Especially for the first passengers, Brussels Airlines organised a festive check-in for the airline's flight: all travellers were offered sweet treats - legendary Belgian waffles with a variety of toppings, and arriving passengers of the Brussels-Moscow flight in Sheremetyevo were greeted with delicious cupcakes. The first flight of Brussels Airlines was performed on the Aerosmurf liner, a unique aircraft with a livery decorated with the image of the famous Belgian fairy-tale heroes of the Smurfs.

Flights on the route Brussels - Moscow (Sheremetyevo E) - Brussels will be operated by Airbus A319 aircraft four times a week: Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday (arriving at 15:20 Moscow time, departure at 16:40 Moscow time). On the apron of the airport, passengers of the first flight were expected to have a solemn meeting with ribbon cutting and a show program. And, of course, the small Smurf met the small passengers at the ramp.

“The Flights of Brussels Airlines from Sheremetyevo Airport is a new opportunity and a reason to visit a beautiful city and a beautiful country. Literally 3 hours and you are in the capital of Belgium. I am sure that this direction will be demanded by both business passengers and tourists. We are proud that Brussels Airlines has chosen Sheremetyevo and, for its part, will provide the best service of our harbour. And this year, Sheremetyevo was assigned a rating of 5 stars Skytrax. I am sure that this is only the beginning of our large mutually beneficial cooperation,”- said Denis Pashkovsky, Deputy General Director for Commercial Activities of MASH JSC, in a welcoming speech.

 

Brussels Airlines in each direction is trying to find the optimal ratio between business travellers and tourists. Flights to Moscow are going to be performed by A319 aircraft, which provide 4 classes of service. 124 people arrived on the first flight to Moscow, and the representatives of the Lufthansa Group were completely satisfied. Passengers of the flight were citizens of Russia, Italy, Spain and Belgium, speaking in French and Flemish.

Brussels Airlines traditionally tries to add a Belgian flavour to everything. The Smurfs are the animated heroes of Belgium. The airline even has a motto: “we fly one smile further”. During the flight, there are some books  about these heroes distributed on board of the aircraft. Brussels is also a strategic city for business people, and not only for that purpose. This is the political capital of Europe, where there are various institutions. The European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of Europe and the headquarters of large corporations, NATO and 210 embassies, which makes this city the largest in Europe in terms of lobbyism, diplomatic life. Therefore, all roads lead to Brussels.

 “On behalf of the management and staff of Brussels Airlines, I would like to thank Sheremetyevo Airport for such a warm welcome, because it was really warm. We are not the largest airline, but it is symbolic that we were given such a warm welcome on your land. For us, this is not only the transportation of passengers from one point to another, we will act as a symbolic messenger, and now our countries are connected by the air bridge, and together with you, I hope we can make this air bridge stronger. Our task is to act as ambassador of our country and promote its cultural component in Russia. Only 3 hours and the Russians are able to visit Brussels and Belgium. I hope that the success of our enterprise will take place, because this route will connect two business capitals - the capital of Europe and the capital of Russia. I also hope that we will be able to balance the passenger traffic in order to show the beauty of Russia to the Belgians,”- said Frederic Dechamps, General Director of Sales for the Lufthansa Group in Belgium.

The meeting of the first Brussels Airlines flight turned into Belgium Day at Sheremetyevo Airport. On this day, a photo exhibition entitled The Best Views of Brussels, organised by the official travel agency of Brussels, visit.brussels with the support of the Embassy of Belgium in Russia, opened in the art gallery of Terminal E. The photos presented within the framework of the exposition were created by the famous Brussels-based photographer Eric Dane.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium to Russia, Mr. Jean-Arthur Regibault, addressed the guests of the airport with a welcoming speech: «Dear ladies and gentlemen! I am very pleased today to open this photo exhibition dedicated to Brussels, this special city. Brussels is the capital of the European Union, a symbol of the political power of a united Europe. But for me and my compatriots, Brussels is also an incredibly beautiful place. The city, which has the status of the cultural center of Europe, with its beautiful parks, trendy restaurants, cafes and museums. In addition to the famous chocolate and beer, we offer our guests a lot of attractions, with some of which you can meet in this gallery. For Russians, this cozy city is associated primarily with cabbage and Grand Platz. But closer acquaintance with Brussels destroys these stereotypes. In the Belgian capital, everyone will find their own zest. This is once again confirmed by the photographs created by a famous Brussels-based photographer who I invite you to get acquainted with.»

