Belgian flag carrier Brussels Airlines has confirmed that five Airbus A320neos will join its fleet over the next two years. The carrier made its first order for three Airbus A320neos in June last year, with those aircraft expected to arrive in 2023. The two additional aircraft confirmed today will join the fleet in 2024.

Upon delivery, the Airbus A320neos will replace some of the airline’s older Airbus A319 aircraft. According to data from ch-aviation.com, Brussels Airlines’ 15 Airbus A319s have an average age of 17.6 years. The average age of its fleet as a whole, including its 16 Airbus A320ceos and its long-haul fleet of nine Airbus A330-300s, is not much younger, at 16.7 years.

Sustainability is key

Sustainability is a key area of focus for Brussels Airlines, just as it is for other members of the Lufthansa Group. The Airbus A320neo is 15-20% more fuel efficient than the Airbus A320ceo, and is 50% quieter, making it the perfect choice to complement Brussels Airlines’ green ambitions. The carrier’s CEO, Peter Gerber, outlined the importance of sustainability, saying,

"In addition to fleet renewal, intermodality and alternative fuels are important pillars to achieve our climate ambitions. Connecting Brussels Airport to the high-speed train network is essential to reduce short flights. That is not the case today. In addition, most of the emissions come from long-haul flights, for which there is no suitable alternative today."

"That's why we, together with the whole sector, must invest more in alternatives to fossil fuels. At Brussels Airlines we aspire to have the first flight with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in 2023. However, in order to use this more climate-friendly SAF on a large scale, major investments will have to be made in production facilities. Investments that we as a sector cannot bear alone."

Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today.

Expansion for summer 2023

After a challenging summer season in 2022, Brussels Airlines expects its short-haul operations to grow by 10% next summer. From March 26th, 2023, it will begin flying to six new destinations across Europe and North Africa – Billund, Brindisi, Djerba, Monastir, Warsaw, and Zurich.

The carrier will also boost frequencies on a number of existing routes, including Frankfurt, Madrid, and Palma de Mallorca. The additional flights will help to provide more convenient connections to Brussels Airlines’ long-haul network, which focuses primarily on West and Southern Africa, and also includes a daily flight to New York JFK.

To support this growth, Brussels Airlines is planning to recruit 20 pilots, 90 flight attendants, 30 technicians and engineers, 50 airport employees, and 40 commercial and support staff.

As well as the new additions to its fleet, Brussels Airlines will once again team up with CityJet to wet lease two Bombardier CRJ-900s. The regional aircraft, seating 90 passengers, will support the carrier’s operations throughout the summer, flying on thinner routes such as Bordeaux. The previous wet lease agreement between the two carriers was canceled at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Have you flown on Brussels Airlines recently? Share your experiences by commenting below.

• 

  Brussels Airlines

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  SN/BEL

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Brussels Airport

  Year Founded:

  2006

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  Airline Group:

  Lufthansa Group

  CEO:

  Dorothea von Boxberg

  Country:

  Belgium

  Region:

  Europe

  Loyalty Program:

  Miles & More