The two AirDC BAe 146s remain in storage at Brussels (Dirk Lamarque)
The partnership between Brussels Airlines and Congolese airline Hewa Bora appears to have come to a definitive end. Their project to launch a joint airline, AirDC, that would operate BAe 146s on domestic and regional routes has long been at a standstill, with the two 146s sitting in storage at Brussels for over a year. Now the Congolese airline is reclaiming the traffic rights for the Brussels-Kinshasa route, which it had been operating jointly with Brussels Airlines. Hewa Bora presumably will find another partner to operate the route on its behalf, as the Congolese airline is still on the European Union’s blacklist. As for AirDC, Brussels Airlines remains officially committed to the project, although the team working on it is understood to have been dissolved. “The two planes for airDC are not being sold but they are in storage and can be activated at all times,” stated a Brussels Airlines spokesman.
Recent news items on Brussels Airlines:
- Last Brussels Airlines Avro RJ100 returned to lessor (2017-11-16)
- Brussels Airlines says goodbye to the Avro RJ100 (2017-10-30)
- Brussels Airlines operates last Avro RJ100 service (2017-10-28)
- Brussels Airlines Avro RJ100 fleet down to a single aircraft (2017-09-30)
- Brussels Airlines continues to draw down its Avro RJ100 fleet (2017-05-20)
Recent news items on AirDC:
- Brussels Airlines completes BAe 146 phase-out (2008-11-02)
- AirDC will fly under Belgian licence (2008-10-03)
- First airDC BAe 146 painted (2008-01-11)
- airDC color scheme revealed (2008-01-09)
- Brussels Airlines’ Congo venture to be named AirDC (2007-10-23)