December 11, 2009
Belgian flag carrier Brussels Airlines has today confirmed plans to increase the frequency of its flights between Newcastle and Brussels.
From January 10, 2010, Brussels Airlines will provide North East business and leisure travellers with three flights a day between Newcastle and the Belgian capital, operated by bmi Regional.
The news comes on the back of the airline’s entry this week into the prestigious Star Alliance, a global alliance of airlines working together to offer seamless connections for international travellers. As a result, North East passengers will enjoy better connections from the airline’s European hub to destinations around the world.
Dave Laws, chief executive of Newcastle International Airport said, “This is a very welcome shot-in-the-arm for the region’s business community. As the North East’s largest airport, we have a duty to supply the flights the region needs in order to do business in Europe and further afield. Through discussions we have held with companies based in the North East, it was clear that improving connectivity with Brussels was a top priority.
“The new year will see our frequency to this important European business hub increase from one flight to three flights a day, not just improving access to the city of Brussels itself, but also improving connections to onward destinations across the globe with the airline and its Star Alliance partners, including SAS, Swiss, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines.
“Brussels Airlines flies to a number of African destinations which otherwise can be difficult to reach so we know this will be of interest to oil and gas companies based in the North East. We are delighted to deliver such excellent news to the region, particularly as we begin to emerge from the economic downturn.”
The new services will offer connections to cities including Geneva, Milan, Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna, Madrid, Sevilla, Lisbon and Porto, as well as 14 African destinations.
Peter Howe, managing director of Komatsu UK Ltd said, “We are delighted to hear that Brussels Airlines are planning to increase their flight frequency on the Newcastle to Brussels route in January 2010.
“The increase to three flights a day offers great benefits to us at Komatsu, both in terms of connectivity to Brussels which is the location of our European Headquarters as well as improving access to other European markets.”
Eric Head, head of Global Business Service Centre, Proctor and Gamble UK said, “P&G is a global business. The frequency and value of flights to and from Newcastle are vital to ensure our North East sites can connect with our colleagues around the globe and continue to offer a world-class service.”
The airline will also operate new flights at the weekends, which are expected to appeal to leisure travellers visiting the cities and regions at both ends of the route.
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Notes to editors:
The new flight schedules from January 10, 2010 are as follows:
Newcastle to Brussels
Depart NCL 06:25 Arrive BRU 08:45 (Monday to Saturday)
Depart NCL 12:05 Arrive BRU 14:25 (Monday to Friday)
Depart NCL 16:30 Arrive BRU 18:50 (Monday to Friday, and Sunday)
Brussels to Newcastle
Depart BRU 09:35 Arrive NCL 10:05 (Monday to Saturday)
Depart BRU 15:30 Arrive NCL 16:00 (Monday to Friday)
Depart BRU 20:00 Arrive NCL 20:30 (Monday to Friday, and Sunday)
(All times are local)
The service will be operated as a codeshare between Brussels Airlines and bmi Regional, enabling bookings to be made with either carrier.
Flights will be operated using a 49-seater Embraer-145 regional jet, with three ticket options onboard: business, b.flex and b.light. For bookings, visit www.brusselsairlines.com or www.flybmi.com.