It has long been regarded as the 'ugly duckling' of the Lufthansa Group. But for the second year running, Brussels Airlines posted a profit. And this year should even see the biggest growth in capacity of the entire Lufthansa Group.
It had been a difficult start to the year, but the carrier's strategy has paid off. Brussels Airlines has boosted its profitability: the number of flights fell by 2% but the number of seats rose by 1%. The addition of a new Airbus A330 long-haul aircraft to the fleet made a major contribution to this result.
And so, Brussels Airlines closed its 2024 financial year with earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of €59 millionThis represents an increase of 11% over 2023.
"We faced a number of challenges, particularly in the first half of the year, which prevented us from operating as planned. However, the second half of 2024 has been very positive. In 2025 demand also remains high and we have ambitious growth plans ", said Nina Öwerdieck, Chief Financial OfficerBrussels Airlines.
The reliability of the Brussels Airlines product also contributed to this good economic performance. According to data analysis by the consultant Cirium, In 2024, Brussels Airlines was the 4th most punctual airline in Europe.
The American consumer platform Airhelp has even named Brussels Airlines "Best airline" worldwide for its balance between punctuality, complaints handling and overall customer experience. This result has in fact reduced the costs associated with irregularities, which are generally penalised by financial compensation to passengers.
For 2025, the Belgian carrier plans to gradually increase its capacity to reach its target margin of 8 %. This will mean more flights for passengers.
Brussels Airlines will add two aircraft to its own fleet (an Airbus A330 for long-haul flights and an Airbus A320 for short and medium-haul flights). At the same time, the company will use four Airbus A220s leased from Air Balticduring the summer season. The Latvian airline has become a major supplier of additional aircraft and crew to the Lufthansa Group. This positioning has been boosted by Lufthansa's recent acquisition of 10% of shares in Air Baltic.
The Latvian airline's aircraft will be flying over the summer 20 destinations, including the Brussels-Lyon and Brussels-Nice routes.
This makes Brussels Airlines the fastest-growing airline in the Lufthansa Group.
2025 celebrates 100 years of air transport between Africa and Belgium
In 2025, Brussels Airlines celebrates 100 years of air transport between Belgium and the African continent. It is an important testament to the enduring link between Brussels Airlines and Africa. For the Belgian airline, its vast network in sub-Saharan Africa will always be part of its DNA.
For the summer of 2025, the carrier will provide 56 weekly flights toSub-Saharan AfricaThis represents an increase of 10 % compared with summer 2024. One of the new features for 2025 is the operation of a daily non-stop flight between Brussels and Kinshasa in around 8 hours and 15 minutes by Airbus A330-300.
Brussels Airlines plans to renovate The LoftBrussels Airport's award-winning Zone A lounge. The airline is also working on new cabins for its long-haul fleet, to be introduced from 2027.
Nevertheless, from this year onwards, passengers in all classes on long-haul flights will benefit from product improvements such as more beverage options in economy class or a new service concept in business class. More details will follow soon.
