The Belgian American Chamber of the South is the presenting sponsor of Global Atlanta's Belgium Channel. Sign up here for monthly newsletters on Belgian trade and investment connections to Georgia.
If not for the mayor and the monarch, an expanded Delta Air Lines Inc. flight to Brussels may have completely stolen the show at this year’s Belgian King’s Day celebration in Atlanta.
Mayor Andre Dickens dropped in an event at Bold Monk Brewing on the city’s west side, hosted by the Consulate General of Belgium ahead of the Nov. 15 holiday hailing King Philippe.
In addition to joining celebrants enjoying fan favorites like frites, waffles and Belgian beer, Mr. Dickens drew a raffle ticket good for two Delta tickets toward the end of the evening.
The mayor’s interest stems in part from the city’s sister-city relationship with Brussels (city, not region), as well as the deeper access the city’s hometown airline decided to offer Atlantans after the flight proved successful over the summer.
When Delta launched the thrice-weekly flight in June, the Belgian business community lamented its seasonal nature and pined for the return of a year-round route, saying it would be vital for both investors and families of the growing Belgian expatriate community.
In September, they got what they wished for, as Delta made the rare decision to close down an international route in New York after 34 years and bring that added capacity to Atlanta.
The flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport will end on Jan. 5, with the year-round Atlanta route restarting March 8, 2026, leaving a two-month gap in direct flights that is nothing compared to the previous lull: about five years.
During a Global Atlanta Consular Conversations luncheon in April, Consul General Katherine Raeymaekers had said that only strong bookings would persuade Delta to extend the route, which she said helps underpin a strong bilateral relationship.
“I’m pleased to announce that we already have found one partner to literally help us bridge the ocean,” she told the King’s Day audience on Nov. 13. “They offered a teaser last summer, but seeing good business and popular demand, Delta Air Lines will bring back year-round flights from Atlanta to Brussels as of March 2026 and increasing them even to a daily basis over summer.”’
Earlier in the speech, she’d noted that while Belgium and the U.S. have seen some “changes” in their partnership, a sense of optimism persists “even in these foggy and challenging times,” thanks to the strong investment links enjoyed by Belgium and the Southeast U.S.
Nearly 100 Belgian companies have set up shop in Georgia alone over the last half-century, and Ms. Raeymaekers pointed to opportunities in priority sectors like manufacturing, defense, drone development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and more, continuing:
“We need to be able to seize those as we must allow our economies to grow across borders, stimulate productivity, strengthen labor markets, and invest in innovation to create prosperity that is globally shared.
Belgium, therefore, remains committed to a genuine partnership built on cooperation, on openness, on fair trade, on mutual respect and shared benefits.
I know that the strong bonds between Belgium and the Southeast over the years reflect just that type of partnership and I will strive to maintain those as both Belgium and the USA have been and remain open for business!”
Sponsors of the event included some of the Belgian companies that have helped underpin the Georgia investment relationship that is driving the flight forward:
- Beauflor USA, IFC International Flooring Co., Dossche Holdings and KBC Bank & Verzekering as Andreas Vesalius sponsors
- Bekaert, BOPLAN USA – Flexible Barrier Experts, OMP as Gerardus Mercator sponsors
- Aertssen Group, and Repanels Group as Christoffel Plantin sponsors
Read more on the flight:
The Dean Rusk International Law Center at the University of Georgia is the presenting sponsor of Global Atlanta's Diplomacy Channel. Subscribe here for monthly Diplomacy newsletters.