Singapore Airlines returns to Brussels after more than 20 years

On Saturday afternoon, a Singapore Airlines (SIA) passenger flight took off at Brussels Airport in Zaventem for the first time in 20 years. Brussels Airport calls the new connection an "important asset and milestone" for the airport in Zaventem.

The launch event was attended by Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo, the Belgian ambassador to Singapore Lim Hong Huai, Singapore Airlines' acting senior vice president of marketing and planning Dai Hao Yu and CEO of Brussels Airport, Arnaud Feist.

De Croo emphasised the economic relevance of the new connection. "Belgium lives off contacts with the rest of the world," he said. "Flights to Southeast Asia are important to develop those contacts." The connection is also important for the country's export economy, as around 9 per cent of Belgian exports go to Asia.

There will be four flights a week between Brussels and Singapore. The direct connection is a long-awaited addition to Brussels Airport, as many Belgian companies and a Belgian community are currently present in Singapore.

^{© BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT}