For the first time on African soil, Air Belgium touched down in South Africa marking a new chapter for the airline.

• Air Belgium has launched a new air service between Brussels, Johannesburg and Cape Town.
• According to the CEO, Air Belgium is planning to offer passengers an experience that is affordable, comfortable, hassle-free, green, and trustworthy.
• The airline will be deploying its modern A330neo on the South Africa route.
• Visit www.sandtontimes.co.za for more stories.

Air Belgium touched down at OR Tambo this week, marking the launch of a direct flight to Brussels from Johannesburg. Flights aboard the airline’s modern A330neo will depart Brussels every Wednesday and Sunday at 7:45pm – arriving in Johannesburg at 7:15am the next day, with continuation to Cape Town.

South Africans heading to Europe will be able to fly from Cape Town International (with a short stop in Johannesburg) or OR Tambo every Monday and Thursday. The flight offers 30 seats in Business Class, 21 seats in Premium Class and 235 Economy Class seats. It is an exciting and important chapter for Air Belgium. But we’re equally thrilled to introduce South Africans to a new airline and an alternative route – and thereby direct access to the heart of Europe.

// Air Belgium CEO, Niky Terzakis

Fares start at R11’569 for an all-in return ticket between Johannesburg and Brussels and passengers are allowed 30 kg baggage allowance free.

Of course, for South Africans the real drawcard is Brussels. Not only is it the gateway to Europe, with high-speed trains connecting the city to hubs like London, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam in a couple of hours, but it is also a destination in its own right, with visitors delighting in its rich heritage, food, culture and Belgian spirit.

// Air Belgium CEO, Niky Terzakis

All cabins are equipped with a wide and diverse range of entertainment. Up to 120 films (both recent releases and classics), documentaries on various destinations, cartoons and TV series. Air Belgium passengers will also be able to access a library of 600 music tracks and a dozen games for all ages. The new ARC map offers all the features of current maps and more: remaining flight time, route, but also information on the country or city overflown, views of the window and cockpit as well as 3D visualisation.

The twice-weekly flights are good news for business travelers as Belgium is currently South Africa’s 6th largest trading partner as well as the Western Cape’s 7th largest European export market. As such, Belgium is ideally positioned to capture the interest of the corporate and government sectors in South Africa.

As for the aircraft, the A330neo is a new-generation aircraft that combines environmental and economical performances offering greater comfort and a unique passenger experience. Making good use of advanced materials, it features new optimised wings more efficient and cost-effective Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and benefits from the newest technologies developed for the A350.

These improvements contribute to reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 25% compared to previous generation aircraft. The new Airspace cabin on the A330neo offers passengers and crew a futuristic design, increased overhead bin space, soothing and soft LED lighting scenarios and advanced in-flight entertainment features. It is the lowest cabin noise level in its category.

The first Air Belgium neo was introduced on the new route between Brussels Airport and Mauritius back in 2021.

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