A renewed Brussels South Airport will connect Air Belgium passengers to Greater China

Air Belgium selects Brussels South Airport as its home base. The airport will undergo a metamorphosis to further strengthen its international position.

Charleroi, 31 January 2018 – Air Belgium, the new Belgian airline, will be flying from Brussels South Airport for its direct flights between the heart of Europe, China and other Asian destinations.

Air Belgium selected Brussels South due to its very convenient accessibility, efficient and renowned quality service, competitive costs and commitment to expand into a larger international airport. “Brussels South convinced us due to its very successful development and commitment to major investments and improvements of its infrastructures”, says Niky Terzakis, CEO of Air Belgium. “The airport is well established and attracts millions of travelers among which 60% are international passengers and 31% are business travelers. We are convinced that our passengers will benefit from a great service, especially because Brussels South is starting to adjust its current infrastructure.”

“We’re very pleased Air Belgium has chosen our airport,” says Jean-Jacques Cloquet, CEO at Brussels South Airport. “Being able to welcome a company such as Air Belgium on our apron allows us to switch to a new strategy and further strengthen our international position. With the first direct long-distance flights to Asia, the Far East has never been closer. We look forward to welcoming future passengers and meeting their every need.”

A Unique Premium Terminal and necessary metamorphosis
The airport will be changing its infrastructure in such a way that it will be able to welcome Air Belgium and its fleet of four A340-400 airplanes, with gradual deliveries starting from mid-February 2018. The airport will be pulling out all the stops to welcome every passenger in optimal circumstances.

A Premium terminal will be created at the current Terminal Sud (Executive Aviation Terminal) to meet the needs of business and premium class travelers. Before check-in, they will be able to use the parking and be on the plane within twenty minutes, including the Border and Customs checks and boarding. The full service Business Lounge will offer extensive comfort options for passengers who wish to work or relax before their flight. Construction will start at the end of May and take a year to be completed. In the meantime, BSCA will be providing temporary solutions to guarantee the comfort of the travelers from the very first flight.

Great alternative to Brussels
Selecting Brussels South Airport is also a way to relieve Brussels. Numerous Brussels Airport passengers end up in traffic before their flight out. It is a stress unknown to Charleroi passengers. Even for cities that are a little further away – like Ghent, Bruges or Genk, or foreign cities like Maastricht and Lille – the average travel time to Charleroi is shorter than the one to Brussels¹.

Future passengers who prefer not to take the car to the airport, can use the airport shuttle Flibco. These shuttles connect a multitude of Belgian cities (Bruges, Ghent, Namur, Marche-en-Famenne, Bastogne and Arlon), foreign cities in Northern France (Lille, Maizières-les-Metz, Metz, Nancy and Thionville) and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Luxembourg City and airport) with the airport.

In addition to important mobility aspects, Charleroi also has the ambition to strengthen her connections offer to become a true hub connected to other regional airports in European capitals, like it already is for London and Frankfurt. This extended competition offers passengers more choices.

Next steps
Air Belgium’s first flights have been planned for the end of March 2018, with Hong Kong as the first official destination. The arrival of the first plane, mid-February 2018, allows the airline time to complete the process regarding its Operating License.

Air Belgium will also continue to focus on recruitment. The airline is still looking for pilots, cabin crew and various types of specialized ground crew. All job openings can be found on www.airbelgium.com/careers.