Brussels Airlines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brussels Airlines S.A.

Founded	7 November 2006; 18 years ago (2006-11-07) (amalgamation)
Commenced operations	25 March 2007; 18 years ago (2007-03-25)
Hubs	Brussels Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Miles & More
Alliance	Star Alliance
Fleet size	45
Destinations	92
Parent company	Lufthansa Group
Headquarters	Brussels Airport, Diegem, Machelen, Belgium
Key people	Dorothea von Boxberg (CEO)
Employees	4,000

Brussels Airlines is the main airline of Belgium. It is based at Brussels Airport. The airline flies to over 100 places in Europe, North America, and Africa. They also offer special flights, plane repairs, and crew training.

Brussels Airlines is part of the Star Alliance, which is a big group of airlines. Their special code SN comes from older Belgian airlines. The company is also part of the Lufthansa Group. Their slogan is ′You’re in good company′.

History

How it Started (2005–2009)

An older Brussels Airlines plane (Avro RJ85) after the merger

Brussels Airlines was formed when two airlines, SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express, joined together. SN Brussels Airlines was created after Sabena, Belgium's previous national airline, went out of business.

On April 12, 2005, the company that owned SN Brussels Airlines made a deal with Richard Branson. This gave them control over Virgin Express. Then, on March 31, 2006, both airlines announced they would merge. On November 7, 2006, they announced the new name: Brussels Airlines. The airline started flying on March 25, 2007.

At one point, the airline had to change its logo. It used to have 13 dots, but some passengers felt it was unlucky. So, they changed it to 14 dots.

In 2008, Lufthansa, a large German airline, decided to buy 45% of Brussels Airlines. They also had the option to buy the rest later. Because of this deal, Brussels Airlines joined the Star Alliance. In October 2008, their airline code changed from DAT to BEL.

The European Commission approved Lufthansa's investment in June 2009. This allowed Brussels Airlines to officially join Star Alliance. Lufthansa bought the first 45% in 2009 and then bought the rest in January 2017.

Since October 2009, Brussels Airlines has been part of Lufthansa's frequent flyer program, Miles & More. On December 9, 2009, Brussels Airlines became the 26th member of Star Alliance.

In 2009, Brussels Airlines also tried to start a new airline in the Democratic Republic of the Congo called Korongo. It started flying in 2012 but closed down in 2015.

New Developments Since 2010

A Brussels Airlines Airbus A330-300 in an older paint scheme

Brussels Airlines planes at their main airport, Brussels Airport.

In July 2010, Brussels Airlines added a fifth Airbus A330-300 plane. They also started flying more often to Abidjan and added new places like Accra and Lomé in Africa. In August 2010, they teamed up with the travel company Club Med. Brussels Airlines would fly most of Club Med's passengers from Brussels.

The airline also decided to handle its own plane maintenance starting in 2011. This meant moving to a new building and hiring more staff.

In June 2012, Brussels Airlines started flying daily to New York JFK. This was the first time a Belgian airline flew to New York in 10 years. They also added flights to Washington Dulles in 2013 and Toronto Pearson in 2016. In 2017, they began flying to Mumbai, India.

In April 2015, Brussels Airlines was praised for continuing to fly to West African countries during the Ebola outbreak. This helped deliver important aid when most other airlines had stopped flying there.

On March 22, 2016, there was an incident at Brussels Airport, which closed the airport for several days. Brussels Airlines had to move some of its long-distance flights to other airports like Zurich and Frankfurt. They also used buses to get passengers to other nearby airports.

In September 2016, Lufthansa announced it would buy the remaining shares of Brussels Airlines. The deal was completed in January 2017.

In March 2017, Brussels Airlines took over some flights and crew members from another Belgian airline, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, which was closing down.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, Brussels Airlines stopped all flights for a period. They also made some changes to their flight plans and reduced the number of destinations.

In November 2021, Brussels Airlines updated its look with a new logo and design.

Corporate Affairs

Head Office

b.house, the main office for Brussels Airlines, located at Brussels Airport

The main office for Brussels Airlines is called the b.house. It is located at Brussels Airport in Diegem, Machelen, Belgium.

