thumb|Eurobelgian Airlines [[Boeing 737-300]]

thumb|A [[Boeing 737-400 at Faro Airport in 1999]]

thumb|A [[Boeing 737-300 landing at Faro Airport in 2005]]

Virgin Express was a Belgian airline created within the Virgin Group. It operated flights mainly to southern Europe from its hub at Brussels Airport. Ticket sales were mainly through the Internet. The airline merged to form Brussels Airlines in November 2006. Virgin Express' head office was in Building 116 at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, Belgium, near Brussels.

History

On 23 April 1996, the Virgin Group (with chairman Richard Branson) bought the Belgian leisure airline EBA-EuroBelgian Airlines, founded by Victor Hasson and Georges Gutelman, and renamed it Virgin Express on September 2 of that same year. It also took over EBA's fleet of Boeing 737s and operated this type of aircraft from thereon. The airline soon concentrated on low-budget scheduled flights out of its Brussels hub, and became a major competitor for Sabena and later SN Brussels Airlines.

In October 2004, the Virgin Group sold the ownership to Delta Air Transport, and both airlines were placed under the control of SN Airholding holding company, chaired by Viscount Étienne Davignon. On 31 March 2006, SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express announced their merger into a single company, to be named Brussels Airlines. The combined airline added long haul destinations and strengthened its position in Africa.

Fleet

During its 11-year existence, Virgin Express had operated the following aircraft:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"

|+ Virgin Express retired fleet

|-

!Aircraft

!Total

!Introduced

!Retired

!Notes

|-

|Airbus A320-200

|1

|1997

|1997

|Leased from Constellation International Airlines

|-

|Boeing 737-200

|2

|1997

|1997

|Leased from AirFoyle Passenger Airlines

|-

|Boeing 737-300

|15

|1996

|2007

|

|-

|Boeing 737-400

|11

|1996

|2007

|

|-

|Lockheed L-1011 TriStar

|1

|1998

|1998

|Leased from Aer Turas

|-

|McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30

|1

|1998

|1998

|Used for charter flights for summer

|-

|}

References

Further reading

  • Virgin Express info set, year 2003

See also

  • List of defunct airlines of Belgium
  • SN Brussels Airlines
  • Virgin Express France
  • Virgin Express web page at archive.org
  • Fleet in 2005 November