Since their arrival at Kandahar in September 2008 the four deployed Belgian Air Component F-16 fighters have jointly clocked some 2000 flight hours. This is an impressive result in view of the fact that operations take place under extreme circumstances from the NATO’s busiest airbase in the world. In an operation called “Deployed Falcon” four Belgian Air Force F-16AM fighters were deployed to Afghanistan in the framework of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force). Their mission consist of ensuring air-support over the whole of Afghanistan through two missions types; pre-planned flights and Quick Reaction Alerts. Early August 2009 Belgium will deploy two additional F-16s to Afghanistan with a total of 125 Belgian men and women deployed for this operation. Source: Mil.be NL  -  FR

The Council of Ministers has authorised Minister of defence Pieter De Crem (CD&V) to detach a Lockheed C-130H Hercules transport and the accompanying personnel to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the framework of the MONUC (United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The six month detachment to Kisangani will be composed of 25 military personnel and will provide tactical and strategic air transports for the MONUC. The detachment will be operationally controlled by the Force Commander MONUC.  Source: Press Center

After the European Commission approved the takeover if the SN Airholding by Lufthansa, Lufthansa is as of today owner of 45% of the mother company of Brussels Airlines. This happened via a capital increase. As from 2011, Lufthansa has the option to buy also the other 55% of the holding. As a reaction on this, Brussels Airport announced that it is very happy with this takeover. Especially the fact that Lufthansa is member of the Star Alliance, might be good news for the airport in times where good news is rather a rarity. Source: Express.be

Seeking major concessions from prime contractor Airbus Military, Britain vetoed a French-German proposal to extend ongoing talks on the A400M military transport aircraft until the end of the year. Instead, defense ministers of the seven partner nations (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and UK) agreed to meet again in Paris in late July to decide and how, to take the program forward. A major advance at the Seville meeting is that ministers determined that, “subject to the fulfilment by industry of certain conditions, the A400M is still a feasible programme.”

Belgian airline Jetairfly will acquire a Boeing 767-300ER (its second long haul aircraft) as it is to transport clients of tour operator Thomas Cook to destinations in the Caribbean, Kenya and Tanzania during the 2009 winter season. To man the new airliner Jetairfly is recruiting eighteen pilots and twenty cabin crew members.  Source: Het Laatste Nieuws.

Lufthansa won permission from EU antitrust authorities on Monday to buy Brussels Airlines in a deal worth up to 250 million Euros ($347 million), after it agreed to let rivals fly on some of its routes. "The comprehensive remedies package offered by Lufthansa will facilitate market entry on the affected routes and thereby create alternative choices for passengers," EU Competition Commissioner Nellie Kroes said in a statement. To address the European Commission's competition concerns, Lufthansa will allow new entrants to operate flights from Brussels to Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and Zurich. The remedies also include code-share agreements and participation in frequent-flyer programmes. The acquisition of Brussels Airlines will boost Lufthansa's network. As part of the deal, Lufthansa will buy a 45 percent stake in Brussels Airlines for 65 million Euros, with an option to buy the rest from 2011. The total price would depend on performance-related factors and, initially, on 2010 results. Airlines around the world are looking to merge with or acquire rivals to boost scale and tap into growth regions following falling demand due to the global economic crisis. Source: Reuters

Sabena Technics and TNT Airways have set up a joint venture company to provide a full range of line and light maintenance services to TNT's fleet of aircraft, B737's and BAe146's, at Liege Airport. Sabena Technics will also provide support for aircraft components, landing gear and wheels and brakes. Operations will start by October 2009. Source: Sabenatechnics.com

Bombardier selected another 17 suppliers for their C Series Aircraft program. One of them is Sonaca in Gosselies. Sonaca will deliver all the fixed leading edges, slats and tracks for the C Series aircraft wings Source: Bombardier.be

