Belgium authorities have been sent a note requesting explanations on crew detention

The European business aviation company KlasJet has been engaged in a fierce battle with Belgian authorities following a month of harassment, terrorising actions, and coordinated attacks against the company across the Belgian media.

The situation escalated on the 30th of June when a KlasJet crew was arrested at Charleroi Airport in Brussels, Belgium. To date, no officials have clearly stated what legal framework was used to investigate the company through actions that negatively impacted its day-to-day operations.

In defence of the lawful movement of goods, services, and individuals in the process of their legal duties within the European Union, KlasJet deems such actions transgressive and is presently in the process of exploring all possible legal channels to defend a recurrence of any similar actions in the future. Additionally, the company vehemently defends the right to protect its good name and reputation.

As the story continued to unravel, during the arrests KlasJet’s crew were forbidden to contact anyone, had their phones confiscated, and after which each crew member was held for questioning. The KlasJet crew were denied their fundamental human rights to make external contact with anyone, request legal assistance, or provide testimony in their native language. This tiring and unsettling spectacle lasted more than three hours, after which authorities refused to provide any reasoning or explanations for the arrests.

Lithuanian institutions have also expressed their concern regarding this situation within the European Union. The Lithuanian Embassy in Brussels has informed KlasJet that having received a KlasJet request for assistance it has sent a note to Belgium Federal Government and a response has been received. Intergovernmental communication is ongoing to clarify the reasons and circumstances of the aforementioned situation, thus, ensuring that the rights of citizens of the Republic of Lithuania have not been infringed.

On July 1, in a publication from Belgian media, officials confirmed that there was no reasoning or jurisdiction to initiate such investigations, thus, KlasJet was accused of unidentified “misdemeanours”. Nevertheless, whilst having stated that there were no grounds for the investigation, official institutions continued incriminating KlasJet for unidentified violations. As a result, KlasJet is in the process of taking legal action to defend the company’s good name and reputation. With its initiated legal response, the company seeks to investigate the employees of the Belgian authorities, their actions, and reasoning, as well as to prevent the recurrence of such cases to ensure the continued lawful movement of goods and services within the EU.

In addition to cooperation with the Lithuanian and Belgian authorities, KlasJet is considering all possible legal measures to identify officials who are abusing their power and compel them to account for their actions. The company believes that the free movement of goods and services within the EU is an important economic privilege that any company operating under EU law should be guaranteed. In defence of this fundamental right, KlasJet has been receiving legal counsel regarding the entire situation.

About KlasJet
KlasJet is a European airline, founded in 2014 and specialised in ad hoc VIP charter flights. Its head office is located in Vilnius, Lithuania. Its fleet consists of 7 aircraft (1 Bombardier CRJ-200, 2 Boeing 737-300s and 4 Boeing 737-500s), all in full business class configuration. The Boeing 737-500s can accommodate 56 passengers and the 737-300s are equipped with 64 or 68 seats.

A 64-business seat Boeing 737-500 was used for the UEFA Euro2020 campaign of the Belgian national football team.
www.klasjet.aero