Brussels Airport may open again on Tuesday
Brussels Airport will remain closed at least until Tuesday. After the two bomb explosions in the departure hall on Tuesday morning, the departure hall was damaged. Airlines using the airport currently operate flights from other airports. For example, Brussels Airlines has long-haul flights departing from Frankfurt and Zurich airports.
Airport Zaventem will Tuesday holding an exercise with 800 personnel for a possible reopening of the airport later that day or Wednesday. It is not yet certain that the airport will open on Tuesday if the test passes tomorrow. The police unions demand that additional security measures be taken first.
The agents threaten a strike if security is not improved, writes the Belga news agency. The unions are said to have already called for increased surveillance before the attacks.
Car and luggage
Last Saturday, passengers who had parked the car at Discount Parking 1 & 2 (Brucargo) were allowed to collect the vehicle. Strict rules applied to collecting the car. For example, the vehicle could be picked up by a maximum of one person and laptop bags, backpacks and large (hand) bags were not allowed.
The airport has also launched a large-scale operation to return luggage left behind at the airport on the day of the attacks to passengers. Passengers whose hand luggage and checked hold luggage were already on board at the time of the attack can collect their luggage. The airport has posted a list of flights to which this applies on its website.
It is advisable to fill in a Lost & Found form on the website in advance, so that the airport can more easily hand over the right luggage to the right person.
The remaining baggage cannot yet be returned to passengers. Passengers who were on board an aircraft during the attack and left their luggage in the aircraft are advised to contact the airline.
Tomorrow a test will run at the airport with 800 staff members called up. The temporary check-in desks and related IT will be tested, as well as the passenger flow through the terminal. The latter in particular requires final approval from the federal public prosecutor's office. The airport will therefore almost certainly not be operational tomorrow. People are now talking about “maybe” on Wednesday and “maybe” even later… and then there is also a threat of strike from the police… . I followed everything reasonably well as I normally had to leave tomorrow. I have now had my flight re-routed and am leaving from Schiphol tonight.
Dear readers,
In this regard I have the following question.
I have booked a flight to Brussels on March 31 at 00.35
Have contacted Thai Aiways, but communication with them is very difficult.
They suggest transferring to another airport. This is very difficult and entails significant costs. Who should bear this additional cost? Isn't it true that Thai Airways has to ensure that I get to Brussels?
Who has experience with such a situation or can give me advice?
Many thanks for answer.
Roel
Good morning Roy,
To my knowledge, in every insurance policy the benefits for natural disasters and a number of other things are excluded as this is not the fault of the insured, to put it simply.
Terrorist attacks also belong here, I thought, but whether it is specifically described in those terms…
You could inform your insurance company about this.
If this is the case, then all change costs to be incurred are for Your own account.
LOUISE
Dear Roel,
Under normal circumstances, THAI has a duty to ensure that you get to Brussels. However, you guessed it; this is not normal circumstances, but force majeure. Logically & reasonably, THAI could not have foreseen the attack on Zaventem and has no influence on the decision to keep the airport closed for the time being. So no, THAI has no duty of care here.
You can now do two things; Or you accept THAI's offer and fly to their destination Frankfurt or Paris and from there go to your final destination. That costs you money. Or you cancel, get your money back (not immediately, but after a number of days, weeks, months) and book elsewhere. These are often not the cheapest tickets at such short notice, because that is how the airlines play the game.
You may of course be of the opinion that THAI has a duty. In that case you can try to get compensation via EUClaim, for example. Or at Brussels Airport. But this is really a classic case of force majeure, I understand that it will cause you inconvenience (both time and financially), but THAI will not be liable for it.
If I am not mistaken, EUClaim only applies to European airlines. Thai Airways is not…
We depart on Wednesday with Qatar Airways from Bangkok to Zaventem. We should normally land there on Thursday morning. So far we have not received any message from Qatar Airways reporting any changes. So we wait and keep you posted!
Jan
Leave tomorrow? If you are in Bangkok right now, please contact them as soon as possible or go to their office in Bangkok. Flights to Brussels are 'Cancelled', not diverted! Hopefully there will be an alternative immediately, as long as it itself is not fully booked… Going to the airport in time and going straight to their counter also seems an option to me. But the chance seems really small to me that you will arrive at Brussels Airport on Thursday morning…
Dear All,
For those who think it's important: QATAR helpdesk
02 290 08 50
02 300 24 00
The last number is the easiest to reach.
We leave for Phnom Penh on Sunday.
I will phone Wednesday/Thursday to find out from which airport we will be departing.
Before Thursday I don't really see the airport becoming operational, maybe later.
Tuesday: test run
Wednesday: Getting the necessary permissions to reopen.
Police do not agree to work in the current circumstances.
The weekend would already be half a miracle.
Greetings
Sommeil (living in Zaventem)
We are also trying to book at Thai airways on March 31, our flight this evening did not go through to Brussels, the only thing that has already succeeded is an extension of stay on site, that is also something.
People spoke of Bangkok – Paris, whether there was transport to Brussels was not known.
Our ticket was booked through Connections and no one picks up the phone there, which is incomprehensible weekend or not.
I'll call Connections on Tuesday to see how things are going or what they have to say.
mvg Walter from Jomtien
Last message I saw from Thai Airways via FB is from March 28 at 2048 and says :” Re flight schedule of THAI on 31 March, 2 April and 3 April, TG934/TG95 Bangkok Brussels Bangkok flights are now still scheduled however still unable to reconfirm if flight will be allowed to operate into Brussels Airport. Although airport is planned to re-open this week, there will be very limited flights allowed to fly to Brussels in a first stage as capacity to restart operations is very limited.
THAI is already looking for alternative routes in case these flights are unable to operate into Brussels, we wait for final confirmation and keep you and your travel agent updated.
Please be informed that in case you do not want to take any risk for 31 Mar, 2 and 3 April, you can already rebook your planned flight into Frankfurt, Paris, Munic or Zurich, however transfer to/from these airports must be arranged by your own.
For any departure 31MAR, 2APR, 3 APR Brussels Bangkok, you can rebook by contacting your travel agent where you booked or contact THAI office for online bookings on THAI website or direct bookings at our office. All travel agents in Benelux have received instructions from THAI how they can rebook, subject to seats available. You also can postpone your trip to later date if wanted.
For any return Bangkok Brussels on 31Mar, 2 April, 3 April, which flight you would like to change into other routes or postpone, please contact your travel agent where you have booked the flights to rebook or passengers on holiday in Asia can contact any THAI office where they are located to request rebooking, subject to seats available.
We will keep you informed on final confirmation of flights of 31 March, 2 and 3 April to operate into Brussels or any other regional airport soonest.
Thank you for your kind understanding.
We keep you updated anytime.
Heard through the Flemish media:
If the test goes well today (Tuesday 29 March) and the government gives its approval, flights can take place again later this week. But the airport will only be able to operate at 20% of its normal capacity. The departure hall will not be available yet, so a temporary check-in area will be set up. A solution will also be sought for arriving passengers.
This condition could persist for a longer period of time.
The regional airports are already taking into account that they will have to process extra flights throughout this week.
My wife and I were to depart from Brussels Airport with Austrian Airlines next week… The information on the Austrian Airlines website is valid until next weekend… I will contact the travel agent later, but realize that they either have no idea yet, or will rebook my trip with departure from another airport…
Thai Airways March 29 – 1400
https://www.facebook.com/thaiairways.belux/?notif_t=notify_me_page
Bangkok-Brussels-Bangkok TG934/TG935 of 31 March is confirmed to be rescheduled into Bangkok-Liège airport (LGG)-Bangkok with new schedule as follow:
TG934 Bangkok – Liège: departure on 31 March in Bangkok at 11h00 (Bangkok time) with arrival in Liège on 31 March at 18h30 (Belgium time)
TG935 Liège – Bangkok: departure on 31 March in Liège at 23h00 (Belgium time) with arrival in Bangkok on 1 April at 14h45 (Bangkok time)
In case you do not have any confirmed rebooking yet into Paris or Frankfurt and your booking from/to Brussels still exists, then you will be automatically rebooked into Liège flights and your original ticket will be accepted accordingly at check-in.
If you have a connecting flight in Bangkok, the arrival in Bangkok is now later than original booking, please contact your travel agent to rebook the connecting flight if needed or THAI will contact passengers booked online on THAI website.
In case you have been rebooked already, please keep this rebooking or contact your travel agent if you want to change to Liège flights, subject to seats available. You can only travel on Liège flights with confirmed booking from/to Liège.
Please note that for both arrival and departure in Liège, passengers have to arrange their own transport. Liège airport provides free shuttle bus between Liège airport and Liège train station.
For check-in Liège-Bangkok on 31 March, passengers have to arrive at check-in counters minimum 3.5 hours before departure.
I will not post any further update because you can also follow it via the link https://www.facebook.com/thaiairways.belux/?fref=nf
Sorry Daniel, I accidentally placed this comment under your comment, but it is of course intended for Thai Airways passengers.
Thai Airways – Report from March 30 at 1300
https://www.facebook.com/thaiairways.belux/?fref=nf
As per our latest update:
Re flight schedule of THAI on 31 March, we are awaiting final confirmation to operate extra flight from Bangkok to Liège airport (LGG), timings to be confirmed
Re flight schedule of THAI on 2 and 3 April, we are awaiting final confirmation to operate extra flight from Bangkok to Paris airport (CDG), timings to be confirmed
We hope to be able to communicate final confirmation and new schedule by late afternoon today.
Please be aware that this schedule will be different from our current Brussels flights and transport into Liège and Paris will have to be arranged by yourself.
Thank you for your kind understanding. We will keep you informed as soon as possible.
Sorry March 29 of course
Had contact with Thai airways and excellent news we can go to Liège via Bangkok on Thursday.
The people on the phone were very helpful when we called.