The management of Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) has said that Belgocontrol is to react swiftly on the strike of its employees at Charleroi airport because it fears Ryanair could leave the regional airport. Ryanair has suffered damages amounting to € 100.000 and had to divert several flights because of the punctual actions by the traffic control personnel. Ryanair stated that the strikes endangers its investments in Charleroi which could make the company to decide to look for another location as it did in the case of Düsseldorf in Germany. As Ryanair is by far the most important user of Brussels South Charleroi Airport such a decision could have catastrophic results for the Walloon airport. Source: Express.be

At the end of October 2009 Brussels Airlines' frequent flyer programme Privilege will be replaced by the Miles & More programme of the Lufthansa Group. This change will enable the Brussels Airlines customers to benefit from even more advantages offered through the many programme partners, airlines and others. Privilege miles will be simply transferred into Miles & More miles and current Privilege card holders will receive an equivalent member status within Miles & More. This introduction into Miles & More is a further step in the partnership between Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa, which was already reinforced in the beginning of the summer season through a frequent flyer programme tie-in and a code share agreement between both carriers. Source: Brussels Airlines.

Congolese airline Hewa Bora Airways has restarted its link between Kinshasa and Brussels. Flight ALX 106 with 150 passengers flown with a Boeing 757-200 ER leased from RAK Airways of the United Arab Emirates arrived directly from Kinshasa-N'Djilli airport. By using a leased aircraft Hewa Bora can fly its link to Europe although it figures on the European Commission's "black list".  The company will fly two weekly links between Belgium and Congo but aims at a total of 5 connections a week. Source: 7s7. click here for picture of 757 A6-RKA of RAK Airways landing a Brussels

During the SAR (Search and Rescue)-Meet  (an exercise for rescue helicopter crews), organised this week at Leeuwarden airbase in the Netherlands, a Belgian Sea King helicopter team has won the overall exercise.  Second place went to a Dutch Bristow helicopter team of the Coast Guard and third was a Sea King crew of the German Navy. Participants were:

S-61N G-BDOC Bristow Helicopters, civil, Dutch Coastguard
Sea King Mk41 89+70, German Navy
Sea King Mk48 RS02, Belgium Air Force
AB412SP R-02 303sq, Dutch Helicopter Command
B412 146491 Canadian Armed Forces
B412HP H2-32/32 15.HRB, Slovenian Air Force
SH-14D 262 MARHELI/DHC, Dutch Helicopter Command
A BAHA special feature on this event is being prepared by Joris van Boven and will soon be on line. Source: Luchtvaartnieuws.

Belgian freight company Cargo B has signed a cooperation contract with Astral Aviation from Kenya. Cargo B is flying three times a week with its cargo 747-400 to Nairobi, capitol of Kenya and home base of Astral Aviation. According to the terms of the agreement with Cargo B, Astral will provide connection at Nairobi with its own flight flown with a DC-9 freighter.  Source: Luchtvaartnieuws.

Budget airline Ryanair is to add two more destinations from Charleroi-Brussels South airport as of newt July. The two new destinations are Ancona in Italy and Figari on the isle of Corsica (F.). This brings the number of links by Ryanair from Charleroi airport to 45. Source: Luchtvaartnieuws.

As of now the two regional airlines CityJet and VLM Airlines are to operate under a single name: CityJet. More code sharing flights with Air France and KLM will be flown but both companies continue to operate according to their own operator's certificates (AOC).  These plans were unfolded at a press conference at London as CityJet and VLM Airlines are responsible for at least 50% of all traffic to and from the London City Airport. Source: express.be

ESA astronaut Frank De Winne is heading to the International Space Station at the start of his six-month OasISS mission. Together with Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk, De Winne launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 12:34 CEST (10:34 UT) today. Their Soyuz TMA-15 spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) at 14:36 CEST (12:36 UT) on Friday 29 May. The arrival of De Winne, Romanenko and Thirsk at the ISS will mark the first ever six-member ISS crew, as they join the three Expedition crewmembers already in residence on the Station: Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, NASA astronaut Michael Barratt and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. Source and more information: ESA  See also BAHA's Frank De Winne in Space - blog

