that its threats […]
July 22, 2026
Last June, Western Europe was hit by the most widespread heat wave on record, and several countries in Southern Europe are currently still grappling with persistent, intense heat and wildfires. UNECE, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, then called on countries in Europe, North America, and Central Asia to urgently make their transportation infrastructure […]
July 22, 2026
The board of directors of parent company Lufthansa has appointed Lorenza Maggio as the new CEO of Brussels Airlines. Maggio will replace Dorothea von Boxberg, who is leaving the company on August 31 to join BMW. Maggio (48), an Italian national, has been a member of the ITA Airways board of directors since January 2025, […]
July 20, 2026
The flight tax for flights longer than 500 km, which the Belgian government had planned to raise from 5€ to 10€ starting in 2027, has ultimately been set at 7€. The inner cabinet decided it. “This change better protects Wallonia’s economic interests while also meeting the federal government’s budgetary targets”, says the office of Walloon […]
July 10, 2026
The number of airline passengers is projected to more than double by 2045, following an average annual growth rate of 3.9%, reaching approximately 10 billion per year. This is according to Airbus’s new Global Market Forecast 2026-2045, the European aerospace corporation. Although the aviation industry has set a net-zero goal for 2050, the forecast also […]
July 09, 2026
The European aerospace corporation Airbus plans to establish a joint venture with aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines to produce hydrogen-powered engines. These engines are intended to eventually serve as an alternative to fossil-fuel-powered internal combustion engines, thereby reducing CO2 emissions from aviation. Fuel cells Through the joint venture, which is expected to become operational […]
July 06, 2026
The Walloon transportation company LETEC has canceled two of its three bus routes to Charleroi Airport. Especially the cancellation of the bus service from Fleurus Station raises questions. Both the railway company NMBS/SNCB and the railway infrastructure manager Infrabel invested heavily in the station to turn it into an intermodal hub for travel to the […]
July 04, 2026
Brussels Airlines has taken delivery of its 8th Airbus A320neo aircraft. Thanks to its investment in this quieter aircraft model, the Belgian airline has halved its fleet’s noise pollution since 2014. Although Brussels Airlines’ approach to reducing noise pollution is sincere, its legal strategy is moving in the opposite direction. Indeed, it recently vehemently opposed […]
June 29, 2026
Belgian Dieter Vranckx (53), who has been building his career at Lufthansa for some time, is now chairman of three airlines within the German group, one of the largest in Europe. In addition to Brussels Airlines, these are Swiss and Austrian Airlines. Vranckx’s appointment is part of a reorganization at Lufthansa, in which decision-making regarding […]
June 11, 2026
Liège Airport, Belgium’s largest cargo airport, started 2026 on a growth trajectory and expects to set a record this year. And why wouldn’t it, when a recent study by the University of Liège shows that the airport is at the heart of an ecosystem comprising nearly 150 companies and supports an estimated 12,600 direct, indirect, and […]
June 08, 2026
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has nearly halved its profit forecasts for airlines. This is primarily due to higher fuel prices, but also because the war in the Middle East has severely disrupted flights through aviation hubs such as Dubai. Nevertheless, IATA estimates that this year the number of passengers will exceed 5 billion […]
June 08, 2026
Starting in December 2027, there will be an improved train service to and from Brussels Airport, with additional early-morning trains from cities including Bruges and Ghent. This is outlined in the new transport plan from the Belgian national railway company NMBS/SNCB, which the Council has approved with Ministers. Other notable changes include a 3% expansion […]
June 01, 2026
Starting in 2028, new scanners will be installed at the security checkpoint at Brussels Airport. As a result, departing passengers will no longer have to remove liquids and electronics, such as laptops, from their carry-on luggage. Thanks to the new scanners, liquids will also be allowed in unlimited quantities in packaging of up to 2 […]
May 27, 2026
Renault has put one of the most evocative names in its back catalog back into the air. Almost 90 years after entering French aviation history, the Renault Caudron Rafale C.460 flew again on 23 and 24 May at the ‘Le Temps des Hélices’ air show at La Ferté-Alais, near Paris. The flight is more than […]
May 21, 2026
Air Congo will begin operating flights from Brussels Airport in early July. This will also bring an end to Brussels Airlines’ more than 15-year monopoly on the Brussels-Kinshasa route. The news was reported by flightlevel.be and has also been confirmed by the Federal Public Service Mobility. Air Congo intends to operate five flights per week […]
May 15, 2026
Lufthansa, Europe’s largest airline group, will exercise its option to increase its stake in the Italian airline ITA Airways from 41% to 90%. The German airline group will pay 325 million euros for the second tranche. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027. In 2028, Lufthansa will be able […]
May 13, 2026
The war in Iran is disrupting oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. This is not only driving up pump prices but also pushing up jet fuel prices. What’s more, analysts say there is a real risk of a physical shortage of jet fuel in the future. Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines, among others, are downplaying […]
May 08, 2026
