BRU to boost pharma, IT from Mumbai

Fulfilling a long-standing demand, the Brussels Airlines connection with Mumbai will not only help the pharma and IT sectors but be a great help for the diamond trade.

At the end of March 2017, Brussels will get a direct connection – five times a week – to Mumbai with Brussels Airlines (BRU) starting flights. A note from the carrier, released in September 2016, termed March 30, 2017 a historic day for Brussels Airlines, because the airline would touch India for the very first time in its history.

While the flights will fulfill a longstanding demand – primarily from the diamond industry – for a direct connection to the Belgian capital that ended when Jet Airways shifted its hub to Amsterdam, it will also boost trade in high-value products like pharma and IT.

Mumbai, incidentally, happens to be Brussels Airlines’ first Asian destination and the carrier hopes to make the most from the departure of Jet. It is no wonder then that the carrier pointed out that there was “great traffic potential” both in and out of Mumbai. According to Lars Redeligx, the carrier’s Chief Commercial Officer when the flight was announced (he is now Chief Commercial Officer and Spokesperson Europe of the LSG Group), the demand for direct flights for passengers as well as for cargo was high. With more than 50,000 travellers per year, Mumbai, he said was the third most important intercontinental destination from Belgium.

Brussels Airlines could offer both passengers and cargo consignments smooth connections to destinations in Europe, Africa or North America. As a member of the Star Alliance, the carrier would also be able to tie up with Air India to offer destinations in India and Southeast Asia.