[SimonS1]

[quote quote=888415] @SimonS1 – So why they don’t put on an old B744 and do a MCT/AUH/BAH-LHR flight? — a bit like the GF L-1011’s years ago[/quote]

I can’t see the point. Why would anyone want to do a hike like that.

Let’s be honest, Etihad, Emirates and Oman Air have cleaned up.

[AMcWhirter]

News today that BA has extended the Air Belgium lease until October 31.

https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/280732/british-airways-extends-leased-air-belgium-a340-service-to-late-oct-2018/

This would appear to reflect Air Belgium’s decision to cease its HKG service st short notice.

Air Belgium to suspend Brussels-Hong Kong

[Flightlevel]

Obviously makes more money for Air Belgium than flying out of Charleroi on a new route and a superb aircraft for the pax.
Is the cabin service the same or better? Wet-leased to save re-training BA crews on a ‘new’ aircraft, and good to see the reliable and safe A340 makes money when used second-hand despite oil price increases.

[alainboy56]

@Flightlevel – will let you know, as I am taking the BA73 in the next 24hrs

[alainboy56]

@flightlevel as you asked ….. Cabin is very acceptable – on a par with BA B772 level. Flightcrew are a real mix, some hasty recruitment me thinks, there are many Chinese, also other far eastern asians, Maroccans, and yes a few Belgians, but overall they do their jobs and its again on a par with BA.
The catering is BA’s catering for the flights, so no change there.
The flight in general is not much different to a BA flight — EXCEPT for the IFE. This is quite poor, not only in selection, but also the quality of the system. On the outbound flight it had to be re-booted maybe 4 or 5 times and on the return at least twice. This is showing its age and does not work very well at all.
Overall the aircraft (two differing ones OO-ABB/ABA) show that they have been well looked after and maintained to a high degree by Finnair (at least aesthetically).
On the loads as someone mentioned, its very poor at the moment — outbound 66 pax and the return 129 pax. AND one of the cabin crew told me he had heard BA were giving up AUH, but he just might have got the wrong end of the stick, as these A343’s will transfer onto the DXB route at end of October. Whether this is related to any closure of AUH route or not, who knows………………

[AMcWhirter]

The Air Belgium lease is now extended throughout December until the end of January.

When checking flights BA104/105 you will find that no premium economy or first class accommodation is available.

[DKB]

Few reports circulating that AB may dissolve itself tonight.

[GivingupBA]

[quote quote=898306]Few reports circulating that AB may dissolve itself tonight.[/quote]

Things like that are the reason why I won’t buy tickets on their ilk (I nearly said “on fly-by-night airlines”), and stick to large well-established legacy airlines.

[AMcWhirter]

We await developments.

https://www.lecho.be/entreprises/aviation/ca-va-mal-pour-air-belgium/10060389.html

1 user thanked author for this post.

GivingupBA

[transtraxman]

Air Belgium´s website advertises that the flight to Hong Kong will go ahead from 31 March 2019 and is accepting resevations for that date onwards.The frequency is three times weekly and the last date shown is 19 September 2019.
It claims to have 4 A340-300.In that case how many aircraft are let out to BA or whoever? If not what is being done with them? Have they been received yet? What other plans-routes have they in mind because with a frequency of 3 weekly flights to Hong Kong you only need one plane?

[AMcWhirter]

transtraxman – Nothing is certain in aviation especially so far ahead.

In its short history of scheduled services Air Belgium has:

* Launched Hong Kong service in in early June (after a delay of several months) but then suspended the route less than four months later.

* Announced it would fly to three destinations in mainland China this autumn. But nothing happened … it now appears these plans have been axed.

* Gained approval to operate transatlantic scheduled services from Belgium. But again this airline has gone quiet on its plans.

Some background to its plans for China which never materialised.

Air Belgium targets new routes to Taiyuan, Zhengzhou, Wuhan starting next month

[alainboy56]

@transtraxman — BA only have the one aircraft on lease currently since 3rd October serving the BA73/72 AUH route. It was from 3/10 OO-ABB, when I flew to LHR, but when I flew the return on 8th, the airframe had been changed to OO-ABA. If you check flightradar24 you can get all the details.
Next month ‘it’ (Meaning a leased Air Belgium A343) apparently shifts to one of the DXB rotations

[AMcWhirter]

Today’s statement tweeted by Air Belgium.

@airbelgium_off has just tweeeted that it’s been granted its operating permit by China’s CAA for the launch of services to Zhenghou, Henan.

But it was thought permission had already have been granted months ago when this airline announced it would be operating to Taiyuan, Zhengzhou and Wuhan.

[capetonianm]

Friends of mine returned from DXB last night on the Air Belgium 340. Only comment was that the CC were ‘amazing’ and that made the flight for them. They are pretty fussy and usually travel in premium so that’s quite a high endorsement.

[AMcWhirter]

Air Belgium will be flying for BA on the London-New York (EWR) route.

This evening it’s reported that Air Belgium’s A340 will operate the following.

From April 1 to June 8. Flights BA185 and BA184.

Details already posted on Ba.com

[Author]

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