The Belarusian airline, Belavia, has announced the start of its operations at Brussels South Charleroi Airport. On 27 April 2017, it will open a new route between Charleroi and the Belarusian capital, Minsk. Therefore, for the first time, BSCA will be connected to Belarus with three flights a week. The opening of this route will favour the development of commercial, cultural and sporting exchanges between Belgium and Belarus.
From its base in Minsk, the airline company will also offer twenty other destinations from Central and Eastern Europe, including Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Kiev, which may booked direct from Charleroi.
Via its hub in Minsk, Belavia will offer the following cities, which, therefore, will be added to the range of destinations already available from Brussels South Charleroi Airport. With these, BSCA now offers its passengers 165 destinations in Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East.
Comprising a fleet of 28 aircraft, the airline aims to allow Belgians and the inhabitants of neighbouring regions the opportunity to travel to Central and Eastern Europe at very affordable prices. Tickets are on sale from €89 for a single flight and €175 for a return flight, including taxes, on the company's website http://www.belavia.by, as well as via GDS for travel agencies.
This news is a godsend for Brussels South Charleroi Airport which wishes to diversify its offering. The airport's Managing Director, Jean-Jacques CLOQUET, satisfied with this announcement, has expressed his wish to continue the development of the airport's activities in the same way as with Belavia: "We welcome this news with great enthusiasm. Belavia will be the first airline to serve Minsk from Belgium. Therefore, there is a great potential and we are delighted with Belavia's decision. With Belavia, not only do we gain access to Belarus, but we are opening the gateway to Central and Eastern from Charleroi. An opportunity for all to discover cities such as Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kiev and many more. This news confirms our international position with other companies interested in working with us."
Furthermore, fully operational by 31 January, following a battery of tests, the new T2 terminal at Brussels South Charleroi Airport was already inaugurated during the Christmas holidays. Covering a surface area of 6,000 m², it will offer the chance to supplement terminal 1 (which has reached saturation point) and thus continue the expansion of Charleroi's airport. By 2018, BSCA expects to see 7.5 million passengers a year.
