Brussels Airlines expands A320neo fleet, wet-leases CRJs

Brussels Airlines (SN, Brussels National) has expanded its A320-200N plans by a further two aircraft, with deliveries expected in 2024. The carrier also plans to restart a wet-lease cooperation with CityJet (WX, Dublin Int'l) during the summer 2023 season.
The Belgian carrier will source the two new additional A320neo from the order book of its parent, Lufthansa Group, to replace two A319-100s. Brussels Airlines previously announced plans to add three A320neo in 2023. The aircraft will also replace A319s, although the carrier did not provide a more specific delivery timeline.
The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows the carrier's narrowbody fleet comprises fifteen A319-100s (17.6 years old on average) and sixteen A320-200s (17.9 years).
Following the recent delivery of the first two A320-200Ns to Austrian Airlines (OS, Vienna), Brussels Airlines remains the only mainline Lufthansa Group carrier with no A320neo Family aircraft in its fleet.
On top of the A320neo plans, Brussels Airlines outlined other steps to add more capacity during the expected busy Summer 2023 season. The airline plans to induct a further two A320-200s on a permanent basis, although it did not reveal their source and did not respond to ch-aviation's request for comment.
Brussels Airlines will also resume the wet-leasing in of regional aircraft. It said that during summer 2023, Ireland's CityJet would operate two CRJ900s on its behalf. The ACMI/charter specialist currently operates twenty-two CRJ900s, all of them on behalf of SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK, Copenhagen Kastrup). However, CityJet had operated four SSJ 100/95s and then five CRJ900s on behalf of Brussels Airlines between 2017 and the COVID-induced termination of the contract in April 2020. Brussels Airlines does not operate any in-house regional aircraft.

Photo: Airbus

Ch aviation