Following its takeover by Lufthansa Group late last year, Brussels Airlines (SN, Brussels National) will begin its transition into becoming a budget carrier under the Eurowings Group later this coming winter season.
Belgian aviation portal Luchtzak reports Eurowings (EW, Düsseldorf) will assume select Brussels Airlines' services between Brussels National and Berlin Tegel with the onset of the upcoming winter 2017/18 season. Of the carrier's thirty weekly return services to the German capital, Eurowings will operate its 6x weekly 06h50L and 18h35L departures as codeshares with Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International) using A319-100s wet-leased from Air Berlin (1991) (Berlin Tegel). Brussels Airlines will, in turn, deploy the newly available capacity to increase its services to Bordeaux Mérignac and Rome Fiumicino.
The Belgian carrier was acquired outright by Lufthansa Group late last year as part its push to consolidate its presence in the Belgian market. Under the deal, Brussels Airlines will continue to operate long-haul and regional European flights under the ‘Brussels Airlines’ brand albeit with the added title of 'Member of the Eurowings Group'.
Lufthansa Executive Board member Karl Ulrich Garnadt said in October 2016 that the German carrier group would take the whole of 2017 to study and consider its options insofar as the future of the Brussels Airlines brand is concerned. As such, a decision is expected by year-end with the first visible changes, if any, to occur in 2018.
