Brussels Airlines Considers Airbus A350 & A321neo For Fleet Expansion

Brussels Airlines

CEO Dorothea Von Boxberg has revealed that the airline is looking at the Airbus A321neo for future expansion.

The airline has also confirmed it will be ruling out the Airbus A330neo as an option for fleet renewal, given recent environmental restrictions imposed on the airline’s hub at Brussels Zaventem International Airport. Instead, the carrier is examining the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, with the CEO hinting at a preference for the latter.

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

The comments came during an interview with AeroTELEGRAPH and followed recent government decisions about Brussels Airport’s sustainability.

The Airbus A321neo

When asked about the possibility of interest in the Airbus A321neo, Von Boxberg noted that the aircraft would help notably on more popular and feeder routes.

For example, services from London to Brussels are considered “strong feeder routes” on which passengers tend to connect to long-haul destinations on the Brussels Airlines network, particularly to Africa.

Photo: Brussels Airlines

The A321neo would also benefit services to popular tourist destinations, including flights to Nice and Malaga.

Von Boxberg ruled out the Airbus A321XLR, noting its cargo capacity restrictions compared to the A330 which benefits from more space. She said:

The XLR is probably not optimal for us because our passengers have a lot of luggage. Last year in July, the peak month, the average passenger on long-haul flights to Africa was carrying 75 kilograms of luggage. Besides, freight is important for us. Therefore, the classic large long-haul aircraft make more sense for us. And we get them well filled too.

No to the A330neo

Von Boxberg also underlined that operating the Airbus A330neo would pose challenges outside the carrier’s control. Recent environmental permit restrictions make the aircraft too noisy to operate at Brussels Airport. She specified:

The Airbus A330 Neo currently no longer seems to be an option. Because with the new environmental permit from Brussels Airport we have very strict noise restrictions. It’s not a problem when the planes take off, but the A330 Neo is apparently too loud when landing.

As Simple Flying reported in March, the new environmental permit significantly restricts night landings to aircraft with low noise levels between 01:00 and 05:00 from Saturday to Monday in 2026. These hours will be extended in 2028 and further in 2030 and will eventually impact takeoffs.

The debate for aircraft renewal, then, is between the 787 and A350. Understandably, given Brussels Airlines’ all-Airbus fleet, the A350 has a “slight advantage,” the CEO admits. The aircraft is able to operate within the boundaries of the environmental permit as it is, the airline understands, quieter than the A330neo during landing.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Ch-aviation data shows that

Lufthansa

has 25 A350-900s and 35 787-9s on order. Within the Lufthansa Group,

SWISS

has already been allocated the A350 for its future widebody fleet renewal, while

Austrian Airlines

has been allocated the 787.

Recent expansion

Brussels Airlines has continued its expansion in Europe and Africa. The relaunch of the Nairobi flight is slated for this summer, made possible through the addition of a tenth Airbus A330. Speaking to Simple Flying last month, the CEO said:

“Now in June, we’re opening our Nairobi route, which is actually I think, a very nice one also given the connection possibility with Washington. And we are offering also new intra European routes, like Krakow, for example.”

Related

Brussels Airlines Launches Nairobi Flights As Airbus A330 Fleet Returns To Pre-COVID Size

The Lufthansa Group remains committed to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Which aircraft do you think Brussels Airlines should go for? Let us know in the comments below.