Brussels Airlines’ management has announced to its employees that the company will postpone the extension of its flight schedule in August due to its worsening financial situation. The company’s outlook remains uncertain in large part due to a delay experienced in reaching an agreement between parent company Lufthansa and the Belgian government regarding financial aid.
The company was expected to expand its capacity of both short- and long-distance flights as of next month but a spokesperson for the company stated that the airline, which currently flies with 21 short- and medium-haul Airbus A319/A320 aircraft and two A330 long-haul planes, will not add three A330s to the operational fleet on August 1st as originally planned.
The decision is seen as a precautionary measure to make sure the company can continue to operate its current flight schedule, Brussels Airlines told Flemish news outlet De Standaard.
“Since our financial situation is deteriorating, we are postponing the expansion of the planned capacity,” the company’s CEO said. Roughly 7,000 passengers scheduled to in the first week of August were affected. “An alternative solution will be found for them,” said the spokesperson.
As of today, Brussels Airlines expects to be able to resume its long haul flights the second week of August.