This winter will mark the end of TUI Belgium’s long-haul operation from Brussels. The carrier has decided that the routes it operated—typically to leisure destinations across the Atlantic—are no longer commercially viable.
Goodbye, Brussels
The Belgian long-haul era has come to an end for TUI Belgium. In an interview with Dutch aviation news site Luchtvaartnieuws, the company’s Managing Director Arjan Kers said that keeping the operation running no longer makes sense. The airline only currently has one aircraft capable of operating long-haul flights from Brussels, the Boeing 787-8. Kers argues that one plane is simply not enough.
“We only have one long-haul aircraft in Brussels and that is not enough to continue the operation sustainably.”
Photo: Pavel1964 | Shutterstock
This should come as no surprise to TUI, though. Previously, the number of Boeing 787-8s at Brussels Airport operating in the carrier’s colors was higher with as many as three in service. Over time, the airline shifted the Boeing widebodies away from Brussels, primarily to its Dutch division, TUI Netherlands.
The current and past network
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, TUI Belgium will operate to just a handful of long-haul destinations this year before the final plane is withdrawn from service in Brussels. This includes service to Punta Cana (PUJ), Curaçao (CUR), and Cancun (CUN).
Other destinations the airline has served (regularly) over the years include (non-exhaustively):
- Varadero (VRA)
- Santo Domingo (SDQ)
- Miami (MIA)
- Montego Bay (MBJ)
- Zanzibar (ZNZ)
- Orlando-Sanford (SFB)
The carrier used both Boeing 787-8s and Boeing 767-300s to service the long-haul network. The airline has operated long-haul flights from Brussels for about two decades now. The last 767 was phased out in December 2022, per ch-aviation.
Photo: Maxi Perez | Shutterstock
TUI Netherlands has slowly been taking over TUI Belgium’s long-haul fleet. As it stands, the carrier already has the other formerly Belgian Boeing 787 Dreamliner, registered PH-TFJ (and historically OO-LOE). Kers clarified the situation:
“In Brussels, we will focus entirely on medium-haul flights, while our long-haul flights will be concentrated elsewhere within the TUI airlines, supported by growing cross-border sales. We will continue to offer our Belgian customers a range of long-haul destinations through partnerships with other airlines or via nearby airports such as [Amsterdam] Schiphol.”
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The only other major long-haul player based at BRU is Brussels Airlines. The carrier has an expansive network to Africa, and also offers regular service to New York JFK. Transatlantic flights to North America are ensured by the carrier’s joint venture partners United Airlines and Air Canada. Brussels Airlines does not have a significant presence in any other continent.
Replaced by TUI Netherlands
This winter, TUI Netherlands has scheduled flights from Amsterdam to several leisure destinations including:
- Mombasa (MBA)
- Curacao (CUR)
- Cancun (CUN)
- Aruba (AUA)
- Zanzibar (ZNZ)
- Bonaire (BON)
- Montego Bay (MBJ)
It is not unusual for Belgian travelers to connect through Amsterdam for long-haul services. As there are very few options for services to the likes of the Caribbean, South Africa, South America or (to a lesser extent) Asia, both Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle (hubs for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air France) have only benefitted.
TUI will also attempt to attract traffic from Belgium to fly from Amsterdam. Generally speaking, train connections from Brussels to Amsterdam are efficient, affordable and frequent.
Photo: Santi Rodriguez | Shutterstock
From now on, TUI Belgium will only operate shorter flights with its narrowbody fleet. The carrier has a fleet of 21 short and medium-haul planes including:
- 3x ERJ 195 E2s
- 10x Boeing 737-800s
- 6x Boeing 737 MAX 8s
- 2x Boeing 737-700s
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