Sn Brussels In Trouble

[Hudson Bay]

According to Airliner World SN Brussels has cancelled all crew training at Antwerp Airport indefinitely. The article is a little misleading but it appears that the reasons are undetermined.

[FL310]

now this is interesting...what do they train in Antwerp????

[justplanes]

I believe that comes from some dispute with the airport in Antwerp...

[sabenapilot]

THere are no problems at all at SN, in fact they are doing better then expected and are forcasting a breakeven by the end of the year on both their European and African routes. A fleet expansion is planned for early next year. (both on the mid and long haul)

What is this all about then?

SN Brussels used to do quite a lot of training flights with the AVRO RJ in Antwerp as it is close to Brussels and has a short runway.

However, the owner of Antwerp Airport (i.e. the Flemish government) did not invest in SN when it was set up to take over from Sabena, so SN decided not to use the airport of Antwerp anymore, but instead goes to Charleroi Airport (owner is the Walloon government which invested in SN).

[Mishandled]

Thank you sabena pilot for sitting on this thread promptly. Yet again people are too quick to assume an airline is in trouble.

[EXCIN]

There is a rumour that the Belgian Government is bying 50 seats on each European flight of SN Brussels Airlines since the EU doesn't allow State support.
Anyone more info ?

[usernothername]

If they are then they're also providing the passengers to sit on them. All SN flights I've been on recently have been full or close to.

[wwIIace]

yeah, but your forgetting that 85% ( and that is OFFICIAL!!!) of the pax are Vex pax, so lose that and that is it. I also believe the Belgi government is subsidising the operation illegally!! how else would they continue with 20 pax on a 330 and 15 pax on the 146!! quicker the EU stops this the better

[Wing Commander Fowler]

Well sick - thanx for the insight into your fantastic politically analytical brain....... I can only assume you're not a tax payer then since you cite several other wastes of funds along with your belief that money should be thrown at an ailing and mis-managed company. Give me strength!!!

[usernothername]

WWIIace I don't know where your statistics come from but on the route I fly there are no VEX pax as far as I'm aware. It certainly isn't possible to book through VEX. Six flights in the last month all 80% capacity or above and tough to book flights in the coming months.

[Wing Commander Fowler]

Well Sick...... and I quote - "Sure non pilot tax payers should jump up and down and make a fuss but why should we?"

Err well........ perhaps because we are not ALL selfish! You are SO Belgian my friend.

[wwIIace]

always will be the most corrupt place in europe!!
and with belgians and there customer service skills, say no more!!:mad:

[Dolfke]

frankly I`m disgusted by the last few replies to this thread.
It is indeed my opinion that we as a pilot community should strive to be supportive of eachother, no matter which company we fly for. The way those companies are run is the fault of its managers, not its pilots (most of the time). Us pilots just want to do what we love: fly, it shouldn`t matter what company we do it for. So ok two companies are directly competing for the same passengers, at that time they are employing 2 crews for it, which seems a hell of a lot better than one company that just picks the best crew, and don`t just think that would be you anyway.
Every plane that flies out there gets some pilots in the air, relieving the enormous pool of unemployed pilots so we should be glad about that. Because the less pilots are unemployed the more difficult it will be for the managers to get replacement pilots in case they want to trow you out because your attitude stinks and doesn`t fit into the company profile, and the more rights/pay you could ask for.

So indeed Belgium government is not exactly very efficient and might be corrupt in some places, but the first one to point his finger at that should better be VERY sure his own government is exempt from doing the same (I don`t know very much countries who are).
And the remark about Belgian customer service skills is really immature and rather stupid. I think you get the same percentage of bad cutomer service anywhere, you just have to get lucky to get a friendly face from time to time (far to few of that happening all over the world, not just Belgium).

So yes I`m a Belgian (probably guessed that already), furthermore I`m a student pilot at the Sabena Flight Academy (to increase the bad points in my disfavor). I saw the demise of Sabena coming a long way off and completed a few weeks before I started my self-sponsored flight training (sabena didn`t pay for it`s students like air france or lufthansa) and like many people I think it was the most logical solution to a company with a history of bad managment (in which the government had a very large part) and fumbled plans. I feared SN Brussels Airlines would go the same way (I think the name is a disaster) but I`m willing to give it some moths/years to show what it will do with it`s legacy.
Shouldn`t you guys give it a chance too to see what will become of it? (at least ik keeps some hundreds more pilots off the streets)

Dolf

p.s. And what happened in your past to make such comments anyway?

[Wing Commander Fowler]

Last time I looked my past was still in front of me...... (come to think of it that was my @arse..... hehe)

Dolfke - you didn't need to tell us where you come from. Could've saved yourself the embarrassment (unlike your government)

[ironbutt57]

You'll know they are broke if they go on strike:D :D :D :D