76-806: The Societé anonyme belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation aérienne (French; lit. ' Belgian Corporation for the Exploitation of Aerial Navigation ' ), better known by the acronym Sabena or SABENA , was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels Airport . After its bankruptcy in 2001, SN Brussels Airlines was formed through a takeover of former subsidiary Delta Air Transport and took over part of Sabena's assets in February 2002. SN Brussels Airlines merged with Virgin Express in 2007 to form Brussels Airlines . The airline's corporate headquarters were located in
152-606: A Sabena-operated Douglas DC-3 on a cargo flight from the United Kingdom to Yugoslavia , killing the radio operator and wounding both the captain and engineer. Co-pilot Douglas Wilson managed to land in Austria but the plane suffered significant damage. For the 1958 world exposition in Brussels, Sabena leased two Lockheed Super Constellations from Seaboard World Airlines , using them mainly on transatlantic routes. In
228-625: A back-up airfield ("Steenokkerzeel"). There the Luftwaffe established Fliegerhorst Melsbroek and constructed three runways in the shape of a triangle: runway 02/20, runway 07L/25R (both of which are still in use today) and runway 12/30. The airport buildings were constructed in the nearby municipality of Melsbroek and not of Zaventem, which is why the airfield was known to the locals as Melsbroek (in Dutch) (or "Fliegerhorst Melsbroek" in German). There
304-594: A branch in both piers, however several only operate in pier A. The airport also features places of worship (for Catholics , Jews , Muslims , Orthodox Christians and Protestants ), as well as a place for meditation for humanists . The airport provides meeting facilities and can host congresses up to 600 participants, either in the Regus Skyport Meeting Center or in the Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel. The latter
380-550: A burden with which Sabena could not cope. After the bankruptcy, a parliamentary commission in Belgium was established to investigate the demise of the airline. The Belgian politicians got a part of the blame; Rik Daems , who, at the time, was Minister of Public Enterprises and Participations, Telecommunication and Middle Classes, received the most criticism due to his lack of effort. Swissair itself went bankrupt in October 2001 and
456-570: A former major shareholder, filed criminal charges against the former Swissair management. The former Swissair management was condemned by the judges. On 16 January 2007 the Belgian - Flemish news program Terzake reported that during the 1990s, several members of the board were paid large sums illegally through a Sabena affiliate in Bermuda . When Paul Reutlinger became the CEO of the company, he stopped
532-446: A modernisation of the 1973 Sabena livery, in which a lighter blue was used and the titles on the fuselage were in a more modern style. In June 1986 the first of two Boeing 747-300 aircraft joined the fleet, eventually replacing the older 747-100s. In 1989 Sabena invited Belgian fashion designer Olivier Strelli to create a new range of uniforms for its cabin crews. A new name, Sabena World Airlines , and colours were introduced for
608-404: A new company, Brussels Airlines . The Belgian Parliament formed a committee to investigate the reasons behind the bankruptcy of Sabena and the involvement of Switzerland's flag carrier. At the same time, the company's administrator investigated possible legal steps against Swissair, and its successors in interest Swiss International Air Lines and Lufthansa . In 2006, the Belgian government,
684-442: A new pier. As a result, gates A61-72 were renamed T61-72. Later, Brussels Airlines' daily flight to New York was also moved here from pier B. Until 26 March 2015, Pier A was connected to the main building via a 400-metre-long (1,300 ft) tunnel under the apron. Each pier used to have its own security zone, so transfer between the piers involved a security check, which for practical purposes made it to be two terminals. This tunnel
760-576: A route to Berlin was initiated in 1932. The mainstay pre-war airliner that Sabena used in Europe was the successful Junkers Ju 52 /3m airliner. The airline's pre-war routes covered almost 6,000 km within Europe. While the Brussels Haren Airport was Sabena's main base, the company also operated services from other Belgian airports and had a domestic network that was mainly used by businessmen who wanted to be in their coastal villas for
