RE: ALL MEMBERS

I generally like the magazine as it is – a good balance between airports, news, airlines and airliners. Would LOVE to see an article about Brussels Airport, and at one time an article about SABENA would have been nice, but now they’ve gone there would be no point in that.

RE: sabena folds

Yes, I do mean Virgin Express. Their look is cheap, tacky and damned awful. I planned to fly LHR to BRU until I discovered that SABENA had given the routes to Virgin Express, and then I had to go from MAN. Although their planes carry the OO registration, I do not regard them as “proper” Belgian because Virgin is not a Belgian company – it is the company which runs some of the worst trains in Britain!!
Also, I do not think they look like something out of Russia, the Aeroflot planes look smart by comparison Geforce!!!

RE: DAT Flies

Sorry Frank, I didn’t mean any offence there. For English names what about Belgian Airways? Or Royal Belgian Airlines? As long as the name “Virgin” is not in the list, any would be good.:-)

RE: The A-340

I saw a superb example of an A340 in Brussels in September, I just had to get it on video, it was at the terminal before it flew out to Tokyo. I never thought then it would be the last A340 I would see in that superb blue livery.

RE: sabena folds

LAST EDITED ON 15-11-01 AT 11:19 AM (GMT)[p]I have just visited that site, is it some kind of SABENA staff site? That’s the impression I get from the forum registration. I run my own SABENA forum on Yahoo clubs. It has just been broadened to take into account DAT, SOBELAIR and VLM.

RE: AMERICAN AIRLINES CRASH!!!

I read in one of the UK dailies that the engine on that particular A300 had given alot of problems in the past, and on the day of the crash the aircraft had been delayed for about an hour due to an engine problem which needed to be fixed. It brought to mind the Chicago DC10 (I think that was AA but I’m not sure), that aircraft lost an engine straight after take off and crashed. I also saw a TV programme once which more or less implied that General Electric engines have the poorest safety record of any airliner engine.

RE: DAT Flies

LAST EDITED ON 12-11-01 AT 11:04 AM (GMT)[p]When are DAT flying – and where to??? All the DAT flights listed in the UK are showing as cancelled. The slots once used by SABENA at London City have been taken by VLM. As for Ryanair, Easy Jet, Virgin Express etc, I would rather pay ten times the fare to fly with DAT or VLM than consider flying with such tatty airlines. They don’t provide any kind of service, whereas SABENA served nice sandwiches on short flights, handed out ice cream and Belgian chocolates and free Belgian beer (which other airline will provide a free can of Maes?) Belgian slots should go to Belgian airlines. I think it would be wonderful if the name SABENA was kept, it is such a nice name. It would be even nicer if they started flying to the UK.
British Midland have just started Leeds and Manchester to Brussels flights, if that stays the same then I will head down to London City and fly with VLM, either to Brussels or Antwerp.

RE: sabena folds

Loved the tale about Sabena crashing Swissair’s computer!! The obnoxious Swiss airline is still flying while the superb Belgian one has gone, the scenes from Brussels airport were depressing to say the least, with empty check-ins and staff just sat around on the floor as the news broke. I don’t blame them for demonstrating yesterday. If DAT take on the routes that won’t be as bad, they are charming to fly with and at least they were part of Sabena and the main thing is that they are Belgian, not like that dreadful no-frills airline with the awful red planes who took Sabena’s Heathrow route. I am completely with the Belgians on this one, long live VLM and DAT.