The monthly statistics on air traffic and airport movements in Belgium over April 2009 published by Belgocontrol show a 9.98% overall decrease (91.959 movements down from 102.150 compared to the same month one year earlier). Airport statistics give the following figures: Brussels Airport: 19.699 movements (-13.37%), Charleroi-Brussels South: 9.564 movements (-5.21%), Antwerpen-Deurne: 7.468 movements (+3.12%), Oostende: 6.056 movements (-13.42%) and Liège-Bierset: 4.131 movements (-13.31%). Canac controlled air traffic between flight levels 135 and 245: 45.041 movements (-10.95%). Source: Belgocontrol

On June 1st 2009, the Vrij Technisch Instituut (VTI) of Ieper will present for the first time to the public their superbly constructed full scale Morane Saulnier Parasol L replica. The aircraft which has an original working Le Rhone 9c rotary engine is the result of a school project which started of at the end of 2007. Without any doubt this is one of the best replica aircraft in Belgium. More information and pictures here.

The new low cost terminal at Brussels airport will be operational as of October 25th 2009. With the new complex the airport is aiming specifically at budget airlines which prefer ma lower standard of service than the normal terminal in order to minimise costs. Passengers will not have access to waiting areas with chairs; will not have escalators, business lounges or air bridges. Long distance will have to be walked. The Low Cost Terminal will only be able to handle airliners of the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 class flying only to or from one of the 27 EU members states and Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. Source: Luchtvaartnieuws.

As from next month VLM Airlines stops it’s London City -Manchester route because of unfair competition with the train link between both cities by Virgin Trains which is to be subsidised. The direct link from Antwerp and Rotterdam to Manchester will remain. The route between Brussels Airport and London City will be recued to one flight a day in stead of the three links a day operated now. Flights between Antwerp and London City will also be reduced. Source: Express.be

The Belgian Defence logo which was applied on the tail surfaces of the Lockheed C-130H Hercules tactical transport aircraft will be removed. The Defence logo which has been on the C-130’s for the last three years has been removed on several aircraft with only the serial number remaining on the tail.  Only the standard national markings which are imposed by NATO and by international law will be retained on the Hercules’. The reason behind this measure is to minimise the possibility to identify the aircraft while on the ground thus improving security in operational theatres such as Afghanistan where the Air Component transports are regularly used. Source: Belga     

SBAP announced the presale of their new book dedicated to the Siai-Marchetti SF260 in use for 40 years in the Belgian Air Force: "AGILE PENGUINS IN BELGIAN SKIES, the history of the Siai Marchetti SF260 in Belgium". The publication containing 140 pages covers various chapters on the origins of the aircraft, its history in Belgium, the demonstration teams having used this Italian airplane, the accidents and incidents together with chapters on the insigne’s, the colour schemes, modelling, multimedia and a superb photo gallery of this training aircraft. Published by Flash Aviation, the book will be officially released on July 20, 2009 and will be available in the English, Dutch and French language. Presale information.

Brussels South - Charleroi airport has received the permit needed to start work on extending its runway form 2.550 to 3.200 meters. The longer runway will enable medium-haul airliners to take off at full weight to destinations at greater range. Source: 7Sur7

The first A400M is progressing towards first flight. It is now undergoing systems testing, while the second aircraft is complete and about to start systems testing. For the engine, tests are progressing satisfactorily on the flying test bed with eight flights so far, totalling more than 21 flight hours. Static test was completed for the landing gear, while the aircraft’s fatigue test is in progress. The customer OCCAR recently announced that the seven launch nations have agreed to a three-month moratorium period lasting until the end of June 2009. This provides an opportunity for all partners of the programme to agree on the way ahead for a certain number of unresolved issues. Furthermore, it gives room to realign and rebase the contract with conditions acceptable to all parties. During this period, EADS will continue to work with its suppliers and partners to establish a robust timetable including a date for the first flight. Furthermore, this period opens the negotiation process during which different sets of assumptions will be exchanged. EADS intends to reduce any further potential loss, but all financial consequences of the delays will only be known once the negotiations are finalised. Any estimate in the meantime is inaccurate or incomplete. Source: EADS

