The Societé anonyme belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation aérienne, better known by the acronym Sabena or SABENA, was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, SN Brussels Airlines was formed through a takeover of former subsidiary Delta Air Transport and took over part of Sabena's assets in February 2002. SN Brussels Airlines merged with Virgin Express in 2007 to form Brussels Airlines. The airline's corporate headquarters were located in the Sabena House on the grounds of Brussels Airport in Zaventem.
A Fokker F.VII in Sabena colours
A Savoia-Marchetti SM.73 from Sabena, similar to the one that crashed in the 1935 crash.
Douglas DC-3 of Sabena in 1949
Sabena Douglas DC-6B arriving at Manchester Airport from New York in 1955
Brussels Airport, also informally called Brussels-National Airport or Brussels-Zaventem Airport, is an international airport in the municipality of Zaventem in Flemish Brabant, 6.5 nautical miles northeast of Brussels, Belgium. In 2019, more than 26 million passengers arrived or departed at Brussels Airport, making it the 26th busiest airport in Europe. It is home to around 260 companies, together directly employing 20,000 people and serves as the home base for Brussels Airlines and TUI fly Belgium. BRU covers 1,245 hectares and contains three runways.
Airport diagram
Image: Brussels airport from air
Terminal 58 at Brussels Airport, built for Expo 58 (pictured in 1974)
Sabena Boeing 707-300 at Brussels Airport in 1966