836-756: A self-service gas station near the exit of the airport complex. Several car rental services are located in the airport as well. Europcar , Hertz , Sixt and Thrifty all operate at Brussels Airport. DriveNow also offers a car-sharing service at Brussels airport located at P3 Holiday Parking, and Zipcar has parking spaces. Taxi2Share provides sharing cab service from airport. De Lijn provides bus transportation to and from various cities in Flanders from platforms A and B (via Brucargo ). The MIVB /STIB provides transportation into Brussels city centre from Schuman railway station, Brussels Luxembourg Station and Trône Metro Station via line 12 from platform C. Platform E
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#1732780348613912-431: A survey of over 100,000 passengers worldwide. Brussels Airport continued to appear in top airports lists as of 2012. A direct train link with Leuven and Liège was opened on 12 December 2005. In 2007, the airport served 17.8 million passengers, an increase of 7% over 2006. The cargo volume in the same year amounted to 780,000 tonnes, an increase of 8.9% over 2006. In 2008, the airport served 18.5 million passengers, which
988-662: A tram. The Ringtrambus started service on 28 July 2020, using 14 24-metre double-articulated buses. The initial half-hourly service is to be upgraded to quarter-hourly on 1 September 2020. Route 820 runs between Brussels Airport and the Brussels University Hospital in Jette, via Brucargo, the station and the centre of Vilvoorde, the Kassei neighbourhood, the employment area around the Medialaan, Strombeek and
1064-539: A year earlier. They expected the new Belgian national airline to fill this gap. On 12 February 1925, Sabena aviators Edmond Thieffry , Léopold Roger and Joseph De Brycker succeeded in the feat of flying their Handley Page W8 F biplane from Brussels , capital of Belgium, to Léopoldville (now Kinshasa), capital of the Belgian Congo , pioneering a long haul route for passengers traveling between Europe and Africa, and King Albert 's daughter, Princess Marie-José flew
1140-669: Is an urban legend that the site of the airport was chosen by the Germans after asking locals where to build it–the Belgians then pointed to this location as it was often foggy. After the liberation on 3 September 1944, the German infrastructure at Melsbroek fell into the hands of the British. When the old civilian airport in Haren became too small, the Belgian authorities decided to use
1216-478: Is still in use today and saw its length later increased to 3,200 m (10,500 ft). In April 1956, the Belgian government decided to build a new airport, using the same runways, but with the buildings located within the municipality of Zaventem. In April 1957, construction started of the new terminal, preparing the airport for the 1958 World's Fair ( Expo 58 ). The grass runway 12/30 had to make way to allow for
1292-682: Is the only hotel located on the airport grounds, opposite the terminal. Shuttle services are provided to 14 nearby hotels. All passengers now have unlimited free Wi-Fi access. Several airlines have or had its head offices at the grounds of Brussels Airport. Brussels Airlines has its corporate head office in the b.house, Airport Building 26, located in Diegem , Machelen . European Air Transport had its head office in Building 4–5, in Zaventem . Before Sabena went out of business, its head office
1368-553: Is used by the Hotel Shuttles, offering shuttle services to several hotels near the area. Taxis are permanently available in front of the arrivals hall. Licensed taxis can be recognized by the blue and yellow emblem. The Airport Railway Station is located under the airport building at level −1. The train station has direct services to Antwerp , Brussels, De Panne , Ghent , Hasselt , Landen , Leuven , Mechelen , Nivelles and Quévy . At least four trains per hour serve
1444-485: Is used for the departing passengers, whereas the lower deck (level 2) is used for arriving passengers and connects immediately to border control and the baggage claim area . Pier A West is a planned expansion of Pier A, and is meant to relieve Pier B by also handling flights from non- Schengen countries. Pier A West was due to open in 2016, but because of the slow passenger growth, Brussels Airport announced in July 2013 that
