Brussels Airlines' flights could be reduced in the long term as its parent company, German aviation group Lufthansa, is expecting a significant drop in air traffic after the new coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The Lufthansa Board of Directors decided on Tuesday to reduce the group's capacity over time, and announced that the "restructuring of the Belgian subsidiary Brussels Airlines will be intensified," according to the Belga press agency. What that means in practice, is not yet clear.
Lufthansa will also reduce the group's total fleet, disposing of 40 out of its 763 aircraft, both from Lufthansa itself and from its subsidiaries. At the moment, only 60 of these aircraft are in operation, mainly cargos.
Earlier, Lufthansa had also announced that Germanwings, another of its subsidiaries, would be suspended indefinitely.
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A spokesperson of Brussels Airlines, Kim Daenen, is not yet in a position to give any further details about possible downsizing at the company, reports VRT. However, everything depends on the fleet, and she does not think it would be abnormal if adjustments would be made there.
The company has already taken measures such as suspending most flights until 3 May, technical unemployment for staff and securing the cash position, she added.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