Despite a substantial operating loss (EBIT) of 612 million euros for the first three months of the year, the Lufthansa Group has little cause for concern. Due to seasonally weaker demand in Europe, the first quarter is structurally loss-making for Europe’s largest airline group, the parent of Brussels Airlines. What’s more, the loss is 15% […]
May 07, 2026
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary wants to ban alcohol in airports in the morning, before regular restaurant and bar opening hours. The Irish low-cost airline reportedly has to divert a flight almost daily due to the behavior of some passengers. In addition to the morning ban on alcohol before 10 a.m., he also advocates limiting each […]
May 06, 2026
A total of 104,298 people living in the wider vicinity of Brussels Airport have their sleep severely disrupted by aircraft taking off and landing. This is according to the annual, mandatory study on the airport’s noise impact conducted by the Dutch firm To70. That represents a 2,5% increase compared to 2024. And whether by coincidence […]
April 24, 2026
re ovelers do – you end up paying the same amount of even more than before
April 23, 2026
Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s largest, has opened a new, third terminal. The first flight from the new terminal is expected today. Terminal 3 will be able to handle up to 19 million passengers per year. The terminal features three new piers totaling 1,400 meters in length, at least 33 aircraft parking positions, 112 check-in counters, and […]
April 21, 2026
Canadian aviation training provider CAE plans to close its training center at Brussels Airport by the end of this year. This is reported by the business newspaper De Tijd. Due to declining demand, outdated simulators, and structural losses, 22 of the 27 jobs are at risk. CAE Brussels is the direct successor to the historic […]
April 21, 2026
Is this the beginning of the air taxi era? In Dubai, the first international airport for eVTOL aircraft has been completed. But those eager to take their first drone flight will need to exercise some patience until the end of the year. In Dubai, construction of the world’s first commercial vertiport (vertical airport) is ready: […]
April 20, 2026
KLM is canceling 160 flights to and from Schiphol over the coming month. SAS Scandinavia, meanwhile, is scrapping at least 1,000 flights from its schedule. These are just a few examples of European airlines already canceling flights due to higher costs and concerns about kerosene supply amid a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that […]
April 15, 2026
Just on the day Lufthansa is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its first flight, an event Chancellor Merz is set to attend, the airline is once again hit by a strike – the fifth major strike at Lufthansa this year. After hundreds of flights were canceled due to a pilots’ strike on Monday and Tuesday, […]
April 14, 2026
What had been in the works for a while has now become official: Brussels Airport Ombudsman Philippe Touwaide has been fired. Touwaide had come under fire for his lack of neutrality and his personal conduct toward the airport’s top management. The dismissal comes as no surprise. The Federal Public Service Mobility has recommended Touwaide’s dismissal […]
April 09, 2026
Higher airfare prices are inevitable. That’s what Willie Walsh, CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said at a meeting in Singapore. Even after a cease-fire in Iran. According to Walsh, the aviation industry will likely continue to face disruptions in jet fuel supply for months to come, even if Iran does reopen the […]
April 06, 2026
Both Air France-KLM and Lufthansa have submitted bids to Parpublica, the Portuguese state holding company, for a minority stake in TAP Air Portugal. The Portuguese government intends to sell up to 49,9% of the shares, with a 5% tranche reserved for employees. The state formally retains control but has indicated its intention to sell the […]
April 02, 2026
The Société Wallone des Aéroports (SOWAER) has appointed a new manager for Cerfontaine airfield, located in the province of Namur. The new manager aims to make the site more environmentally friendly, in part by using an electric aircraft for the skydiving school operating there. However, it’s not that simple: Fully electric aircraft specifically designed for […]
April 01, 2026
As demand rises, Brussels Airlines will operate additional flights during the summer vacation. It will therefore add approximately 170 extra round-trip flights within Europe, providing 60,000 additional seats. Lufthansa, the group to which Brussels Airlines belongs, is, on the other hand, exploring various scenarios to cope with rising kerosene prices driven by the war in […]
March 30, 2026
Starting in October, AirBaltic will operate passenger flights to the Canary Islands from Liège Airport. The regional airport had not had any passenger flights since the beginning of this year, following TUI fly’s departure. The flights are scheduled through the end of March 2027 and are now available for booking. Twice weekly The Latvian airline […]
March 26, 2026
Travelers will be able to fly directly from Brussels Airport to 180 destinations this summer season, which starts on Sunday. Eight new destinations have been added compared to last summer. For the first time, there are even more direct flights to China than to the US. Since last Tuesday, Air China, one of the world’s largest […]
March 24, 2026
Rising jet fuel prices are taking a toll on airlines. For example, United Airlines is cancelling flights due to the drastic increase in fuel prices caused by the war in Iran. KLM, meanwhile, is temporarily halting new hires, limiting business travel, and suspending the hiring of external consultants. United Airlines is suspending approximately 5% of its […]
March 18, 2026
By 2050, global demand for air travel will more than double, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Growth will be concentrated primarily in emerging markets, such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America, while demand will rise less sharply in Europe and the Americas. However, without a radical breakthrough in Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) […]
