Brussels Airlines gets extra long-haul aircraft for additional flights to Africa

Brussels Airlines will expand its fleet with three new long-haul aircraft in the coming years, with the first aircraft expected in mid-2025. The airline will mainly use the extra planes for additional flights to sub-Saharan Africa. “The ambition is to make Brussels a European hub for flights to and from Africa,” stated the company in a press release.

With the three new long-haul aircraft, the airline's Airbus A330 fleet will grow to 13 planes. The three new planes will mainly be used for flights to and from Africa.

The airline says it is seeing increased demand for air travel to Africa. Recently, Brussels Airlines added a new destination in Africa, the Kenyan capital Nairobi. No other new destinations are to be expected – the three new aircraft will mainly be used on existing routes.

Brussels Airlines will also lease four short-haul aircraft from Baltic carrier AirBaltic in the coming years. Those planes, with crew included, will be used during the summer months. The agreement with AirBaltic will run for at least three years.

With the extra aircraft, Brussels Airlines would next summer already be able to offer 14 per cent more seats than now. Moreover, the airline is also investing 100 million euros in new interiors for the planes in the coming years.

Additional jobs

The investments in the long-haul aircraft should also create at least 250 additional jobs. In the coming years, Brussels Airlines will be looking for more pilots, cabin crew, maintenance personnel and administrative staff. The airline also aims to create additional jobs with suppliers and partners, such as baggage handlers.

Brussels Airlines, a subsidiary of the German Lufthansa Group, at the moment employs about 3,400 people. It currently has a fleet of 44 planes, 10 of which are long-haul aircraft.

Photo of plane of Brussels Airlines, 30/07/2024 © BELGA PHOTO BELPRESS & Video of Brussels Airlines CEO Dorothea von Boxberg, talking about the plans for the future of the company, 13 September 2024 in Diegem © BELGA VIDEO JEROME FETU