Brussels Airlines expands its long-haul fleet with the addition of an additional Airbus A330 and expands its operations in sub-Saharan Africa for the 2024 summer season, the company’s most important market. Brussels (BRU) is the Lufthansa Group’s main hub focused on the African market. The Belgian airline is scheduled to start a new service to Kenya, bringing the number of the carrier’s destinations in sub-Saharan Africa to 18.
Brussels Airlines will fly between Brussels and Nairobi from June 2024; the airline previously operated in the Kenyan capital between 2002 and 2015. This service will have a technical stopover in Kigali, which will increase service to Rwanda to daily flights.
“With the addition of Nairobi to our network, daily frequencies to Kigali and additional flights to West Africa, we offer more choice than ever to our passengers traveling to and from Africa. The tenth intercontinental aircraft is a clear sign of the Lufthansa Group’s confidence in Brussels Airlines and reinforces our role as a hub to Africa for the Group,” Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO, Brussels Airlines.
During the summer season the Brussels-Nairobi route will have a schedule of six flights per week and for the winter schedule it will have four flights per week. With the addition of the extra A330, the airline will hire around 60 pilots, cabin crew and ground staff. For the winter schedule, Brussels Airlines plans to add a direct flight to Dakar and an additional rotation to Banjul/Conakry and Monrovia/Freetown.
With the existing connection between Frankfurt and Nairobi operated by Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines’ new service will bring the Lufthansa Group’s weekly number of flights to the Kenyan capital to 13 in the summer season and 11 in the winter season.
“I am pleased that we continue to grow our presence in Kenya, which underlines Lufthansa Group’s commitment to Kenya and the region as a whole. With the addition of Brussels Airlines’ six weekly flights to Nairobi, Lufthansa Group will offer 18 weekly connections to Kenya by summer 2024, including daily flights by Lufthansa to the capital and five direct weekly flights by Discover Airlines to Mombasa,” said Kevin Markette, CEO East Africa, Lufthansa Group.
Summer schedule between Brussels and Nairobi
- Brussels – Nairobi Flight SN 491 BRU 10:20 – NBO 22:30 (via Kigali) Wednesday and Sunday.
- Nairobi – Brussels Flight SN 491 NBO 23:40 – BRU 07:56 Wednesday and Sunday.
- Brussels – Nairobi Flight SN 481 BRU 10:20 – NBO 19:35 Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
- Nairobi – Brussels Flight SN 482 NBO 22:30 – BRU 06:45+1 Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
Winter schedule between Brussels and Nairobi
- Brussels – Nairobi Flight SN 491 BRU 09:45 – NBO 22:50 (via Kigali) Wednesday and Sunday.
- Nairobi – Brussels Flight SN 491 NBO 23:40 – BRU 07:56 Wednesday and Sunday.
- Brussels – Nairobi Flight SN 481 BRU 10:20 – NBO 19:35 Monday and Friday.
- Nairobi – Brussels Flight SN 482 NBO 22:30 – BRU 06:45+1 Monday and Friday.