March 13, 2026
Airline tickets could rise by up to 9% due to rising oil prices resulting from the war in the Middle East. This was stated by Willie Walsh, CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Military tensions in the Middle East have driven fuel prices to skyrocket, with kerosene more than 70% higher in just […]
March 13, 2026
The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch a new series of satellites into space starting March 24. The goal is to create a new layer of low-flying satellites that will make the European navigation system more robust, secure, and resilient, including against external attacks. But precision and speed should also improve, which is important for drones […]
March 12, 2026
The war in the Middle East continues to disrupt global energy markets and aviation. The announcement of a record release of 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves by the 32 members of the International Energy Agency (IEA), of which the US accounts for 172 million, does not seem to be calming the oil […]
March 11, 2026
At Lufthansa, the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots’ union is calling for a new 48-hour strike on Thursday and Friday. Hundreds of flights are at risk of being canceled due to the strike by more than 5,000 pilots, although destinations in the Middle East are expected to be unaffected. The main reason for the strike call is […]
March 10, 2026
The aviation industry delivered a solid safety performance last year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Although the number of accidents in commercial aviation fell compared to 2024, the number of fatalities rose to 394, compared to 244 in the previous year, mainly due to two spectacular accidents in India and the United […]
March 09, 2026
Brussels Airlines has posted a profit for the third year in a row. Still, adjusted operating profit (EBIT) halved to 28 million euros, partly due to national union action that disrupted air traffic seven times, costing the airline 15 million euros, as well as drone sightings and a cyberattack on Brussels Airport. Another disruption is […]
March 04, 2026
Like most European countries, Belgium is also busy organizing the repatriation of Belgians stranded in the Middle East due to the military escalation in Iran. Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) is working closely with Minister of Defense Theo Francken (N-VA) to this end. There are currently almost 26,000 Belgians in the affected […]
March 02, 2026
The recent American and Israeli attacks on Iran, followed by Iranian retaliatory attacks, are having a huge impact on international aviation. Due to the direct military threat and airspace closure, the three Arab hubs, Dubai (DXB), Doha (DOH), and Abu Dhabi (AUH), the world’s most important transfer hubs, have become virtually unusable for international air […]
February 27, 2026
From September 7th, there will be a new high-speed train connection between Antwerp and Cologne, with a stop at Brussels Airport. The new train connection, which will run twice a day in each direction and will also stop in Liège and Leuven in Belgium, will be launched by Deutsche Bahn. Brussels Airlines, among others, will […]
February 23, 2026
Airbus expects to deliver a record number of aircraft this year. In the title, the European aircraft manufacturer expects to deliver 870 commercial aircraft, significantly more than the 793 it delivered to customers in 2025. This would be a record – the current record dates from 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, with 863. Net profit […]
February 20, 2026
Air France-KLM can close the 2025 financial year with a bang: last year, the group posted a historic net profit of 1,75 billion euros, a remarkable achievement after the horror years of the Covid-19 pandemic. The group’s recovery is mainly due to a strategic shift towards higher-end customers and an unexpected windfall, such as lower […]
February 13, 2026
As of today, Brussels Airlines has two Tintin aircraft in service, though this will be temporary. The airline is introducing a new themed aircraft based entirely on the characters from the famous comic series by artist Hergé. The first Tintin aircraft, which was also Brussels Airlines’ very first themed aircraft in 2015, will be removed […]
February 11, 2026
Lufthansa pilots and cabin crew will walk out tomorrow due to a wage dispute and working conditions. The strike will affect all Lufthansa flights and those operated by its cargo division, Lufthansa Cargo, departing from Germany. The exact extent of the cancellations is still unclear, but passengers should expect flight cancellations and delays in any […]
February 10, 2026
The frequent use of a new flight path has meant that 450,000 Brussels residents in the municipalities of Koekelberg, Schaerbeek, and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean have been subjected to intensive overflights since the summer. The Mayors concerned had an initial, disappointing meeting on the issue with Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés). However, the latter has since […]
January 27, 2026
Irish budget airline Ryanair saw its profits fall by no less than 80% last quarter due to a fine of more than 255 million euros imposed by the Italian competition authority in December. Profit after tax amounted to 30 million euros in the three months to the end of December. A year earlier, profits stood […]
January 22, 2026
A recent study by the American investment bank Jefferies estimates that the four largest American Airlines could save as much as 580 million dollars per year in fuel costs if passengers weighed less. The study approaches the weight issue from a surprising angle, namely the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on often controversial weight loss drugs […]
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. […]
