EconomieBrussel
Luchtconnectiviteit

Veranderen de nieuwe verbindingen van Brussels Airport met Brazilië en Tanzania de businesscase voor Zaventem?

Brussels Airport heeft in dezelfde week twee langeafstandsverbindingen toegevoegd: de Brussels-Sao Paulo-dienst van LATAM, drie keer per week, en de nieuwe rechtstreekse verbinding van Brussels Airlines naar Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Belgium Impulse Editorial·30 June 2026·3 min read·
Goed onderbouwd· 2 primaire bronnen + 1 officieel document · Achtergrondbronnen: 1

In 30 seconden

  • LATAM vliegt drie keer per week Brussels-Sao Paulo en herstelt daarmee na ongeveer 25 jaar een passagiersverbinding tussen Brussel en Zuid-Amerika.
  • Brussels Airlines voegt een rechtstreekse Brussels-Kilimanjaro-dienst toe en versterkt zo zijn op Afrika gerichte langeafstandsnetwerk.
  • Brussels Airport rapporteerde 24,4 miljoen passagiers en 795.000 ton vracht in 2025, tegenover 26,4 miljoen passagiers in 2019.
  • LATAM is sinds 2023 actief in vracht op Brussels Airport en heeft er een Europese vrachthub gevestigd.

Het onderwerp is de jongste intercontinentale netwerkuitbreiding van

Plaats

Brussels Airport

airport adding new intercontinental routes and handling passenger and cargo traffic

Waarom dit belangrijk is

airport adding new intercontinental routes and handling passenger and cargo traffic

About

Brussels Airport is the main international airport of Belgium. It is located in the municipality of Zaventem in Flemish Brabant, 12 km northeast of Brussels. Also informally known as Brussels-National Airport or Brussels-Zaventem Airport, Brussels Airport handled more than 26 million passengers in 2019, making it the 26th-busiest airport in Europe.

. De genoemde operatoren zijn
Organisatie

LATAM Airlines

named operator launching Brussels-Sao Paulo passenger flights

Waarom dit belangrijk is

named operator launching Brussels-Sao Paulo passenger flights

About

Aero 2000 S.A., d/b/a LATAM Airlines Argentina, formerly LAN Argentina, was an airline based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a member of the LATAM Airlines Group. It was the second-largest airline in Argentina at the time it was disbanded.

, dat
Plaats

Brussels

city connected by the new routes and commercial catchment area

Waarom dit belangrijk is

city connected by the new routes and commercial catchment area

About

The City of Brussels is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the French Community of Belgium, the Flemish Region, and Belgium. The City of Brussels is also the administrative centre of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions in its European Quarter.

-Sao Paulo-passagiersvluchten lanceert met Boeing 787-toestellen, en
Organisatie

Brussels Airlines

operator adding the direct link to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania

Waarom dit belangrijk is

operator adding the direct link to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania

About

Brussels Airlines is the flag carrier and largest airline of Belgium, based and headquartered at Brussels Airport. It operates to over 100 destinations in Europe, West Asia, North America and Africa and also offers charter services, maintenance and crew training. It is a member of the Star Alliance as well as the International Air Transport Association. The airline's IATA code SN is inherited from its predecessors, Sabena and SN Brussels Airlines.

, de luchtvaartmaatschappij van
Organisatie

Lufthansa Group

group owning Brussels Airlines

Waarom dit belangrijk is

group owning Brussels Airlines

About

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, trading as Lufthansa Group, is a German aviation holding company. Its principal airline, Lufthansa German Airlines is the flag carrier of Germany. Lufthansa Group is the second-largest airline group in Europe by passengers carried, as well as largest in Europe and fourth largest in the world by revenue.

met basis op Brussels Airport, die
Plaats

Kilimanjaro

destination added by Brussels Airlines

Waarom dit belangrijk is

destination added by Brussels Airlines

About

Mount Kilimanjaro is a large dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at 5,895 m (19,341 ft) above sea level and 4,900 m (16,100 ft) above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano in the Eastern Hemisphere and the fourth most prominent peak on Earth.

in
Plaats

Tanzania

destination country for the new Kilimanjaro link

Waarom dit belangrijk is

destination country for the new Kilimanjaro link

About

Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest, Kenya to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the east, Mozambique and Malawi to the south, Zambia to the southwest, and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.

toevoegt. De luchthavenuitbater is
Organisatie

Brussels Airport Company

private-public airport operator running Zaventem airport

Waarom dit belangrijk is

private-public airport operator running Zaventem airport

About

Brussels Airport Company, afgekort BAC, is de exploitant van Brussels Airport, de nationale luchthaven van België.