1520-491: The 26th busiest airport in Europe . It is home to around 260 companies, together directly employing 20,000 people and serves as the home base for Brussels Airlines and TUI fly Belgium . BRU covers 1,245 hectares (3,076 acres) and contains three runways. The company operating the airport is known as The Brussels Airport Company N.V./S.A.; before 19 October 2006, the name was BIAC (Brussels International Airport Company), which
1596-668: The Convair 440s , until the early 1970s. The beginning of the 1960s saw a major upheaval for Sabena in the Congo . Widespread rioting against Belgian colonials in the months leading up to, and after the independence of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , caused thousands of Belgians to flee the country. The Belgian government commandeered Sabena's entire long-haul fleet to get the refugees back to Europe. Independence also meant
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#17327803486131672-593: The de Havilland Comet 4 since 4 October 1958). One of Sabena's aircraft became the first Boeing 707 to crash while in commercial service when Flight 548 crashed while preparing to land at the Brussels Airport on 15 February 1961. The United States Figure Skating Team was aboard the aircraft, en route from New York to Prague via Brussels to compete in a figure skating championship. Six Caravelle jetliners were introduced on all medium-haul routes in Europe from February 1961, being flown on most routes alongside
1748-487: The prince regent , on 20 July 1948. From 1948 to 1956, many more buildings and facilities were erected, mostly on the Melsbroek side of the site. In 1955, a railway line from Brussels city centre to the airport was constructed. The line was officially opened by King Baudouin on 15 May 1955. In 1956, a new 2,300 m (7,500 ft) runway was constructed, 07R/25L, which almost runs parallel with 07L/25R. The runway
1824-464: The (unofficial) reasons was the delay in the construction of the low-cost terminal and the possible lawsuit by 52 airlines active at Brussels Airport, on the grounds of tax discrimination. It was Van Assche who started expanding the Long-Haul network ( Jet Airways , Hainan Airlines , Etihad Airways and US Airways ) at Brussels Airport. In February 2010 Arnaud Feist was appointed CEO. The Chairman of
1900-508: The 1960s and 1970s, several hangars were constructed. A new cargo terminal was constructed in 1976. In 1994, a brand new terminal was constructed adjacent to the old 1958 building. Two old piers were torn down and replaced by modern ones. In 2002, amidst the turmoil surrounding the demise of the national airline Sabena , a new pier was opened. In 2005, the airport was awarded Best Airport in Europe by Airports Council International / International Air Transport Association (ACI/IATA), based on
1976-472: The 1990s. The new livery had an overall white colour and the white circle tail logo in blue on the fin. A large "Sabena" title covered the fuselage in light blue and the name "Belgian World Airlines" was at times just visible, though the title was also painted on the fuselage in small, clear letters. The 1990s saw further fleet type renewal: the DC-10-30s were replaced with twin-engined Airbus A330 and
2052-537: The 25-lane screening platform (Europe's largest) inside the Connector which means that changing planes no longer requires a security check. Pier B is the oldest pier still in use at Brussels Airport and is only used for flights outside the Schengen Area . Pier B is connected immediately to the main departure hall and consists of two decks. The upper deck (level 3) is at the same level as the departure halls and
2128-597: The Belgian Congo. Sabena was the first airline to introduce transatlantic schedules from the north of England, when one of its DC-6Bs inaugurated the Brussels- Manchester - New York route on 28 October 1953. The Convair 240 was introduced in 1949 to partially replace the DC-3s that until then had flown most European services. As of 1956, improved Convair 440 "Metropolitan" twins began replacing
2204-406: The Belgian government had to cover losses, however it was prevented from providing new funds due to EU State Aid rules. For help in business due to their financial problems, Sabena leased a couple of Boeing 747s from Air France . Many more aircraft were leased for longer periods, but had to keep their distinctive French registration numbers . Around 1987, SAS tried to merge with the carrier, but
