Brussels Airlines makes 3,000 unnecessary flights to maintain airport slots

The Bulletin (Brussels) ^

[ameribbean expat]

Brussels Airlines has operated 3,000 empty or near-empty flights this winter to avoid losing take-off and landing rights at major airports, it has been revealed.

The airline's parent company, Lufthansa, operated 18,000 flights this winter that would otherwise have been cancelled due to lack of passengers, including 3,000 flights under the Brussels Airlines banner, reports Le Soir and RTBF.

[ameribbean expat]

Lufthansa flew 18000 empty planes this winter to avoid losing landing rights at major airports. Trump's fault for ash canning the Paris Accord.

[Chode]

the burn rate must be phenomenal

[Bayard]

Ouch the cost and the waste. The absolute waste.

[Frank Drebin]

Greta Thunberg is going to be very, very cross.

[the_Watchman]

I have never heard of Brussels Airlines.

I am familiar with Sabena from Belgium. A British tour guide told us that it stood for: Such A Bloody Experience, Never Again!

[SaveFerris]

Well now the pilots can get to Carnegie Hall

IF they didn’t have fish for dinner...

[Rebelbase]

I have never heard of Brussels Airlines.”

They sprouted up in the past 15 years or so.

[SaveFerris]

(They sprouted up in the past 15 years or so.)

And apparently took off...

🥁

[PAR35]

I have never heard of Brussels Airlines.

Just one of Lufthansa's front companies.

Here's a list per Wikipedia:
Air Dolomiti
Austrian Airlines
Brussels Airlines
Eurowings
Eurowings Europe
Eurowings Discover
Lufthansa Cargo
Lufthansa CityLine
Swiss International Air Lines
Edelweiss Air
AeroLogic (50%)
SunExpress (50%

They used to own a big chunk of Condor, but have apparently divested that one.

[PAR35]

I am familiar with Sabena from Belgium.

Sabena has been dead for a while (over 20 years). It got caught up in the Swissair failure.

[Venkman]

“I have never heard of Brussels Airlines.”

“They sprouted up in the past 15 years or so.”

lol - Thanks!

[Tennessee Nana]

I took Brussels Airlines from Heathrow to Barcelona through Brussels a few years ago A cup of tea cost 5 euros no thanks ...

[Drago]

I guess they needed to reinstitute the “airport landing slot loss” moratorium they put into effect during the height of COVID-19:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-airlines-slots-idUSKBN20X1TU

Good for the passengers that are on those near-empty flights tho....stretch out!!

[dkGba]

Greta Thunberg must be needing a diaper over this

[SkyDancer]

They have to in order to keep those slots/gates; they’re very competitive for AL’s to want to fly to certain cities but can’t because there are no assigned gates for them. One plane leaves and another one is waiting to enter.

[lodi90]

Sabena went toes up and Brussels Airlines was basically the replacement from what I remember.

[drSteve78]

Cow. Deer. Ewe.

(Appropriate)

[frank ballenger]

Like the Covid lockdown approved concerts and sports contests with cardboard cutouts of spectators, they should have mannequins or cardboard passengers. And maybe automated brawls of certain types arguing and then battling in the aisles. Authenticity.

[frank ballenger]

Someone at the airline was questioned but the reporter didn’t get far.
Headline: Belgian Waffles.

[Paal Gulli]

If they averted losing take-off and landing rights at an airport they wanted to retain rights to, it wasn’t unnecessary. It’s the cost of doing business. They also fly around in expensive boxes that carry no passengers that don’t go anywhere but you won’t hear anyone calling flight simulator training sessions “unnecessary.”