1000th post!

British Airways could have saved them, but there wasn’t enough time and Swissair was refusing the help somehow.
-Sabena went bankrupt because:
-Swissair didn’t pay enough the promised money
-Swissair had too much influence in the company’s behaviour and made them order the 34 Airbusses. The NG 737 would have been a much better choice. They actually needed only 15 to 20 new aircraft to add to the fleet. But nooooo, Swissair wanted fleet commonality.
-Sabena sold more than half of the shares to Swissair. After this was done, the Belgian government refused to give any more money to the airline. They did one last time after the sale, but it wasn’t that much.
-Of course, 11th september 2001.
-Bad management. Reutlinger nor Muller did anyting good. Only Christoph Muller, which I respect, tried to save it, but had an impossible task.
-In total, more than 11.000 people were fired. This was the beginning of the high unemployment level in Belgium, which is now improving again.

Tough I never flown wih them, I now miss the routes they used to fly to. There are connections to here, there, but not everywhere. However, SN Brussels Airlines is now doing a good job.

There are a lot more posters of this advertising campaign, but failed to get one in my room :).

SR and SN should thank warmly Mister Ernest Antoine Seilliere (The French CEO Union Boss) who was involved in this fiasco and who didn’t anything to save them.

This book is written (in Dutch) about, as you can see, the crash of Sabena. Very interesting.

Just found this picture. So this was that specific moment no employee will ever forget.
Also see http://users.pandora.be/sabenapictures/

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Here it is, the last flight arriving from Abidjan via Cotonou. OO-SCZ is A340-300, arriving on November the 7th (day of bankruptcy declaration OR the 8th, I don’t know. After it was parked, many employees climbed over fences. There was nobody of the police that stopped them. around 100-200 people gathered around the plane, formed a circle and gave hands and all screamed SABENA! SABENA! SABENA! all together. This was a very emotional moment. Nobody could keep their tears. After 78 years,
SABENA IS NO MORE.

Want to know more? www.sabena.Be

THE END

congrads on making 1000 mate cool pics well said story of sabena:p 😉 😀 🙂

This A321 is seen at Madrid Barajas in 2001.

In total, Sabena operated 34 aircraft of the A320 family. Three A321’s, six A320’s and twelve A319’s. The total orderbook counted 34 aircraft of these familiy. 21 in total were delivered.

Sabena operated two MD-11’s on a very expensive lease. This was one of the worse decisions they ever made, it cost them millions to train the crew for it (previously working on 747 or airbus). These aircraft were operated to Johannesburg and had nothing of Inflight entertainment on board (maybe it did for the B class). Instead newspapers were given. The flights to JNB had a load factor of over 70%, but were still a big loss. How do you manage that.
In the picture, it’s trying to kill it’s loved AND hated partner airline. Their worse decision.

The picture…

Landing at Brussels. Sabena (actually Delta Air Transport for the regional routes) had a few BAe 146-200’s, and many Avro RJ 85’s and -100’s. All these aircraft are now flying for SNBA.
Nice aircraft, always liked it.

Sabena lost less than 500 lives in their complete history, making it one of the safest airlines. Most people were killed in the older aircraft, the last fatal accident being a 707 crashed around Brussels because of a failure of the horizontal stabilizer. The pilots kept circling around untill the tanks were empty. Doomed to crash, knowing you’re gonna crash!

This A330-300 (nowadays still flying for SNBA) is landing in Montreal Dorval in September 2001.

Oops. This A342 was coming from JFK when the right main landing gear collapsed, which took half the horizontal stabilizer with it. The crew reacted immediately by shutting down all engines. The aircraft was repaired and then sold to some African airline (the aircraft is now again in other hands.

My favourite 737 series. I assume none of the -500’s was repainted in the new colors.

Well done, nice collection of photos:) 🙂 🙂 🙂

No comment.

One of their major steps into the European regional Industry. The acquisition of Boeing 737-200-300-400-500’s.
This series -400, OO-SYD is seen at Barcelona in 1995.

This B747-100 is seen at JFK in 1974. Whole Belgium was very enthusiast when this beauty landed in the beginning of the 70ies in Brussels. The first 747 visiting Belgium was owned by Pan American, I believe that was in 1971.

This Boeing 737-200 Advanced convertible (only transported passengers), Was the only to be repainted in the new colors. The last 732 was replaced in the year 2000 (not sure).