Virgin Express
Defunct low-cost airline of Belgium (1996–2007)
title: "Virgin Express" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["defunct-airlines-of-belgium", "virgin-group", "defunct-european-low-cost-airlines", "airlines-established-in-1996", "airlines-disestablished-in-2007", "zaventem", "2007-disestablishments-in-belgium", "belgian-companies-established-in-1996"] description: "Defunct low-cost airline of Belgium (1996–2007)" topic_path: "general/defunct-airlines-of-belgium" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Express" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Defunct low-cost airline of Belgium (1996–2007) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox airline"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| airline | Virgin Express |
| logo | VEX_.svg |
| IATA | TV |
| ICAO | VEX |
| callsign | VIRGIN EXPRESS |
| founded | |
| (as EBA - EuroBelgian Airlines) | |
| commenced | |
| (as Virgin Express) | |
| ceased | |
| (merged with SN Brussels Airlines to form Brussels Airlines) | |
| hubs | Brussels Airport |
| frequent_flyer | Flight Club |
| subsidiaries | {{ubl |
| parent | {{ubl |
| headquarters | Building 116, Brussels Airport, Zaventem, Belgium |
| key_people | Richard Branson (chairman of Virgin Group) |
| :: |
| airline = Virgin Express | logo = VEX_.svg | logo_size = | IATA = TV | ICAO = VEX | callsign = VIRGIN EXPRESS | founded = (as EBA - EuroBelgian Airlines) | commenced = (as Virgin Express) | ceased = (merged with SN Brussels Airlines to form Brussels Airlines) | aoc = | hubs = Brussels Airport | secondary_hubs = | focus_cities = | frequent_flyer = Flight Club | alliance = | subsidiaries = {{ubl|class=nowrap | Virgin Express France (1996–1999) | Virgin Express Ireland (1998–2001)}} | fleet_size = | destinations = | parent = {{ubl|class=nowrap | Virgin Group (1996–2004) | SN Airholding (2004–2007)}} | headquarters = Building 116, Brussels Airport, Zaventem, Belgium | key_people = Richard Branson (chairman of Virgin Group) | website =
N.V. Virgin Express S.A. 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 with SN Brussels Airlines to form Brussels Airlines, which started operations on 25 March 2007. Virgin Express' head office was in Building 116 at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, Belgium, near Brussels.
History
Virgin Express was founded on 23 April 1996, when the Virgin Group (with chairman Richard Branson) bought the Belgian leisure airline EBA - EuroBelgian Airlines, founded by Victor Hasson and Georges Gutelman, and rebranded it Virgin Express. 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 Étienne Davignon.
On 31 March 2006, SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express announced their merger into a single company, named Brussels Airlines. The combined airline added long haul destinations and strengthened its position in Africa.
Fleet
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Boeing_737-405,_Virgin_Express_AN0688998.jpg" caption="A Virgin Express [[Boeing 737-400]] parked at [[Faro Airport]] in 1999"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Boeing_737-36N,_Virgin_Express_AN0870896.jpg" caption="A Virgin Express [[Boeing 737-300]] landing at [[Faro Airport]] in 2005"] ::
During its 11-year existence, Virgin Express had operated the following aircraft:
::data[format=table title="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 |
| :: |
Three Boeing 737-300 (OO-VEX, OO-VEG and OO-VEH) were fitted with winglets (March 2007). The airline operated 26 737s 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 10 of the Virgin Express fleet went to Brussels Airlines. The airline has since phased out its Boeing 737s.
References
References
- [[Airliner World]] January 2007 {{Full citation needed. (January 2025)
- "[https://web.archive.org/web/20050122022801/http://www.virgin-express.com/contactus.html Contact Us]." Virgin Express. 22 January 2005. Retrieved on 26 June 2010. "."
- "[https://web.archive.org/web/20051125151641/http://www.virgin-exp.com/imaging/IMG_directions_599x556.jpg imaging/IMG_directions_599x556.jpg]." Virgin Express. Retrieved on 26 June 2010.
- [http://www.virgin-express.com/en/tools/aboutus/companyprofile/ Company profile] {{Webarchive. link. (2006-10-19 virgin-express.com)
- "Destinations {{!}} Brussels Airlines".
- [[Flight International]], 3–9 October 2006 {{Full citation needed. (January 2025)
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::