Brussels Airlines posted an adjusted operating loss of €70 million in the first six months of the year, 50% higher than a year earlier, and has scrapped plans to add two Airbus A330 aircraft to its fleet in 2027.
The airline said its first-half performance was hit by several external factors, including high fuel prices, an Ebola outbreak in East Africa and strikes by external parties.
Brussels Airlines carried 4.5 million passengers on 34,200 flights in the first six months of the year, up 8% and 5.5% respectively compared with the same period last year. Revenue rose 9% to €821 million.
Fuel costs were €64 million higher than in the first half of last year, mainly because of the war in the Middle East and their impact on oil prices.
"We have weathered storms before, but the summer is now crucial if we are still to deliver positive results by the end of the year," chief financial officer Nina Öwerdieck said.
She said the airline was operating more flights than last year and should be able to achieve stronger results, provided it can continue to run without major disruption.
Brussels Airlines said it was being forced to act cautiously because its financial results were below expectations, while repeated strikes in Belgium and an uncertain geopolitical situation were also weighing on the outlook.
As a result, the airline has decided not to add two extra Airbus A330 aircraft to its fleet in 2027, reversing an earlier plan.
