Brussels Airlines has released a video and images showing the process it goes through to store its aircraft at Brussels airport.
Earlier this week the carrier confirmed it would no restart scheduled flights until mid-May, and with the exception of a few aircraft which remain on standby to bring home Belgian travellers stranded abroad, the whole of the airline’s fleet is now parked and stored.
The carrier said that it takes around 400 man hours to store an Airbus A330 (of which Brussels Airlines has ten according to its website).
Maintenance and engineering terms follow instructions from Airbus, with work including the covering of seats, taping of windows to avoid sunlight from decolouring interiors, and packing of landing gear and engines to ensure birds cannot nest in them.
Brussels Airlines said that 30 staff will work full time performing weekly inspections and tests on the aircraft, adding that each day aircraft wheels “have to be turned just slightly, to make sure they don’t get worn out under the weight of the aircraft”.
Similar to scenes of KLM’s fleet parked at Amsterdam Schiphol airport, a taxiway is being used at Brussels airport to accommodate stored aircraft.
