05/06/2020
As of the 15th of June, international travel will again be possible. Brussels Airport, Brussels Airlines and TUI are looking forward to the restart and are ready to welcome passengers and have them travel in the safest and most comfortable conditions. Both at the airport and on board the necessary precautionary measures are implemented to guarantee safe travel, from the moment passengers arrive at Brussels Airport until they reach their destination. Brussels Airlines will resume flights as of 15 June to 20 destinations which will gradually be increased to 59 destinations in the summer months. TUI will resume its flights as of the 1st of July and will be operating flights to 70 destinations in the second half of the month.
Brussels Airport, Brussels Airlines and TUI, together with their partners, are ready to receive more passengers in all safety, now international travel is about to be allowed again. This summer, passengers will be able to fly from Brussels Airport to some hundred destinations. The larger part of these will be served by home carriers Brussels Airlines and TUI.
Passengers will be able to travel in the safest conditions. The precautionary measures that are already implemented at Brussels Airport, including those that help people to observe social distancing, will be strengthened as of 15 June with systematic body temperature checks for all travellers. This way, it is possible to welcome back passengers to their familiar airport in all safety. Now passengers can have a look at the offer and can start making plans.
“These past few months, air travel went through a very rough patch, but together with our partners we are happy to soon be welcoming more passengers again. We have made every effort to fulfil our role as airport in the safest possible conditions, so travellers can start their journey carefree. Together with our partners, we can already offer a nice range of destinations this summer and give people the opportunity to visit friends & relatives abroad, take a short break or discover other countries and cities, or travel for business”, says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport.
A considerable part of this summer’s flight offer will be operated by home carrier Brussels Airlines. The airline resumes its operations on 15 June with flights to 20 destinations and will extend the offer week after week to serve 59 destinations in the summer months. The offer includes destinations in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland. Flights to New York in the USA and a large part of the Africa-bound routes will be resumed as soon as the local authorities authorise them.
“We have planned our summer network to meet the needs of both holidaymakers and business travellers and we will further extend it after the summer in line with market demand. We are extremely happy to resume operations and welcome back our passengers and staff”, says Dieter Vranckx, CEO of Brussels Airlines.
Home carrier TUI will resume flights to 55 destinations as from the beginning of July. By the 17th of July, they should be able to carry out their entire summer program of 72 destinations on the condition of course that the local authorities allow Belgian holidaymakers to enter the country.
“July and August are the traditional holiday months for the Belgians, so we are happy that international travel is allowed again. In our new flight schedule, we have tried to maintain as much as possible of the original flight schedule, so most of the booked vacations can go through as planned. Because of the long period of uncertainty, there is still a large and interesting last-minute offer available for most destinations”, adds Gunther Hofman, Managing Director van TUI fly Western Region. “At the same time, it is important to remind people that it is still unclear when we will be allowed to travel outside of the Schengen Area. For destinations outside Europe we hope for a swift decision on a European level.”
Passengers who travel with Brussels Airlines or TUI are required to wear a face masks that covers mouth and nose from the age of 6 years for the whole duration of the flight, as it isn’t always possible to maintain the social distancing on board. In addition, the airlines will adjust their inflight service to avoid physical contact. Planes will be thoroughly disinfected after every flight so passengers can get on board without having to worry about their safety. Unlike before, the boarding process will be carried out in stages to avoid queueing. Brussels Airlines and TUI will continue to apply a flexible rebooking policy if their customers change their travel plans.