, het privaat-publieke bedrijf dat de luchthaven van Zaventem beheert. De zakelijke logica combineert drie markten: Belgische uitgaande vrijetijdsreizen, inkomend toerisme en diasporareizen, en vracht en zakenreizen met hogere waarde. Sao Paulo is de belangrijkste zakelijke luchtvaarttoegangspoort van Brazilië en een overstappunt naar Latijns-Amerika. Kilimanjaro is een toeristische en regionale toegangsroute, met mogelijke linken naar safarireizen, ngo’s en zakelijke mobiliteit in Oost-Afrika.

Achtergrond

BX1 meldde dat Brussels Airport sinds ongeveer 2000 geen rechtstreekse passagiersverbinding met Zuid-Amerika meer had gehad. Die leemte is relevant omdat de geschiedenis van de Belgische nationale luchtvaartmaatschappij sterk veranderde na de ondergang van

Organisatie

Sabena

former Belgian flag carrier whose collapse affected Brussels’ long-haul network

Waarom dit belangrijk is

former Belgian flag carrier whose collapse affected Brussels’ long-haul network

About

The Société anonyme belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation aérienne, better known by the acronym Sabena or SABENA, was the flag carrier of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its hub at Brussels Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, SN Brussels Airlines was formed through a takeover of former subsidiary Delta Air Transport and took over part of Sabena's assets in February 2002. SN Brussels Airlines merged with Virgin Express in 2007 to form Brussels Airlines.

in 2001, waardoor Brussel achterbleef met een selectiever langeafstandsnetwerk dan grotere Europese hubs. Het luchtvaartherstel na de pandemie heeft luchthavens ertoe aangezet de connectiviteit opnieuw op te bouwen, maar met meer discipline: luchtvaartmaatschappijen voegen nu doorgaans routes toe waar vliegtuigbenutting, vracht, premiumvraag en alliantieaanvoer de economische logica kunnen ondersteunen.

Context & what happens next

Impact

Regional — De directe regionale impact is het sterkst rond Zaventem, Brussel en Vlaams-Brabant, waar luchthavenjobs, handling, catering, onderhoud, hotels en diensten voor zakenreizen geconcentreerd zijn. Brussel profiteert als commercieel en diplomatiek verzorgingsgebied, terwijl Waalse en Vlaamse bedrijven er nog een langeafstandsvertrekpunt bij krijgen zonder via buurlanden te reizen.

Bronnen en bewijs
Goed onderbouwd · 2 primaire bronnen + 1 officieel document · Achtergrondbronnen: 1
Bewijs verkennen
Brussels Airport Pressroom
official
Gepubliceerd:
12 May 2026, 02:00
Opgehaald door ODIN:
30 Jun 2026
Origineel lezen
Brussels Airport destinations page
official
Publicatiedatum niet beschikbaar
Opgehaald door ODIN:
30 Jun 2026
Origineel lezen
Brussels Airport background figures, pressroom profile
official
Publicatiedatum niet beschikbaar
Opgehaald door ODIN:
30 Jun 2026
Origineel lezen

Stemmen & reacties

What the main actors are doing

Reported positions, summarised — not direct quotations

Brussels Airport Company en routeontwikkelingsteams

Het luchthavenmanagement zal de toevoegingen van Brazilië en Tanzania zien als bewijs dat Brussel ondanks concurrentie van grotere hubs nog altijd selectieve langeafstandsroutes kan binnenhalen. Hun argument is dat passagiersvluchten, vrachtcapaciteit en zakenreizen elkaar versterken, vooral waar Brussel beschikt over een diplomatiek, farmaceutisch, logistiek en diasporaverzorgingsgebied.

