SABCA ( S ociétés A nonyme B elge de C onstructions A éronautiques ) is a Belgian aerospace company. Its main sectors of activity are civil aviation , space and defence .
24-507: SABCA was established during 1920. Presently, it is owned by the Belgian group Orizio , itself owned by the Société Fédérale de Participations et d'Investissement (SFPIM) (a Belgian federal holding) and Sabena Aerospace. During 1920, SABCA was founded with the purpose of locally designing and building aircraft to satisfy Belgium 's emerging aviation requirements. Its first manufacturing site
48-622: A 650-meter extension on the 24 end of the runway. On 8 October 2021, the runway extension was inaugurated in the presence of the Walloon Minister in charge of Airports Jean-Luc Crucke [ nl ] The SABCA facility on site conducts depot-level maintenance, repair and overhaul work on United States Air Force F-16s based in Europe. The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Brussels South Charleroi Airport: There are several shuttles to different cities in
72-400: A series of management procedures were put in place, which began to take effect in 1995 and even more so in 1996. Operations at Brussels South Charleroi grew in the 1990s, with this new commercial management structure and the arrival of Irish low-cost airline Ryanair in 1997, which opened its first continental base at Charleroi a few years later. Although criticised for the subsidies paid by
96-563: A subsidiary Avions Fairey on the site in 1931, making Gosselies a centre of the Belgian aeronautical industry. During World War II , the site was arranged as an Advanced Landing Ground ( A-87 ) for the allied air forces, from 14 September 1944 until 10 August 1945. After the war, the Gosselies airfield became a public aerodrome operated by the Belgian State through its agency Régie des Voies Aériennes (RVA)/Regie der Luchtwegen (RLW), but
120-508: A total 15 Airco DH.4 light bombers . While its operations were disrupted by the German occupation of Belgium during the Second World War , SABCA resumed operations shortly following the end of the conflict . In 1955, a new manufacturing plant was opened at Charleroi Airport . Around this same period, SABCA became involved in early European space programmes ; the firm would be involved in
144-660: Is also a busy general aviation airfield, being home to three flight schools. The Aéropole , one of the Science Parks of Wallonia , is also located near the airport. The first aeronautical activities in Gosselies date back to 1919: a flight school was opened on Mont des Bergers —the highest point in the region—then, the following year, the Société Générale d'Aéronautique (SEGA) began aeronautical maintenance activities. The British aircraft manufacturer Fairey Aviation settled
168-467: Is an international airport located in Gosselies , a part of the city of Charleroi , Belgium . The airport is 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) north of Charleroi and 46 km ( 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi) south of central Brussels . The airport is the second busiest in Belgium in terms of passengers and aircraft movements, having served 8,224,196 passengers in 2019 (82,043 movements). It
192-566: The A380 , the A400M Atlas , and the A350 XWB . SABCA also designs and manufactures subassemblies on behalf of other manufacturers, including Dassault Aviation and Gulfstream Aerospace . During 1992, demand for composite components had grown to the point where a dedicated subsidiary , SABCA Limburg , was established to focus specifically on this activity. SABCA has operations in two locations: Before
216-489: The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon ; a total of 164 aircraft would be manufactured at its Gosselies facility. The European co-production initiative was officially launched on 1 July 1977; under this arrangement, Fokker -produced components were delivered to General Dynamics ' Fort Worth facility for fuselage assembly, which were then shipped back to Europe for final assembly of the aircraft at
240-714: The Walloon government to help its installation, Ryanair opened new routes from Brussels South Charleroi (they also closed two destinations: London–Stansted and Liverpool , although Stansted was re-introduced in June 2007 before being suspended again). Other low-cost carriers later joined Ryanair in Brussels South Charleroi, such as Wizz Air . The Polish airline Air Polonia operated services from here to Warsaw and Katowice before going bankrupt in August 2004. In September 2006, it
264-531: The Belgian military's F-35 aircraft and new helicopter fleets. Committed to ecological sustainability, Orizio Group is involved in projects such as the disassembly and recycling of aircraft materials. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to promote environmentally friendly practices within the aerospace industry. Brussels South Charleroi Airport Brussels South Charleroi Airport ( BSCA ), also informally called Brussels-Charleroi Airport or Charleroi Airport ( IATA : CRL , ICAO : EBCI ),
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#1732852131857288-651: The SABCA's facility; deliveries to the Belgian Air Force started in January 1979. During the following year, SABCA commenced deliveries to the Royal Norwegian Air Force . During 1989, SABCA's involvement in the civil aviation sector received a significant boost via the first risk-sharing contract with the multinational aerospace conglomerate Airbus . It has since been a participant in all Airbus programmes, including
