SN Brussels Airlines and regional investment companies, as well as the Brussels and Walloon governments) set up SN Airholding, headed by Étienne Davignon. After the 2001 collapse of Sabena, Belgium's flag carrier airline, Belgium was left without a national airline. In February 2002, SN Airholding took over the Belgian airline DAT, a subsidiary of Sabena, and changed its trading name to SN Brussels Airlines. In 2002, a strategic reorganization started, led by the former CEO Peter Davies. On 12 April 2005 SN Brussels took holding control of Virgin Express and on 31 March 2006 they announced their merger. On 7 November 2006 they
Sabena Flight Academy operation. In 2004, the school was sold to two former managers of Sabena and became the Sabena Flight Academy. It was finally absorbed in 2008 by the Canadian group CAE. The acquisition of SFA by CAE was conducted as part of a larger program to complete a global training network: the CAE Global Academy. The school has two subsidiaries: To gain a place on the course it's necessary to complete an assessment at Sabena Flight Academy. The assessment is designed to test candidates: If successful in completing the assessment to the necessary standard then applicants are welcomed to join the