Omwonenden en milieugroepen

Gemeenschappen rond Zaventem en klimaatorganisaties zullen nieuwe langeafstandsvluchten waarschijnlijk beoordelen op basis van lawaai, uitstoot en bezorgdheden over nachtoperaties. Voor hen moet de businesscase worden afgewogen tegen luchthavenhinder en de klimaatverbintenissen van België, zeker als groei afhankelijk is van meer intercontinentaal vliegverkeer.

Passagiers en Belgische reisbedrijven

Reizigers en agentschappen verwelkomen mogelijk rechtstreekse opties, maar blijven prijsgevoelig. Als tarieven duidelijk hoger liggen dan alternatieven met één overstap via Amsterdam, Parijs, Frankfurt, Lisbon of Istanbul, kunnen de routes eerder zakenreizigers en kopers die gemak zoeken bedienen dan budgetbewuste gezinnen.

The story, connected

Explore the people, places and ideas in this story

Go beyond the headline. Open a card for sourced context, maps, official links and the other subjects connected to this report.

Plaatsen

Brussels Airport

airport adding new intercontinental routes and handling passenger and cargo traffic

In this story

airport adding new intercontinental routes and handling passenger and cargo traffic

Background

Brussels Airport is the main international airport of Belgium. It is located in the municipality of Zaventem in Flemish Brabant, 12 km northeast of Brussels. Also informally known as Brussels-National Airport or Brussels-Zaventem Airport, Brussels Airport handled more than 26 million passengers in 2019, making it the 26th-busiest airport in Europe.

Plaatsen

Brazil

destination country for the new Sao Paulo link

In this story

destination country for the new Sao Paulo link

Background

Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is also the world's fifth-largest country by area and the seventh-largest by population, with over 213 million people. Brazil is a federation composed of 26 states and a Federal District, which hosts the capital, Brasília. Its most populous city is São Paulo, followed by Rio de Janeiro.

Plaatsen

Tanzania

destination country for the new Kilimanjaro link

In this story

destination country for the new Kilimanjaro link

Background

Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest, Kenya to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the east, Mozambique and Malawi to the south, Zambia to the southwest, and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.

Organisaties

LATAM

operator of the Brussels-Sao Paulo service and cargo user at Brussels Airport

In this story

operator of the Brussels-Sao Paulo service and cargo user at Brussels Airport

Background

Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish and Portuguese.

Organisaties

Brussels Airlines

operator adding the direct link to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania

In this story

operator adding the direct link to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania

Background

Brussels Airlines is the flag carrier and largest airline of Belgium, based and headquartered at Brussels Airport. It operates to over 100 destinations in Europe, West Asia, North America and Africa and also offers charter services, maintenance and crew training. It is a member of the Star Alliance as well as the International Air Transport Association. The airline's IATA code SN is inherited from its predecessors, Sabena and SN Brussels Airlines.

Plaatsen

Kilimanjaro

destination added by Brussels Airlines

In this story

destination added by Brussels Airlines

Background

Mount Kilimanjaro is a large dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at 5,895 m (19,341 ft) above sea level and 4,900 m (16,100 ft) above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano in the Eastern Hemisphere and the fourth most prominent peak on Earth.

Plaatsen

Brussels

city connected by the new routes and commercial catchment area

In this story

city connected by the new routes and commercial catchment area

Background

The City of Brussels is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the French Community of Belgium, the Flemish Region, and Belgium. The City of Brussels is also the administrative centre of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions in its European Quarter.

Plaatsen

South America

region directly reconnected with Brussels after about 25 years

In this story

region directly reconnected with Brussels after about 25 years

Background

South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern subregion of the Americas.

Plaatsen

Gulf

region referenced as a possible connecting hub

In this story

region referenced as a possible connecting hub

Background

Gulf Province is a province of Papua New Guinea located on the southern coast. The provincial capital is Kerema. The 34,472 km2 province is dominated by mountains, lowland river deltas, and grassland flood plains. In Gulf Province, the Kikori, Turama, Purari, and Vailala rivers meet the Papuan Gulf. The province has the second-smallest population of all the provinces of Papua New Guinea with 106,898 inhabitants.