A change of guard between the second and third rotations of the Belgian F-16 detachment "Guardian Falcon" took place at Kandahar airbase, Afghanistan. After been on guard at Afghanistan for four moths the personnel of OGF2 (Operation Guardian Falcon 2) arrived at Melsbroek airbase this Sunday. The detachment composed of some one hundred military personnel enables the Belgian Air Component to operate 4 Lockheed F-16AM fighters from the Southern Afghan airbase of Kandahar in the framework of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force). Source Mil.be 

On the E42 motorway near Temploux airfield a glider crashed due to unknown cause. Unfortunately the experienced 65 year old pilot was instantly killed in the crash. According to a local witness the glider came down in a spin. Traffic on the motorway was limited to one lane provoking a 5 km long traffic jam. Source: RTL info.

Belgian air-cargo company Cargo B Airlines has announced it will move its operations from Zaventem's Brussels Airport to Liège-Bierset on basis of the limitations imposed by the noise restriction at Brussels. Because of these restrictions, heavy aircraft of the Boeing 747 class can not depart Brussels Airport after 21h00. Secretary of State for mobility Etienne Shouppe (CD&V) however denies strongly that this is the case as the company will be able to execute as many as 500 landings a year between 23H00 in the evening and 06h00 in the morning.  Schouppe says that the competition between the two airports is at the basis of Cargo B's decision. Source: De Morgen.

Brussels South -Charleroi airport has handled 328.000 passengers over the month of April 2009, an increase of 29% compared with the same month one year earlier. This is the first time that the monthly number of passengers exceeds the 6300.000 mark. The increase is the result of budget airline Ryanair opening new routes and holiday charter company Jetairfly also introducing new destinations. Source: Luchtvaartnieuws.

Four Taleban insurgents appeared at one end of a bridge on "Route Cowboys" in Afghanistan and began to dig a hole for a roadside bomb. Soon, two Belgian Air Force F16s were called in and were ready to pulverise the Taleban fighters. Just as they were about to swoop in for the kill there was a shout over the radio: “Stop, hold fire - there's a boy with goats approaching.” Finally the goatherd was safely clear of the area and the jets were given the order to attack. Rather than dropping a 500lb bomb that would have damaged the bridge, one of the jets came roaring in and strafed the area with 30mm cannon where the two Taleban had nearly finished burying their improvised explosive device. Source: The Times on line

From May 17th onwards, airfreight company Cargo B opens 5 new scheduled flights to the African continent. The expansion of Cargo B's network was possible because of the arrival on May 12th of a new Boeing 747-400 freighter aircraft. (see also BAHA news of 18/04). Twice a week Cargo B will connect Brussels with Johannesburg (South Africa), while Libreville (Gabon) will be served three times a week, Kinshasa (DRC) and Ndjamena (Chad) will be served once a week.  Source: Luchtvaartnieuws.

The monthly statistics on air traffic and airport movements in Belgium over March 2009 published by Belgocontrol show a 2.77% overall improvement (92.417 movements up from 89.925) compared to the same month one year earlier. Airport statistics give the following figures: Brussels Airport: 20.141 movements (-7.61%), Charleroi-Brussels South: 8.901 movements (+30.67%), Oostende 7.623 movements (+35.50%), Antwerpen-Deurne 6.672 movements (+55.96%) and Liège-Bierset: 4.377 movements (+20.78%). Canac controlled air traffic: 44.703 movements (-6.45%). Source: Belgocontrol

Frankfurt has become the third route VLM airlines is offering from Antwerpen. The flight is offered on basis of codes haring with Air France. The new link will be flown three a day with a Fokker 50 aircraft. VLM is also offering links from Antwerpen to London City and to Manchester. Source: Luchtvaartnieuws

An Ultra Light Motorised (ULM) aircraft crashed at Lokeren for unknown reasons, killing its unfortunate pilot. The small craft which had taken off at the Vijverstraat at Lokeren crashed underneath a high tension wire in the Heilige Geeststraat. It is not known of the aircraft hit the cable or if these cables are related to the accident. Source: De Morgen