2280-989: The Board is Marc Descheemaecker [ nl ] . On 22 March 2016, two explosions took place in Brussels Airport at 07:58 local time. One occurred near the American Airlines and Brussels Airlines check-in desks and the other next to a Starbucks coffee shop. A third bomb was found in the airport and detonated in a controlled explosion. The airport was closed after the attacks until 3 April, when it reopened with temporary facilities at less than 20% of its previous passenger capacity. Flights bound to Brussels Airport were either canceled or diverted to nearby airports such as Brussels South Charleroi Airport , Ostend–Bruges International Airport , and Schiphol . At 09:11 CET , an explosion took place at Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station . ISIL claimed responsibility for
2356-524: The Boeing ;707-320Cs. Sabena, like many other trans-Atlantic airlines, was satisfied with the Boeing 707s. For commercial reasons, it was recognised that it had to buy jumbo jets for its prestige services, notably New York JFK and as of the mid-seventies, Chicago O'Hare . Sabena purchased only two first-generation jumbo jets, one named Tante Agathe (which means Aunt Agathe in French and Dutch,
Sabena - Misplaced Pages Continue
2432-492: The Boeing 747s with four-engined Airbus A340 . After the liberalisation of the airline industry throughout Europe and the economic consequences of the Gulf War , the Belgian government, the main shareholder of the company, realized that Sabena had little chance of surviving on its own in this very competitive market, and began searching for a suitable partner. Sabena remained in a poor financial state, and year after year
2508-648: The Bourget roundabout along the A12 into the Airport. The new line will be a so-called 'high frequency' line (comparable to Brussels tram route 7 and 8) connecting the northern part of the city with the Business zone next to the airport and the Airport itself. Brussels Airport has a special separated road that provides access to the airport for bikers and pedestrians. There is also a special place to park bikes. Since 2019,
2584-672: The Brucarco Building 706 in Zaventem. The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Brussels: Brussels Airport can be reached by car via the A201, which is directly connected to the Brussels Ring Road . From there, the main highways of Belgium can directly be accessed. Private partners provide three car parks at the airport, offering in total 10,600 parking spaces. Shell operates
2660-562: The Congo occurred on 12 February 1935 and took five and a half days, for which Sabena used a Fokker F-VII/3m aircraft. The following year, Sabena purchased the Savoia-Marchetti SM.73 airliner. With a speed of 300 km/h (200 mph), it reduced the journey time to only four days, and the Sabena service ran on alternate weeks to an Air Afrique service. In Europe, Sabena opened services to Copenhagen and Malmö in 1931 and
2736-492: The Convair 240 twins and were used successfully well into the 1960s between European regional destinations. In 1957, the long-range Douglas DC-7 C was introduced for long-haul routes but this plane would begin to be supplanted after only three years by the jet age . It remained in service on the transatlantic route until 1962. On 3 June 1954, a Soviet Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 ( NATO reporting name "Fagot") attacked
2812-451: The DC-3) available to help airlines restart operations after the war. The airline now flew under the name of SABENA - Belgian World Airlines . Sabena started its first transatlantic route to New York City on 4 June 1946, initially using unpressurised Douglas DC-4 airliners which were augmented and later replaced by Douglas DC-6 Bs. The DC-4s also restarted the airline's traditional route to
2888-570: The Flemish regional transport company De Lijn started the Brabantnet project, which was then scheduled to be finished by 2020. Three new light rail lines will be created, of which 2 will terminate at Brussels Airport: To speed up the process, testing started in August 2016 with a Trambus, a Bus rapid transit system developed by Belgian bus builder Van Hool , which requires less investment than
2964-639: The Heysel. This solution is presented as an in-between step until the tram line is finished. The Airport Tram will be an extension of present Brussels Tram line 55 and line 62, and will roughly follow the A201 Motorway , but will need a large bridge to cross the Brussels Ring into the Airport. The present trams' tracks end at the Eurocontrol headquarters, but the extension will lead from
