Brussels Airlines to launch Mumbai link
12 / 08 / 2016
Brussels Airlines is to inaugurate services to Mumbai in March next year, forming its first link to an Asian destination.
The carrier will fly Airbus A330 equipment to the Indian city’s Chhatrapati Shivaji airport five times a week.
With a population of 20 million, Mumbai is amongst the 10 biggest cities in the world. It is home to many important industries, including IT and pharmaceuticals, that look to air cargo for shipping
Furthermore, India is a particularly important trading partner of Belgium’s.
Lars Redeligx, Brussels Airlines’ chief commercial officer, remarked: “The demand for direct flights for passengers as well as for cargo is high.”
And Bernard Gustin, Brussels Airlines’ chief executive, added: “With India, we add an important market to our hub. After the departure of a major Indian player out of Brussels earlier this year, we take our responsibility as the national carrier and we create additional employment for our country.”
Brussels Airlines’ freight load factor decreased year on year by four percentage points in June, falling from 68% to 64%.
The year on year decline, a statement said, was mainly attributable to changes in the carrier’s cargo network: the Nairobi route had been terminated and freight activity on the new Toronto connection, launched in April, was said to be “still developing”.
