ATW Daily News

Brussels Airlines growing cautiously

Monday November 2, 2009

Brussels Airlines is seeing a "very slight and progressive" improvement in the business environment, with higher load factors and a stabilization of the decrease in yield occurring thanks to solid sales of its business class and b-flex economy tickets, co-MD Bernard Gustin told ATWOnline.

Business and b-flex currently represent 27% of the total compared to just 15% in the second quarter. Passenger boardings are back at October 2008 levels (but still 10% lower than October 2007) and yield has recovered to where it was eight months ago. "There are positive signs, but I remain extremely cautious. We assume the winter could be hard," Gustin said.

For the first nine months of 2009, revenue was down 16% year-over-year while costs fell 8%. "We expect to report a net loss and an operating loss for 2009," co-MD Michel Meyfroidt confirmed, stressing that SN's cash position is "very strong" despite a cash burn of about €1.5 million ($2.2 million) per month.

The carrier is increasing ASKs during the winter schedule by 2% over winter 2008-09, when it cut capacity by a dramatic 15%. "We reduced capacity earlier and more aggressively than other airlines, and now we are one of the few [European network] carriers to increase capacity," Gustin noted. "We are in guerilla mood," he added. "Our strategy for the winter is to further optimize our asset capacity to grasp every opportunity and focus on new target groups." It has taken two 737s out of its mainline operations this winter. One is being returned to the lessor while the other one will support ad hoc and charter operations, a growing segment at SN.

It extended leases on three of its four A330-300s by four years and initiated a search for a fifth. Formal approval for the lease of an additional long-haul aircraft is expected in December. The fifth A330 would support increased frequencies on existing routes and serve new destinations. SN operates mostly on a double-touch basis to Africa, where it secured local fifth freedom rights, for example, between Dakar and Banjul, Conakry and Freetown, between Monrovia and Abidjan and between Douala/Yaounde and Kinshasa.

A decision on renewal of its regional fleet comprising 14 RJ85s and 12 RJ100s is not imminent, "but next year we will need to have a direction," Gustin said, confirming the airline will replace the Avros with an alternative regional aircraft. The Avro leases expire from the end of 2012 through 2014. He also reckoned that SN needs to align its single-aisle fleet of A319s and 737-300s/-400s, saying, "We're looking at opportunities in the current market."

by Cathy Buyck

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