Brussels Airlines freezes A330 fleet at 11

Brussels Airlines said on August 4 that it will keep its long-haul fleet at 11 Airbus A330s after reporting an adjusted EBIT loss of 70 million euros for the first six months of 2026. The Belgian carrier said it will also stop relying on wet-leased airBaltic aircraft for the 2027 summer season. The decisions pull back from previously planned growth after a first half hit by higher fuel prices, weaker demand linked to an Ebola outbreak in parts of East Africa, and strikes by third parties. Brussels Airlines is part of Lufthansa Group and operates from Brussels with a network that is especially focused on sub-Saharan Africa. ### Why did Brussels Airlines stop at 11 A330s? Brussels Airlines said discussions with Lufthansa Group led it not to add the two Airbus A330 aircraft that had been planned for delivery in 2027, leaving the long-haul fleet at 11 aircraft. The airline had added its eleventh A330 in April 2025 as part of an earlier expansion of its Africa-focused long-haul network. (press.brusselsairlines.com) The company did not present the fleet decision as a retreat from long-haul flying already in operation. Brussels Airlines said it remains optimistic for the rest of 2026 and said summer performance will be crucial to achieving a positive full-year result. (aviator.aero) ### What pushed the airline to a 70 million euro first-half loss? Brussels Airlines reported adjusted EBIT of minus 70 million euros for the first half of 2026, compared with a first-half loss of 46 million euros a year earlier. The carrier said fuel costs rose by 64 million euros from the same period last year. (press.brusselsairlines.com) The airline said an Ebola outbreak reported in some regions in East Africa during May reduced travel demand and created operational complications through crew-scheduling and destination restrictions imposed by some countries. Brussels Airlines also said national manifestations against Belgian government policies disrupted Brussels Airport in March and May, while a strike by Belgian air traffic controllers in early June halted all flight movements in Belgium for several hours. (press.brusselsairlines.com) Those third-party disruptions had a negative earnings impact of 3 million euros, the company said. ### Did operations weaken along with earnings? Brussels Airlines said operations improved even as earnings deteriorated. The carrier transported 4.5 million passengers on 34,200 flights in the first six months of 2026, up 8.1% and 5.5% respectively from a year earlier, while revenue rose 9.5%. (press.brusselsairlines.com) The airline also said irregularity cost per passenger fell 16% and customer satisfaction improved. Those figures suggest the pressure came from external costs and disruptions rather than a collapse in traffic. That reading is based on the company’s own breakdown of the half-year results. (press.brusselsairlines.com) ### What was the airBaltic arrangement, and what changes now? AirBaltic’s investor materials define ACMI, or wet lease, as an arrangement in which one airline provides aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance to another carrier. Brussels Airlines had been using four airBaltic Airbus A220-300 aircraft under a wet-lease agreement that runs through the end of October 2026. (press.brusselsairlines.com) Brussels Airlines said those four aircraft will not return for the 2027 summer season. Aviation Week reported earlier that Lufthansa Group and airBaltic had signed a three-year agreement covering four A220-300s for Brussels Airlines starting in 2025. ### How big is Brussels Airlines now? (investors.airbaltic.com) Brussels Airlines said its fleet currently consists of 46 aircraft. The carrier said it serves more than 90 destinations worldwide, including 18 in sub-Saharan Africa, from its hub at Brussels Airport. October 2026 is the next concrete milestone in the capacity plan, because the four airBaltic wet-leased aircraft are scheduled to operate for Brussels Airlines only through the end of that month. (aviator.aero) The next longer-dated fleet marker is 2027, when the two previously planned A330 additions will no longer arrive and the long-haul fleet is set to remain at 11 aircraft. (brusselsairlines.com)