Base in BRU ??
 

Even if at first sight EZY is not planning to land in Belgium, I think it would not be such a bad idea.

If you have a look a the ticket prices from BRU to england on the remaining UK companies flying to Belgium (BA, British Midland), you will see that low cost tickets could make a difference.

Moreover the Brussels Airport announced last week that he would welcome and support the arrival of low cost companies on its ramp, and easy was named.

I am sure the market is there, especially after Sabena collapsed. And Ryanair is doing pretty well out of Charleroi airport!!

We will see what the future brings!

Best wishes for 2003!

Yes , wing 737
I totally agree.
Brussels is empty and BIAC would certainly secure a good deal to get easyJet operating there but;

1) virgin express is already in the place and I'm not sure if easy would start competing directly with another low cost operator.
or should easyjet buy Virgin?

2) easy is very busy looking at Paris, which is very close by.

3) easy is also very busy to secure the buying of DBA.

That makes already quite a strong task for the management.

and what about Amsterdam base???

If EASY expand at the rate various threads on PPPuNe predict they will go belly-up quicker than you can say EASY! Saw it happen in the USA sooo many times: too big too quick!

Branson and Stelios are good mates, so even though Mr easy has no direct influence on the day to day running of easyJet, I doubt if the airline he formed will compete directly against Virgin Express?

The problem with BRU is that the landing fees and airport taxes are so steep that it would not be possible for "low cost" carriers to make the prices good enough to attract the PAX.
BRU and its brand new terminal is like a ghost town these days, it's about time that the aiport owners gets their heads out of the sand and make the prices lower not just to attract the "low cost" and major airlines but to assure its own survival too.

There is already a low-cost carrier flying into BRU.

They are called FlyBE.

They have been flying into BRU for over a year and prices start from £19 each way.

Book tickets online at www.Flybe.com

they tried the NCL-BRU but according to them they could no longer fly it becuase the Belgian Government were pumping money in to SNBA....I suppose you could of seen more of FLYbe and other airlines if the government didnt break the European flight rules.not sure what they were called

That’s true Flybe used to fly EDI-BRU, NCL-BRU and BHX-BRU, although NCL and EDI have been dropped for the reasons you state.

However Flybe have just announced a new route starting in march from SOU-BRU to join the BHX-BRU route.

Hopefully no amount of illegal subsidies will affect that route as SNBrussels don't fly to Southampton.

And to think the rules that are being broken were actually concieved in Brussels.

Not from Scotland there isn't, unless you want to change in BHX and spend half your day travelling as the FlyBe fleet spends more time on the ground than in the air!

dont Ryanair fly from Prestwick to Charleoi or brussels South as they call it now

isnt it?

Jaw, there would have been low cost fares from Flybe from EDI - BRU had the illegal funding of SN Brussels not taken place. However such anti competitive activities ensured that Flybe could no longer compete against the Belgium tax payer. Adding to that, prefence in BRU leans ever so slightly toward SN, for an empty terminal the remaining Flybe flights tend to get stuck as far away as possible to ensure maximum passenger inconvience.

I must be missing something here, - SN Brussels do not fly on any Scottish routes - so how does that affect FlyBe doing a BRU-EDI service? The only competitor here is BMI.

Ninjaman

"Flybe have just announced a new route starting in march from SOU-BRU to join the BHX-BRU route. Hopefully no amount of illegal subsidies will affect that route as SN Brussels don't fly to Southampton. "

Sorry chaps.... SN Brussels Airlines has just announced they will serve SOU twice daily (in codeshare with BA)....

I think this FlyBe route will be shortlived too....

too bad for you!:D

At present I'm flying FlyBE to BHX for less than the price of an ID90 with SN or BA. Yes you get a two minute bus ride to (and from) the a/c but it was the same when BA were operating their EMB145s. No inconvenience to speak of really. By the way, all commuter jets (CRJs, ERJs, etc.) are parked on remote stands at Brussels no matter who the carrier is.

FlyBe has recently stopped flying the BRU-MAN route after very strong competition from SN. Once again a route between the UK and Belgium falls into the hands of the Belgian flag carrier and its codeshare parter BA! :ok:
Note that this is already the 3rd route out of BRU flyBe had to stop: EDI, NCL and now MAN! :}

SABENAPILOT, I'm not aware that FlyBE flew BRU-MAN. They are operating (and about to drop) their BRU-BHX route. I guess that's what you must be referring to.

AVMAN,

You're absolutely right of course.... MAN should read BHX.:O

After all, MAN already was a route where SN (together with their codeshare partner BA) had the monopoly.

Sorry for the confusion.

Latest news!!!!!!!!!
 

From the belgian news:

Easyjet is in talks with BIAC (Brussels Airport) to establish operations to Brussels-Zaventem airport.
There is no agreement yet because EZY wants to negociate the tax and conditions of implementation with the airport autorities.

If they find an agreement, operations could start in spring 2005!!

So I'll cross my fingers...


Wiiiiiiiiiiings

Well, picking two days in June at random, I can see £27 + taxes return with bmi. That looks pretty low cost to me - how much lower could Easy do it for??!