Report: Air Belgium to Continue Only as Third-Party Operator for Now
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Putting the lie to its motto, “Simply fly away,” beleaguered Belgian carrier Air Belgium will limp along for now, operating solely as a third-party operator for other companies, according to a report.
At a meeting of the board of directors and shareholders Thursday, the Charleroi (CRL)-based company voted to keep fulfilling its contracts for third-party flights, even though Air Belgium is operating at a substantial reduction in net assets, according to Aviator. In the meantime, the company plans to refocus on starting up its promised service to mainland China. Previous reports had suggested that Air Belgium was on the verge of liquidation.
The company’s had a spotty record in its short two years, from having to postpone its inaugural flight at the last minute because it hadn’t gotten all the necessary permissions to cancelling all flights from October 2018 through April 2019. The Air Belgium fleet, all of four A340-300s, were primarily meant to fly from Belgium to Hong Kong (HKG) three times a week, but Air Belgium yanked the route just weeks ago. One of the planes is being leased to British Airways for its London Heathrow (LHR)-Abu Dhabi (AUH) route, and will eventually switch to BA’s service from London to Dubai (DXB) from Nov. 1 to mid-December.
Calls and emails to Air Belgium were not returned.
Featured image by Jeroen Stroes Aviation Photography.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,600
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 3X points on dining and 2x points on travel, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.