Brussels Airlines is to cancel 900 flights in February and March, the company has announced, because of travel restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The airline is having trouble filling flights in the first place,because of the international situation, with many destinations insisting on proof of negative tests, or imposing quarantine restrictions on new arrivals.
In addition, many passengers who have already booked flights are cancelling for similar reasons: the situation today might make a flight possible, but the coming days and weeks could see the situation change radically.
Compared to the same period in 2019, before the pandemic really took hold, the number of planned flights was already down. Now, the company explained, only 7% of 2019’s level of flights will take place in February, rising to 12% in March – 900 fewer flights in all.
Some destinations disappear completely: Rome, Vienna, Barcelona and Göteborg.
“The number of passengers who currently have reservations on these flights does not allow an economic or ecological justification for these flights to continue,” said an airline spokesperson.
Last month Brussels Airlines announced its provisional plans for flights during the summer of this year, including some new destinations and changes to frequencies to popular destinations including the Greek and Balearic islands.
During the spring school holidays in the second half of February, 150 flights are cancelled, affected some 4,000 passengers. Passengers whose flights are affected will be contacted, and allowed a refund or a change in reservation.
Flights to African destinations will not be affected. Traffic on those routes is at about 40% of its 2019 level.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