3040-608: The MD-11 from Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas a year before. 1999 saw new colours introduced to the fleet, beginning with an Airbus A340 . One of the latest fleet types that Sabena introduced, right after the A321 and A320 was the A319 which saw service in 2000. These new planes were part of a record-order of 34 Airbus A320 family aircraft, imposed on Sabena when under Swissair management. After an airline recession and
3116-938: The Sabena House on the grounds of Brussels Airport in Zaventem . Sabena began operations on 23 May 1923 as the national carrier of Belgium. The airline was created by the Belgian Government with help of the Devriendt Family after its predecessor SNETA ( Syndicat national pour l'étude des transports aériens , National Syndicate for the Study of Aerial Transports) - formed in 1919 to pioneer commercial aviation in Belgium - ceased operations. Sabena operated its first commercial flight from Haren Brussels to London (England) on 1 July 1923, via Ostend . Services to Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Strasbourg (France) were launched on 1 April 1924. The Strasbourg service
Sabena - Misplaced Pages Continue
3192-453: The aerodrome at Melsbroek for the new national airport. By 1948, a new terminal building was constructed to replace the old wooden building. In the same year, the lengths of both runways 02/20 and 07L/25R were increased, to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) and 2,450 m (8,040 ft) respectively, whereas 12/30 remained at 1,300 m (4,300 ft). The civil aerodrome of Melsbroek was officially opened by Prince Charles, Count of Flanders ,
3268-402: The airline, a few modifications were made to the aircraft's liveries, including a sticker, saying: Flying together with Swissair . In March and April 1998 two McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 aircraft, both leased from CityBird , joined the fleet and such long-haul destinations as Newark , Montreal and São Paulo were (re)introduced. Also, that year saw the delivery of the last passenger version of
3344-622: The airport has a direct connection from the bicycle freeway Brussels – Leuven ("Fietssnelweg F3"). In 2016, merely 1% of employees were commuting by bike. In an effort to further increase this number, bicycle leasing was introduced to employees, and in 2020 almost 10% of the Brussels Airport employees signed up for this. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency [REDACTED] Media related to Brussels Airport at Wikimedia Commons Savoia-Marchetti SM.73 Too Many Requests If you report this error to
3420-458: The airport's two piers (A and B). The newest pier in Brussels airport was pier A, opened on 15 May 2002. This pier was destined to support flights from and to the Schengen countries (A-gates). However, since 15 October 2008 all Brussels Airlines flights to African destinations are also handled at this pier. Therefore, border control was installed towards the end of the pier in order to create
3496-449: The airport. After security check-in, water bottles are available for a small fee. Shops, bars and restaurants are scattered throughout the building. A few facilities are located in the departure area. These are mostly convenience stores and small shops such as the airport shop, a pharmacy, Relay stores and a coffee shop. But most of the facilities can only be accessed after Security control –and are tax free. Several brands and chains have
3572-445: The attacks as an act of revenge against Belgium for participation in the ongoing Military intervention against ISIL . Brussels Airport uses a one terminal concept, meaning that all the facilities are located under a single roof. The terminal building consists of several levels. The railway station is located on −1, buses and taxis arrive at 0, arrivals are located on level 2 and departures on level 3. Levels 2 and 3 are connected to
3648-575: The board of directors of Sabena, read a declaration on this day to explain the decision. 7 November 2001 was the final day of operations for Sabena. Flight 690 (operated by an Airbus A340-311 registered as OO-SCZ) from Abidjan , Ivory Coast and Cotonou , Benin, was the last Sabena flight to land in Brussels. The flight had 266 passengers and eleven crew members. A group of investors managed to take over Delta Air Transport , one of Sabena's subsidiaries, and transformed it into SN Brussels Airlines . That airline merged with Virgin Express in 2006 to form
