Virgin Express

Virgin Express

IATA TV ICAO VEX Callsign VIRGIN EXPRESS
Founded	1996
Ceased operations	2006 (merged with SN Brussels Airlines to form Brussels Airlines)
Hubs	Brussels Airport
Fleet size	10 (22 max)
Destinations	24
Parent company	SN Airholding
Headquarters	Building 116 Brussels Airport Zaventem, Belgium
Key people	Neil Burrows (CEO); Richard Branson, chairman Virgin Group
Website	virginexpress.com

N.V. Virgin Express S.A. was an 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 has merged with SN Brussels Airlines to form Brussels Airlines which started operations on 25 March 2007 ^[1] Virgin Express has its head office in Building 116 at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, Belgium, near Brussels.^[2][3]

History

Virgin Express started on 23 April 1996, when the Virgin Group (with chairman Richard Branson) bought the Belgian leisure airline EBA (EuroBelgian Airlines) and rebranded it into Virgin Express.^[4] 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 its assets to SN Brussels Airlines, and both airlines were integrated into the parent holding company SN Airholding, chaired by Viscount Etienne Davignon. On 31 March 2006, SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express announced their fusion into a single company, named Brussels Airlines. The combined airline added long haul destinations and strengthened its position in Africa. ^{[citation needed]}

A Boeing 737-300 of Virgin Express

Destinations

Fleet

The Virgin Express fleet consisted of the following aircraft (as of August 2006):^[5]

Three Boeing 737-300 (OO-VEX, OO-VEG and OO-VEH) were fitted with winglets (March 2007). All the aircraft of Virgin Express have now been painted in Brussels Airlines colours. The airline operated a maximum of 26 737 at its peak, and was given the first Joint Aviation Authorities air operator's certificate delivered by the Belgian Civil Aviation Authorities.

After the merger, all ten of the Virgin Express fleet went to Brussels Airlines. Now Brussels Airlines has fased out its Boeing 737s.

See also

• Virgin Express France

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Virgin Express.

• Virgin Express web page at archive.org
• Fleet in 2005 November
• Virgin Express Fleet in 2005 April
• virginbrand.com Unofficial blog of the Virgin Group
• Photos of Virgin Express aircraft
• An internship experience at Virgin Express Ireland

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