Plaatsen

Africa

region central to Brussels Airlines’ long-standing positioning

In this story

region central to Brussels Airlines’ long-standing positioning

Background

Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 including adjacent islands, it covers around 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surface area. With nearly 1.4 billion of the world's human population, Africa's population is the youngest among all the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4.

Plaatsen

East Africa

region made more directly accessible by the Tanzania link

In this story

region made more directly accessible by the Tanzania link

Background

East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the region is recognized in the United Nations Statistics Division scheme as encompassing 18 sovereign states and 4 territories.

Plaatsen

Amsterdam Schiphol

larger hub competing with Brussels Airport

In this story

larger hub competing with Brussels Airport

Background

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, known informally as Schiphol Airport, is the main international airport of the Netherlands, and is one of the major hubs for the SkyTeam airline alliance. It is located 9 kilometres southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer in the province of North Holland. It was the world's fifth busiest airport by international passenger traffic in 2024.

Plaatsen

Paris Charles de Gaulle

larger hub competing with Brussels Airport

In this story

larger hub competing with Brussels Airport

Background

Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport, also known as Roissy Airport, is the primary international airport serving Paris, the capital of France. The airport opened in 1974 and is located in Roissy-en-France, 23 km (14 mi) northeast of the city centre of Paris. It is named after World War II leader and French president Charles de Gaulle, whose initials form its IATA airport code.

Plaatsen

Frankfurt

larger hub competing with Brussels Airport

In this story

larger hub competing with Brussels Airport

Background

Frankfurt am Main, usually shortened to Frankfurt, is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 778,589 inhabitants as of 2025 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the foreland of the Taunus on its namesake river Main, the city forms a continuous conurbation with Offenbach am Main; its urban area has a population of more than 2.7 million.

Organisaties

LATAM Airlines

named operator launching Brussels-Sao Paulo passenger flights

In this story

named operator launching Brussels-Sao Paulo passenger flights

Background

Aero 2000 S.A., d/b/a LATAM Airlines Argentina, formerly LAN Argentina, was an airline based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a member of the LATAM Airlines Group. It was the second-largest airline in Argentina at the time it was disbanded.

Organisaties

Lufthansa Group

group owning Brussels Airlines

In this story

group owning Brussels Airlines

Background

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, trading as Lufthansa Group, is a German aviation holding company. Its principal airline, Lufthansa German Airlines is the flag carrier of Germany. Lufthansa Group is the second-largest airline group in Europe by passengers carried, as well as largest in Europe and fourth largest in the world by revenue.

Organisaties

Brussels Airport Company

private-public airport operator running Zaventem airport

In this story

private-public airport operator running Zaventem airport

Background

Brussels Airport Company, afgekort BAC, is de exploitant van Brussels Airport, de nationale luchthaven van België.

Plaatsen

Latin America

region connected through Sao Paulo

In this story

region connected through Sao Paulo

Background

Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish and Portuguese.

Organisaties

Sabena

former Belgian flag carrier whose collapse affected Brussels’ long-haul network

In this story

former Belgian flag carrier whose collapse affected Brussels’ long-haul network

Background

The Société anonyme belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation aérienne, better known by the acronym Sabena or SABENA, was the flag carrier of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its hub at Brussels Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, SN Brussels Airlines was formed through a takeover of former subsidiary Delta Air Transport and took over part of Sabena's assets in February 2002. SN Brussels Airlines merged with Virgin Express in 2007 to form Brussels Airlines.

Plaatsen

Flemish Brabant

area where airport-related jobs and services are concentrated

In this story

area where airport-related jobs and services are concentrated

Background

Flemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also surrounds the Brussels-Capital Region. Its capital is Leuven. It has an area of 2,118 km2 (818 sq mi) which is divided into two administrative districts containing 65 municipalities.

Verder lezen

Mogelijk gemaakt door ODIN™Een creatie van Ordinis · © 2026 Ordinis

Dit artikel is samengesteld uit gecontroleerd bewijs, met bronnen en redenering vastgelegd tijdens het schrijven.

methodologie.