At the Belgian airline Brussels Airlines, this would mean that no fewer than 3,000 flights would be operated in the coming months (January to March) that actually make no sense, purely to keep the slots. That is what spokeswoman Maaike Andries says.
“A lock is vital to us for survival,” says Andries. “We can’t risk losing those slots.” Brussels Airlines is therefore asking Europe, together with the federal government, to relax the rules.
“Our long-distance network is relatively stable,” Andries adds. “We are currently seeing a sharp drop in bookings, especially at European destinations with a lot of business traffic. But we also know that those flights will pick up again as soon as possible. That’s why we definitely want to keep those slots.”
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