312-575: The airport offered to Ryanair , since the airport is owned by the Wallonia regional government and thus the discounts and other benefits could be considered state aid. However, the Court of First Instance (a European Union court) decided on 17 December 2008 that the commission's decision finding that illegal aid had been granted to Ryanair should be annulled and quashed as being erroneous in law. However, in March 2012,
336-599: The aviation and space industries, Sabca offers a range of services to civil, space, and military markets, focusing on complex aircraft structures and systems. Formerly Sabena Aerospace, this division provides Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services for commercial, cargo, and defense aviation sectors. The division expanded significantly with the acquisition of Lufthansa Technik Brussels and Lufthansa Technik Maintenance International. Orizio Group collaborates closely with Sonaca to enhance Belgium's defense capabilities. This partnership focuses on maintaining and supporting
360-449: The commission reopened the case in order to take this judgment into account. In January 2017, a second terminal (Terminal 2) was opened in order to relieve the T1 during rush hours and to be able to accommodate 10 million passengers a year in the future. In May 2019, work began on an extension of Charleroi Airport's runway, bringing it to a total length of 3,200 metres. Runway 06/24 is undergoing
384-722: The company was involved in the manufacturing of large numbers of licensed aircraft as well as associated upgrade programmes; such aircraft included the Hawker Hunter , the Republic F-84 Thunderjet , the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter , the Dassault Mirage 5 , and the AgustaWestland AW109 helicopter. During the 1970s and 1980s, SABCA was responsible for operating one of the two European production lines for
408-562: The main activities of the site remained aeronautical constructions (installation of the Société Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques ( SABCA ) in 1954, then the Société Nationale de Construction Aéronautique ( SONACA ) in 1978, taking over the activities of Fairey). In the 1970s, the Belgian national airline Sabena launched a Liège – Charleroi –London service, but this was soon dropped because of poor results. Gosselies
432-613: The merge with Sabena Engineering, SABCA also operated in Charleroi : military aircraft and helicopter maintenance, technical and logistic support to the customers, opened in 1955. Orizio Orizio Group is a Belgian holding company focused on the sustainable development of the aerospace industry. Headquartered in Brussels , the group operates globally, leveraging an extensive network of industrial locations, international airports, and military bases across 15 countries. Orizio Group
456-409: The neighbouring countries (Luxembourg, Metz, Thionville, Lille) plus a regular coach service that runs from the airport to Brussels-Central railway station . Also, a special bus (Airport Express – A) operates from the airport to Charleroi-Central railway station . A combined bus and train ticket to any other Belgian railway station can be bought in the terminal. Starting 4 July 2024, Flibco will provide
480-553: The production of Spacelab as well as both the Ariane and Vega expendable launch systems . SABCA also cooperated with the Dutch manufacturer Fokker in the manufacture of its F27 Friendship and 50 short-haul airliners . Other civil programmes the firm was involved with include producing elements of the Dassault Mercure and VFW-Fokker 614 airliners. Throughout the postwar era,
504-460: Was adjacent to Haren Airport , in the suburbs of Brussels . During the Interwar period , the company produced a number of in-house designs, as well as engaging in the manufacture of both civil and military aircraft. Throughout its existence, SABCA has been a prolific user of production licenses , which have authorised the firm to build other manufacturers' aircraft. During 1926, the company constructed
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#1732852131857528-459: Was announced that Moroccan low-cost airline Jet4you would launch three weekly flights to Casablanca (on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday) starting 1 November 2006, in code-share cooperation with Belgian airline Jetairfly . A new terminal opened in January 2008. It has a capacity of up to 5 million passengers a year, which means that it has reached its maximum capacity in 2010 (5,195,372 passengers). The European Commission objected to assistance
552-555: Was established in 2020 as a transformation of the former Blueberry Group, with the strategic merger of Sabena Engineering and Sabca . This merger aimed to create a comprehensive aerospace ecosystem, combining the strengths and expertise of both companies. The group is jointly owned by Sabena Aerospace and the Belgian Federal Holding and Investment Company ( SFPIM ), holding 50 + 1 and 50 - 1 shares respectively. Specializes in designing and manufacturing high-tech components for
576-660: Was left with almost no passenger traffic, the airport being mainly used for private or pleasure flights, training flights and occasional charters to leisure destinations around the Mediterranean Sea or to Algeria . On 9 July 1991, the limited company Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) was created. This operation was part of the effective transfer from the State to the Regions of the powers to manage and operate regional airports, which took place on 1 January 1992. During 1992 and 1993,
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