Ownership

Brussels Airlines is owned by a Belgian company called SN Airholding SA/NV. This company is fully owned by Lufthansa, a large German airline group. Lufthansa took full control of Brussels Airlines in January 2017.

Destinations

Alliances

Brussels Airlines is a member of Star Alliance. This is a group of many airlines that work together. Being part of an alliance means passengers can often use tickets from one airline to fly on another, and earn loyalty points across different airlines.

Codeshare Agreements

Brussels Airlines also has agreements with other airlines called "codeshare agreements." This means they sell tickets for flights operated by other airlines, and those airlines sell tickets for Brussels Airlines flights. This helps passengers connect to more places around the world.

Fleet

Current Fleet

As of December 2023, Brussels Airlines uses only Airbus planes. Here are the types of aircraft they have:

Airbus A319-100

Airbus A320-200

Airbus A320-200 with a special The Adventures of Tintin design.

Airbus A330-300 in an older design.

Fleet Changes

Brussels Airlines used to fly other types of planes, like the British Aerospace 146 and Avro RJ100. They have slowly replaced these with newer Airbus A320 family planes. This helps them save money and be more environmentally friendly.

In 2021, Brussels Airlines announced they would get three new Airbus A320neo planes in 2023. These planes are more fuel-efficient and help reduce CO₂ emissions.

Special Plane Designs

Brussels Airlines has a cool series of planes with special designs called "Belgian Icons." These designs show things that are famous in Belgium:

• Rackham: A plane themed after The Adventures of Tintin.
• Magritte: A plane honoring the famous artist René Magritte. This plane was later repainted.
• Trident: A plane for the Belgium national football team.
• Amare: A plane with a Tomorrowland Festival theme.
• A plane themed after The Smurfs.
• A plane dedicated to the painter Bruegel.

As of 2024, only the Tintin plane still has its special design. The others have been repainted.

Services

Frequent Flyer Programs

Brussels Airlines uses Miles & More, which is Lufthansa's program for frequent flyers. Passengers can earn miles (points) when they fly with Brussels Airlines or other airlines in the Star Alliance. These miles can be used for future flights or other rewards.

In-flight Entertainment

Brussels Airlines offers two magazines on their flights:

• b-there! for flights within Europe.
• B Spirit Magazine for flights to Africa.

You can also download these magazines on an Apple iPad.

On their longer flights with Airbus A330 planes, Brussels Airlines has personal screens for entertainment. In economy class, passengers get 9-inch screens. In business class, they have larger 15-inch screens with many movies and shows to choose from.

Ticket Types

Brussels Airlines offers different types of tickets, depending on where you are flying.

On European Flights

• Economy Light: This is the cheapest option. It does not include checked luggage, and you buy snacks and drinks on board.
• Economy Classic: A regular economy ticket where you buy snacks and drinks.
• Economy Flex: This ticket offers more flexibility, like faster security lines and priority boarding. You still buy snacks and drinks.
• Business Saver: A full-service business class ticket. It includes premium meals, free champagne, and some flexibility.
• Business Flex: Similar to Business Saver, but with even more flexibility. You can get a full refund or change your flight more easily.

On Medium and Long-Haul Flights (to Africa and North America)

These flights offer more options:

Economy Class

• Economy Light: Includes a standard seat, meals, and drinks. No checked luggage and very little flexibility.
• Economy Basic: Similar to Economy Light, but includes one checked bag (up to 23 kg).
• Economy Basic Plus: Includes everything from Economy Basic, and the ticket can be refunded (with a small fee).
• Economy Flex: The most flexible economy ticket. It is fully refundable and allows you to choose your seat for free.

Premium Economy

• Premium Economy Basic: Includes free meals, drinks, and two checked bags. Changing flights costs extra. Seat selection is not included.
• Premium Economy Basic Plus: Offers more flexibility than Basic. You can change flights without a fee (though a fare difference might apply). The ticket can be refunded (with a small fee).
• Premium Economy Flex: The most flexible premium economy ticket. It is fully refundable and includes free seat selection.

Business Class

• Business Flex: The full-service business class for long flights. It offers full flexibility, meaning you can change or cancel your ticket easily.

The ticket options might be different if you have connecting flights.

See also

In Spanish: Brussels Airlines para niños

• List of airports in Belgium
• Transport in Belgium