When beleaguered Belgian flag carrier Sabena collapsed in 2001, the country found itself without a national airlime for the first time since 1923. Filling the gap were Virgin Express and SN Brussels Airlines, which was formed from former Sabena subsidiary Delta Air Transport and some of the defunct airline’s assets. In 2007, the two airlines combined to form Brussels Airlines, using Sabena’s IATA code, and began the process of rebuilding one of the world’s most storied airlines. Today, Brussels Airlines is part of the Lufthansa Group and by extension, Star Alliance, and serves over 100 destinations in North America, Europe, and Africa. One of these is Stockholm, where we’re flying from to the airline’s home in, well…Brussels.
Server: Solo
Airline: Brussels Airlines
Aircraft: Airbus A319-100
Origin: Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Sigtuna Municipality, Sweden (ARN)
Destination: Brussels Airport, Zaventem, Belgian (BRU)
Flight Number: SN2292
Route: ESSA-EBBR
Seat: 7F (Economy)
Time En Route: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
Boarding at Gate E3 at Terminal 5. T5 handles the majority of international flights in and out of Stockholm, which means narrowbodies are often parked wingtop to wingtip with enormous widebody airliners.
Pushing back into the alley under the watchful eye of Stockholm ATC. Our aircraft today is 1 of 14 A319-100s in the SN fleet, which in the coming years are due to be replaced with more modern and fuel-efficient A320neos.
Taxiing by the local airport fire station. It’s a good thing when it’s a slow day here, otherwise that usually means Capital-C Catastrophe. Such is the degree to which air travel has improved its safety record that one can go years working in the fire department at a major airport and the most exciting thing to happen is a runway overrun of a large airliner or giving a water cannon salute for a visting head of state.
Brussels or bust! With a light fuel load, we don’t take much runway at all to get airborne.
Climbing over east-central Sweden as we make for 36,000 feet. The seats are decently comfortable for what they are, which is economy on an aging narrowbody that’s due to be replaced. Still 2 standard deviations ahead of most low-cost-carriers in the States, though.
Looking at the Netherlands from just across the border over Germany as we make our initial descent into Brussels
Smooth landing in Belgium with Brussels Tower in the background
Taxiing by the A Gates
Disembarked before going to get our bags. With all the time zone changes, we’re worn out, and so we’ll be spending the night in Brussels before going down to Munich with Lufthansa.