3724-402: The company. This was because at the time Swissair was having its own financial problems. In the so-called "Hotel Agreement", signed on July 17, 2001, Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt met with Swissair boss Mario Corti , who agreed to inject €258 million into Sabena, but the sum was never paid. The purchase of 34 new Airbus A320 family planes, imposed under Swissair's management, was
3800-581: The effects on the airline industry of the September ;11 attacks in 2001, all airlines that flew across the Atlantic suffered. Swissair had pledged to invest millions in Sabena but failed to do so, partly because the airline had financial problems itself, having filed for bankruptcy protection one month prior. Sabena filed for legal protection against its creditors on 3 October, and went into liquidation on 6 November 2001. Fred Chaffart , chairman of
3876-457: The end of the impressive regional network of routes that the airline had built up in the Congo since 1924. When the new republic began its own airline, Air Congo , in June 1961, Sabena held 30 per cent of that airline's shares. The Douglas DC-6Bs remained in service with Sabena in the mid-1960s although they were no longer used on the airline's main routes. The Boeing 707s and Caravelles became
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#17327803486133952-409: The illegal payments. Terzake went on to state that this might explain why the Belgian board members remained quiet when it became apparent Swissair was exploiting Sabena and eventually drove the company into bankruptcy. The reasons for the bankruptcy of Sabena are numerous. One of the direct causes was Swissair not living up to their contractual obligations and failing to inject necessary funds into
4028-410: The main route being Boma - Léopoldville - Élisabethville , a 2,288 km (1,422 mi) route over dense jungle . First, flights were operated with De Havilland DH.50s , although these were quickly replaced by the larger Handley Page W.8f which had three engines and offered ten seats. By 1931 Sabena's fleet, including the aircraft used on the Congo network, totalled 43 aircraft. Its mainstay type
4104-461: The mainstay types during this decade. Boeing 727-100s were introduced on important European routes and also some African services from 1967 in a unique colour scheme; the fin markings incorporated bare-metal rudder and white engine colours. At this time Fokker F27s entered service between regional Belgian airports and European destinations such as London Heathrow . The Boeing 747-100 was introduced in 1971, on transatlantic routes flying alongside
4180-426: The merger was blocked by the Belgian authorities. In 1989, British Airways and KLM purchased stakes in Sabena, which were later sold back to the Belgian government. In 1993, Air France purchased a large minority stake in Sabena, which it sold soon after. Finally, in 1995, Swissair purchased a 49 percent stake in Sabena and took over management. In 1993 Sabena adopted its third and final logo, and its head office
4256-441: The most used link to Brussels South Railway Station , where international connections are offered by Eurostar (to Amsterdam , Avignon , Cologne , Essen , Lille , London , Marseille , Paris and Valence ), ICE (to Cologne and Frankfurt ), and Eurocity (to Basel , Bern , Chur , Luxembourg and Zürich ). A direct train link with Leuven was opened on 12 December 2005. A direct link with Antwerp and Mechelen via
4332-630: The national languages of Belgium), and it continued to fly the 707 into the early 1980s, as the Boeing 747-100's last flight occurred in 1993. In 1973, the Boeing 727s on the European network were replaced by Boeing 737-200s . The McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 entered service in 1974. In total, Sabena purchased five of these convertible (Passengers and/or freight) combi aircraft wide-body jets. In 1984 Airbus A310s were introduced on routes that had high passenger density. This aircraft type also introduced
4408-540: The new Schuman-Josaphat tunnel has been finished, a new connection has been established to connect Brussels Airport directly to the stations of the EU quarter, being Brussels-Schuman and Brussels-Luxembourg . This brought the travel time between the Airport and the EU quarter to 15 minutes. The Belgian Railways announced the line to open as an hourly service. However, the line now sees a train every 30 minutes on weekdays. In an attempt to alleviate gridlock around Brussels,
