Brussels Airlines announces additional flight cancellations for March and a reduced timetable for April 2020
- The airline adapts its flight offer following national governments travel restrictions
- Additional flight cancellations in March
- Structurally reduced timetable for the month of April (-45%)
- Brussels Airlines to adapt its flight offer to and from the US as of 14 March
- First economic measures launched for employees across the entire company
Network Updates
Due to the exceptional circumstances caused by the spread of the coronavirus, Brussels Airlines is forced to cancel additional flights for the month of March and to operate a reduced flight schedule in the month of April. With this measure, the Belgian airline adapts her offer to reflect the travel restrictions imposed by many countries around the world, leading also to a severe decline in demand for air travel.
In total, Brussels Airlines reduces its flight offer in March by 35% and in April by 45%.
Following the recent announcement of the US Department of Homeland Security on travel restrictions to the US, Brussels Airlines has no other option than temporarily suspending all its flights to New York JFK as from 14 March until further notice. Until further notice, the Belgian airline continues operating its four weekly frequencies to Washington. New York continues to be served by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group, via Frankfurt and Zurich.
Due to government travel restrictions to/from Israel and Italy, Brussels Airlines is forced to temporarily suspend all flights to and from these countries until respectively 28 March and 3 April.
The flight cancellations are being implemented in the booking systems. Passengers whose flight is cancelled will be informed of the changes and rebooking options throughout the day.
In order to respond to the need of its customers for more flexibility in the current circumstances, Brussels Airlines offers greater flexibility to change travel plans. All the latest information on rebooking and refund options can be found on brusselsairlines.com.
Flight schedule adjustments for the period after 30 April will be decided at a later date with the aim to offer Brussels Airlines guests a reduced, but stable flight plan in the weeks to come.
Brussels Airlines passengers who are planning to travel in the coming weeks are recommended to check the current status of their flight on brusselsairlines.com before departure.
Economic measures
As a consequence of the dramatic coronavirus outbreak and the reduction of its flight offer, Brussels Airlines launches first economic measures for its personnel to limit the negative financial impact on the company. The Belgian airline launches partial temporary technical unemployment across the entire company as of 16 March.