Brussels Airlines to Grow A330 Fleet, African Network

DALLAS — Belgian national airline Brussels Airlines (SN) has announced that it plans to acquire an additional Airbus A330 aircraft in the summer of 2024. This new addition to their fleet will help strengthen their presence in the African market next year.

With the acquisition of this new aircraft, Brussels Airlines will expand its A330-300 fleet to a maximum of 10 units. Currently, the average age of their fleet is 17.5 years, which is one of the highest in the Lufthansa Group and across Europe.

This upcoming addition to their fleet will enable SN to expand its route network to the Sub-Saharan region. They will increase the frequency of flights to Kigali (KGL), Rwanda, and also introduce a new non-stop route to Nairobi (NBO), Kenya, by July 2024.

Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Brussels, said, "With the addition of Nairobi to our network, daily frequencies to Kigali, and extra flights to West Africa, we offer more choice to our passengers traveling to and from Africa than ever. The tenth intercontinental aircraft is a clear sign of Lufthansa Group’s trust in Brussels Airlines and strengthens our role as the hub to Africa for the Group."

Inside the Lufthansa Group, aircraft transfers from fleet to fleet are very common. Image: Lufthansa Group

Lufthansa Group A330 Interchange

Within an airline holding, it is common practice to transfer aircraft between subsidiary fleets in order to meet the operational needs and air travel demands of each brand.

The Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa (LH), Austrian Airlines (OS), Swiss International Airlines (LX), Eurowings (EW), Discover (4Y), and SN, regularly rotates its entire fleet among these subsidiaries.

Currently, SN operates two A330-300 aircraft with registrations OO-SFB and OO-SFJ, which were transferred from EW and still bear the low-cost carrier's livery while flying under the SN brand.

Following the strategic rebranding of Eurowings Discover to Discover Airlines, it is highly likely that one of the 12 A330s owned by Discover Airlines will be chosen to join the SN fleet.

Brussels Airlines operates two Eurowings-painted A330s to the United States and Africa regularly. Photo: Misael Ocasio Hernandez/Airways.

Lufthansa Group's Primary Gate to Africa

The arrival of Brussels Airlines' 10th A330 aircraft in the future will open up new opportunities for network expansion in Africa. In fact, among all the airlines within the Lufthansa Group, the Belgian flag carrier offers the largest number of African destinations, with 24 routes served from Zaventem Airport (BRU).

By increasing the frequency of flights to Kigali and adding Nairobi to its list of destinations in 2024, Brussels Airlines will further strengthen its position as a leader in connecting Africa not only with Europe but also with other intercontinental destinations such as New York (JFK) or Washington (IAD).

Brussels Airlines' strategic approach is supported by Belgium's influence on Sub-Saharan African culture. The country played a significant role in Africa during the 20th century, resulting in a shared population and cultural identity between these two regions.

Featured image: Brussels Airlines

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