4484-482: The new passenger terminal. This new airport was inaugurated on 5 July 1958, just in time for the 1958 World’s Fair. The buildings on the Melsbroek side are still in use by the Belgian Air Force ( 15th Air Transport Wing ), and this is still known as Melsbroek Airfield. Both Zaventem Airport and Melsbroek Air Base , the military airfield, share the same runways. During the boom of commercial aviation in
4560-399: The route on April 3. Throughout its history, Sabena had a long tradition of service to African destinations and for a long time, these were the only profitable routes served by the airline. Sabena used land planes for its Congo operations and a program of aerodrome construction was initiated in the Congo. This was finished in 1926 and Sabena immediately began flights within the Belgian colony,
4636-554: The same period, there were experiments with helicopter passenger service using Sikorsky S-58 aircraft from Brussels to Antwerp, Rotterdam, Eindhoven and the Paris heliport at Issy-les-Moulineaux . 1960 saw the introduction of the Boeing 707-320 intercontinental jet for trans-Atlantic flights to New York. SABENA was mainland Europe's first airline to operate a jet across the Atlantic ( BOAC had been flying jet transatlantic services using
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#17327803486134712-456: The same route, starting one month after Pegasus terminated its operations at the airport. One day later, Ryanair announced the opening of a second Belgian base at Brussels Airport, giving a boost to low-cost traffic at Brussels Airport. Ryanair announced on 27 November 10 new routes from Brussels Airport, although Brussels-South Charleroi Airport will remain the low-cost carrier's primary Belgian base. Drinking water fountains are found all over
4788-535: The so-called Diabolo line was opened for public service on 10 June 2012. The Diabolo project is a public-private partnership . It has been decided that all rail passengers to the Brussels Airport-Zaventem railway station pay a "Diabolo supplement" to finance the ongoing and planned work. As of December 2014, a direct train link between Bruges and the Airport will be offered, just as an Intercity service to Schiphol and Amsterdam . Since
4864-838: The time of the airline's existence, Sabena also operated these aircraft: [REDACTED] Media related to Sabena at Wikimedia Commons Brussels Airport Brussels Airport ( Dutch : Luchthaven Brussel , French : Aéroport de Bruxelles ) ( IATA : BRU , ICAO : EBBR ) is the main international airport of Belgium . It is located in the municipality of Zaventem in Flemish Brabant , 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) northeast of Brussels . Also informally known as Brussels-National Airport ( Luchthaven Brussel-Nationaal , Aéroport de Bruxelles-National ) or Brussels-Zaventem Airport ( Luchthaven Brussel-Zaventem , Aéroport de Bruxelles-Zaventem ), Brussels Airport handled more than 26 million passengers in 2019, making it
4940-513: The type) and the Junkers Ju 52/3m airliner (it had five). Sabena also had just taken delivery of two Douglas DC-3s . During the war, the airline maintained its Belgian Congo routes, but all European services ceased. After the war, in 1946 Sabena resumed operating a network of intra-European scheduled services. The fleet initially consisted mainly of Douglas DC-3s. There were thousands of surplus Douglas C-47 Skytrains (the military variant of
5016-406: The weekend. In 1938, the airline purchased the new Savoia-Marchetti SM.83 , a development of the S.M. 73 with a speed of 435 km/h (270 mph), although it flew services at a cruising speed of about 400 km/h (250 mph). At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Sabena's fleet totalled 18 aircraft. Its mainstay fleet type was the Savoia-Marchetti SM.73 airliner (it had 11 of
5092-912: The works would be delayed. However, in November 2015, Brussels Airport announced a major 550 million euro investment and pointed out that within this investment the extension of the pier is included. Just as is the case for Pier A West, the construction of a new low-cost pier is currently on hold. It will be built roughly where the old south pier used to be. At present, several low-cost airlines including Ryanair and Wizz Air fly to Brussels-South Charleroi Airport , 40 km (25 mi) away from Brussels. In autumn 2013, low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines announced it would end its flights between Brussels Airport and Turkey . The service between Brussels and Istanbul–Sabiha Gökçen would relocate to Brussels-South Charleroi Airport. However, Turkish Airlines announced on 26 November 2013 it would offer one daily flight on