01/04/2009: Evacuation of a person from the “BELGICA” and transferred to AZ Brugge
10/04/2009: Aircraft in difficulty near EBBR (cancelled)
15/04/2009: Search for a drowning person at Griz Nez (cancelled)
24/04/2009: Empty canoe noticed at De Panne (cancelled)
27/04/2009: Heart Patient picked up the "EMS" and flown to hospital Great Yarmouth (UK)
28/04/2009: Search for a missing diver in Oosterschelde (cancelled)   Source: Mil.be

Brussels Airport at Zaventem has booked a 31.5 million € profit before tax over the first quarter of 2009. This is a 27.4% drop compared to the same period last year when profits were at 43.4 million €. The number of passengers using Brussels Airport decreased by 16.2%. According to the airport authorities the drop in revenue is caused by the fact that there were less charters and that the European carriers decreased their seating capacity. Source: Luchtvaartnieuws.

Two of the three runways of Brussels Airport at Zaventem will be subject of renovation works in order to guarantee passenger safety and need to be carried out in pursuance of the International obligations on aviation safety. Work will be carried out in August because the summer months offer de best conditions in terms of available daylight hours, rain and expected traffic. Details of the works and timing can be found at the Brussels Airlines website.

Johan Bringmans who is slowly but surely restoring former Lockheed F-104G Starfighter FX-69 at Weeze (D.) informed us that progress has been made on the aircraft. Johan was able to solve some connecting problems which led to the wings and tail-unit of FX-70 now been mated with the FX-69 fuselage. A new Belgian nose-cone has been acquired and all access panels have been put in place. Next jobs are the fixing of the undercarriage doors and the wing-to-fuselage fairings. Once this completed the cockpit will be completed and the aircraft repainted.  Johan is still looking for the front fairing of the vertical fin and some Sidewinder rails to complete this marvellous machine to its former "Slivers" aerobatic team glory. Meanwhile Johan has also been working on his Fouga Magister MT-09 which now has received a new nose as the original was damaged.  Click here for recent pictures of FX-69 and more info at the BAHA Special Feature: ”Two Belgian Starfighters on the move".

In a ceremony at Ramskapelle near Knokke-Heist a new war-museum, called "For Freedom" has been officially opened in presence of Minister of Defence De Crem (CD&V).  The museum which is the life-work of two collectors, Freddy Jones and Patrick Thiersoone has recently seen a welcome substantial addition in the form of the former BAHAAT museum "Broken Wings" collection.  The museum highlights the history of liberation of the East coast which was a very demanding operation as the Germans were well aware of the importance of the Scheldt river entrance as a link to the port of Antwerp. The battle was principally fought by Canadian troops and resulted in a heavy toll in military and civilian casualties. 

The acclaimed artist Panamarenko has lent his name to a VLM Airlines aircraft at a ceremony at the airline’s headquarters at Antwerp International Airport. This follows a competition that VLM Airlines ran with leading aviation magazine, Airliner World, to invite readers to choose a name for one of its fleet of Fokker 50 aircraft. Senior executives from VLM Airlines welcomed Panamarenko to the airport, where he named the aircraft with competition winner Koyan Goeree.  The judges selected Panamarenko as the winning name because of his Antwerp origins, and as flying is an integral part of his work. Panamarenko is an exceptional artist in contemporary art.  Artist, engineer, poet, physicist, inventor and visionary, he has pursued a singular course of exploration of space movements, flights energy and the force of gravity.  His work is famous for its many forms; from aeroplanes to flying carpets, birds and flying saucers, the link with the aviation industry is definitely present. This is the only occasion that Panamarenko has agreed to lend his name to an aircraft. Source: VLM .