Then, in the conference hall of the Sheremetyevo Museum, a press conference was held, at which representatives of the Lufthansa Group spoke about the activities of Brussels Airlines and answered journalists' questions.

Brussels Airlines has 50 aircraft and 4,000 employees. In 2018, the airline transported 10 million passengers. The route network of Brussels Airlines covers 124 countries of the world, including more than 30 countries of Europe. Brussels is a strategic city in Europe, which many airlines fly to. Brussels Airport accepts 26 million passengers a year and is among the five largest airports in Europe for Star Alliance. The airport provides fast connecting flights - 45 minutes, which allows passengers to quickly reach leading European cities in West Germany, France, the Netherlands, including within 2 hours by train or car, since Belgium is the center of Western Europe.

2 years ago Brussels Airlines launched the Belgium Pass (Belgium Pass) program. This is a rather interesting offer that allows you to buy a return ticket in Belgium for a small amount and at the same time enjoy free trips on all types of public transport for little money, sometimes even for free, and access to 50 different places of interest in 6-7 cities.

Brussels Airlines passengers have access to a program where everything is included and you can flexibly change your ticket to an earlier or later flight. Flight&Relax is a budget offer. The company is also a member of the Lufthansa Miles & more program, but it also has its own frequent flyer program called Loop. You can spend money on it and earn points for every euro, which can then be exchanged for a free flight.

One of the questions raised during the press conference was asked by the journalist AVIA.RU: “Your company, starting flights to Sheremetyevo Airport, is in some kind of isolation from the Lufthansa Group. Was it scary to take such a step and come to the airport, where there are not partners, but competitors? Is Brussels Airlines not such an advanced detachment that must “conduct reconnaissance in force” to determine how suitable the Sheremetyevo airport is to the entire Lufthansa Group?

Sales Director of Lufthansa Group in Russia Dirk Grossman: “I will have to answer this difficult question. The arrival of Brussels Airlines in Sheremetyevo will allow us all to win, because Brussels Airlines is part of the Lufthansa group of companies. And these are Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian and Brussels airlines, which fly to Russia each of their airports. And Brussels Airlines flights to Sheremetyevo will allow us to complement our route network. Moscow is a city of dreams, one might say. It has a large population - about 15 million people. There are 5 football clubs with new stadiums, matches of the Champions League. There is something to see here, so I hope that the flights of our airlines to Moscow airports will serve the good of our countries. We now have 4 flights of Brussels Airlines from Sheremetyevo, but from Domodedovo Lufthansa operates 80 flights a week. The Brussels area, let's say, is not out of our line, it will always be a priority for our Group. Indeed, the forward detachment arrived here today on such a beautiful aircraft with Smurfs. Maybe you are right in something, and this is such intelligence, but not in combat, but as a cultural component. Now the Lufthansa Group of Companies operates from the two largest airports in Moscow. And Lufthansa is the locomotive of growth among European airlines. Our strength is both in unity and in the individuality of the airlines that belong to the Group. Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian are airlines that operate from hubs. We provide convenient transit from Frankfurt, Zurich and Vienna, and Brussels Airlines helps us in terms of African connections. Yes, Brussels Airlines is a flexible forward unit that came to Sheremetyevo. Today was the first step. As Neil Armstrong said, landing on the moon, is a small step for man, but a huge step for humanity. Today, Brussels Airlines made a small step for themselves, but a big step for the Lufthansa Group. ”

The Belgian Day at Sheremetyevo ended with a solemn cutting and eating of the cake, and waving goodbye to the Aerosmurf with a return flight to Brussels.

Photos by Yulia Kuzmina