5168-567: Was an increase of 3.7% over the previous year. Sabena's demise meant a sharp fall in passenger traffic, a blow from which the airport only slowly recovered. The airport's future is threatened by disagreement between the governments of Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region concerning night-time air traffic routes. In March 2009, the old mechanical Flight information display systems were replaced by electronic ones. In September 2009, CEO Wilfried Van Assche resigned. One of
5244-575: Was created by Belgian law through a merger of BATC with the ground operations departments of the RLW/RVA. Since 2011, the airport has been owned by the Toronto -based Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (39%), Macquarie Group (Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund I and Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund III) (36%) and the Belgian State (25%). On 22 March 2016, the airport's departures hall
5320-437: Was extended to Basel (Switzerland) on 10 June 1924. Amsterdam (Netherlands) was added on 1 September 1924, and Hamburg (Germany) followed on 1 May 1929 via Antwerp , Düsseldorf and Essen . When Sabena was created, the airline was partly funded by Belgians in the Belgian Congo colony who had lost their air service, an experimental passenger and cargo company ( LARA ) between Léopoldville , Lisala , and Stanleyville
5396-755: Was in the Air Terminus building on Rue Cardinal Mercier in Brussels . In 1994, Paul Rusesabagina , a manager for Sabena-owned hotels in the former Belgian territory of Rwanda , sheltered over 1200 Tutsis and moderate Hutus at the Hôtel des Mille Collines of Kigali , saving them from being slaughtered by the Interahamwe militia during the Rwandan genocide (this is depicted in the 2004 motion picture Hotel Rwanda ). When Swissair took over management of
5472-514: Was in the Sabena House on the grounds of Brussels Airport. When it existed, Virgin Express had its head office in Building 116 in Zaventem. SN Brussels , which formed in 2002, had its head office in Airport Building 117 in Zaventem when it existed. Prior to its disestablishment, Sobelair had its head office in Building 45 in Zaventem. CityBird was based in building 117D. The cargo airline Cargo B Airlines had its head office in
5548-628: Was liquidated in March 2002. The flight schedule of Sabena published in March 2001 comprised 33 cities in Europe, 17 in Africa, 6 in North America, and 4 in Asia. In addition to its air destinations, Sabena also had a ground shuttle service between Valenciennes , France, and Brussels Airport . Sabena's fleet consisted of the following aircraft at the time of the bankruptcy in November 2001: During
5624-401: Was replaced by the "Connector", a new building that links both piers above ground and allows passengers to walk straight from the check-in desk to their gate in pier A or B, without changing floors. In the opposite direction, the building provides arriving passengers with a smooth and convenient passage to the baggage reclaim hall and the exit. Furthermore, border control has been relocated behind
5700-501: Was severely damaged by two terrorist bomb blasts . The airport was closed until 3 April 2016, when it was reopened with temporary facilities at less than 20% of its previous capacity. It has since returned to full operations, with a record of 90,000 passengers on 29 July 2016. The origins of Brussels Airport at Zaventem date back to 1940, when the German occupying force claimed 600 ha (1,500 acres) of agricultural fields reserved as
5776-564: Was the Fokker F.VII B with a lesser number of smaller Fokker VIIA and 14 Handley-Page types. It also flew British Westland Wessex aircraft. Sabena occasionally flew to tropical Africa, Belgium's Congo colony, but mostly these aircraft were shipped out. There was no direct flight yet between Belgium and the colony. As the 1930s progressed, Sabena cooperated with Air France and Deutsche Luft Hansa , which also had interests in routes to destinations across Africa. Sabena's first long-haul flight to
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