22/04 - Long awaited Ursel Avia Show postponed till 2010 on basis of environmentalist's complaints

Thousands of aviation enthusiasts will be deprived of their favourite show because of ecologist's complaints. As in this pre-electoral period no politician has the courage to take a positive decision in this case, the Ursel Avia show which was foreseen to take place on June 21st, was not able to obtain the permission required by the Belgian National Civil Authority. One could only wonder why, for equally "polluting" manifestations such as cycling or football these environmental fanatics remain silent. Herewith the organisers’ press-release:

It is with deep regret that we have to announce the postponement of the 2009 Ursel Avia Show. This week, the team of Ursel Avia Show received a massive blow. The rug was pulled out from under our setup and our initiative just two months before the event. Despite frustration, disbelief and outrage, we have to present this announcement calmly and with huge respect for you, aviation fanatic.
Ursel Avia Show is cancelled due to the fact that we’ll miss an environmental license…
In spite of a year long professional preparation, a nice flying program (see http://www.urselavia.be) and a lot of public interest we, as result of a complaint of ecologists and Flemish Environment, Nature & Energy department, do not receive a positive written advice from the Flanders Governor. This long awaited advice was needed by Belgian National Civil Aviation Authority to grant permission for our 2009 Show as we are only eight weeks away now from this event.

Rest assured we have saved no expense or effort to create this wonderful event. A year's work, hundreds of hours of meetings and the work of terrific volunteers all seem to be in vain now. However, this concept will not be trashed, but it will rather be placed in the "TO DO" tray, we will continue to fight for this concept and hope to present you with an Avia Show in the near future, probably August 2010.

So, in order to have more time to overcome the actual ecological and political burdens related with the show and airfield we have decided but also are committed to organize our Ursel Avia Show in 2010 and hopefully with your support.

We knew right from the start that this first edition would not be easy and we knew we would encounter a lot of opposition. We know that it is not easy at all to organize anything aviation-related in Belgium, in stark contrast to our neighbouring countries. An ending like this was, however, not something we had anticipated in our worst-case scenario.

We would like to conclude this announcement with our apologies to you, the avid aviation fanatic, who suffers most from this failure.

But we also would like to thank you for the confidence; please join and support us for the UAS 2010 edition.

The Ursel Avia Show Team
UAS Director
Display Creator
Display Director

Statistics show that the number of passengers transported from and to Brussels Airport during March 2009 dropped by 14.7% to 1, 26 million if compared to the same month one year earlier. Freight handling shows the same trend and dropped by no less than 47% compared to last year. Source: Luchtvaartnieuws.

A second Boeing 747-400F for Belgian Cargo B Airlines will be delivered to the company in the second week of May. The aircraft has left the paint shop at the Boeing Seattle plant in full Cargo B colour scheme. The company is to use the aircraft as of May 17th on its scheduled flights to Africa. The first Cargo B 747-400F was delivered in December 2008 and is used on the Brussels-South-America routes. Source: Luchtvaartnieuws.

Turkish company Pegasus Airlines will start a daily scheduled link between Brussels and Istanbul as of June 22nd.  The connection will be flown with a Boeing 737 aircraft and will use Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen airport which is situated on the Asian part of the city. Source: Luchtvaartnieuws.

Belgian aerospace company Sabca has to revert to temporarily lay-off's of part of its personnel as a result of the economical crisis. Next to the general drop in business jet orders the company is hard hit by the two year delay of the European transport aircraft Airbus A-400M.  Source: Luchtvaartnieuws.

Over the month of March 2009 some 6973 tons of freight was handled at Oostende Airport, which is a 9.5 % raise compared to the same period one year earlier. This increase is particular at a time when due to the general economical crisis air-freight is dropping world-wide. According to airport authorities this positive result could be the credited to the use of huge Antonov An-124 freighters to carry freight to and from Oostende. However, passenger traffic over March 2009 dropped with some 14.3 percent compared to 2008. Source: Luchtvaartnieuws. 

A Brussels Airlines Avro RJ85 on flight SN2334 from Brussels-Zaventem to Helsinki (Finland) has been rerouted to Düsseldorf (Germany) because of problems with the fuel problem. The aircraft made a safe precautionary landing at 15h30 local time and could continue its journey one hour later after a technical inspection. Source: crash-aérien.com

The Belgian Government has decided is to sent 60 more military personnel to Afghanistan and raise the number of F-16 fighters based at Kandahar from four to six. A second group of instructors (OMLT) will train the Afghan army. For the moment some 500 Belgian men an woman are serving in Afghanistan. With the new effort which is valid up to the end of 2010 the number is raised to 560. Source: Belga.