Passenger numbers this year on BRS-BRU are very encouraging.
For the first ten months of 2010 31,517 passengers were carried which compares with 26,107 in the same period last year (CAA stats).
This represents a rise of nearly 21% in passenger numbers.
This got me doing some mental 'rithmetric.
The ERJs seat 48, and there are 34 flights between BRS & BRU each week. That's a total of 1,632 seats/week. In 10 months there are roughly 43 weeks, which equates to an available capacity of 70,176 seats.
With flown passengers of 31,517, that's a 44.9% load factor.
That probably explains why that route is being priced for yield, not volume (or vice versa. Cause or effect? Discuss.).
On the RJ85's, they flew twice daily and not at all at the weekends, so 20 weekly flights, and at 82 people per aircraft, there were 1,640 seats/week, equating to 70,520 seats in that same 10 month/43 week period.
With flown passengers of 26,107, that's a 37% load factor.
So, whilst overall route capacity hasn't changed, the load factors are up. And I would guess the yield is up a much larger amount, looking at the fares SN generally charging. However, you'd need to offset that against operating 7 extra rotations a week.
To put those load factors in perspective, in October 2010 Ryanair ran an 85% load factor, and Easyjet ran an 88% load factor.