2017 Antwerp Airport (ANR/EBAW) latest news

[luchtzak]

Cityjet seems to axe Antwerp - London City from Winter 2017/2018

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/cityjet ... 2017-2018/

[jan_olieslagers]

If that be true it is a first class opportunity for VLM! Back to the roots! London is the only viable destination for scheduled traffic from Antwerp, as has been illustrated now for many years. But frankly, why should City Jet discontinue the route?

[Stij]

Or for TUI... morning rotation to LCY, then a rotation to the Mediterranean and finally 2 to LCY again...
TUI has enough citytrippers to London to fill the bird...

Stij

[Passenger]

No online bookings for ANR-LCY-ANR are possible as from 31st Oct 2017 indeed (30th October is last bookable).

https://www.cityjet.com/book/go/

[luchtzak]

If that be true it is a first class opportunity for VLM! Back to the roots! London is the only viable destination for scheduled traffic from Antwerp, as has been illustrated now for many years. But frankly, why should City Jet discontinue the route?

I made an update of the article, strange that Cityjet proudly announced its 500.000th passenger on the route only last May...

[ironspan]

I checked also bookings from Amsterdam, Avignon, Toulon and Florence to London City. None of them give flights in the winter schedule. Only Dublin London can be reserved. Reason can be two-fold: either they are still working on their winter timetable for all destinations (Cityjet in the past was always late with this), or they abandon all scheduled services and re-focuse on wet-lease operations for other carriers (like SN or SK)...

[Avnu]

The French and Italian routes are seasonal anyway, so they aren't bookable for the winter season. Amsterdam is year round but as a codeshare with KLM. In other words: only Antwerp and Dublin are really comparable.

[PttU]

RTM-LCY was dropped april 30th this year as well (but BA continues that route) and they also dropped the routes to Paris and Nantes earlier this year. Maybe BA can take over ANR-LCY as well if CityJet wishes to focus on wetlease and charter...

[ironspan]

Just called Cityjet directly. They confirmed ANR flights are being stopped as from the winter timetable, they will only keep Dublin - London. From Amsterdam they will still operate but in codesharing with KLM (today both of them fly 5 times a day on different hours). In the winter timetable, it will only be KLM flight with codesharing 6 times a day. I guess that they decided to go for the (more lucrative?) ACMI operations...

[Passenger]

Just called Cityjet directly. They confirmed ANR flights are being stopped as from the winter timetable, they will only keep Dublin - London. From Amsterdam they will still operate but in codesharing with KLM (today both of them fly 5 times a day on different hours). In the winter timetable, it will only be KLM flight with codesharing 6 times a day. I guess that they decided to go for the (more lucrative?) ACMI operations...

Thanks a lot - excellent information.

[PttU]

Thanks for the sad information
Any comments who may be taking over the route?

[luchtzak]

If that be true it is a first class opportunity for VLM! Back to the roots! London is the only viable destination for scheduled traffic from Antwerp, as has been illustrated now for many years. But frankly, why should City Jet discontinue the route?

André SN26567 wrote a very nice article about Cityjet cutting back routes from London City: https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/cityjet ... -provider/

[Avnu]

IMHO, the list of credible candidates to take over the route is rather short (but still, not so short as to despair):

- VLM (with or without a Belgian AOC but with one of the Fokkers for sure)
- BA (operated by BA Cityflyer with E190 or if that's too big Sun-Air with a Dornier 328)
- BMI (ERJ 135/145, although their focus has shifted somewhat recently)

But while anyone can draw up plans I'm not sure if they'd be able to get slots at LCY. I guess only BA has those more or less 'readily available'.

[luchtzak]

A Facebook member booked in November, will he get a refund or does Cityjet need to provide other means of transport ?

[PttU]

IMHO, the list of credible candidates to take over the route is rather short (but still, not so short as to despair):

- VLM (with or without a Belgian AOC but with one of the Fokkers for sure)
- BA (operated by BA Cityflyer with E190 or if that's too big Sun-Air with a Dornier 328)
- BMI (ERJ 135/145, although their focus has shifted somewhat recently)

But while anyone can draw up plans I'm not sure if they'd be able to get slots at LCY. I guess only BA has those more or less 'readily available'.

And what about DAT who are flying on behalf of CityJet now? I guess they have the strongest argument to take over the current CityJet-slots?

[Avnu]

And what about DAT who are flying on behalf of CityJet now? I guess they have the strongest argument to take over the current CityJet-slots?

Well yes, but DAT doesn't own the slots. Those are Cityjet's to give up (or sell, more likely). And even if they'd get them more or less for free, operating ANR-LCY wouldn't really fit in with the rest of DAT's network which would probably make it prohibitively expensive in terms of crewing etc.

Never say never but I don't see that happening. In fact, if Cityjet does decide to sell the slots they will probably - given the economics at LCY - do so at a price that is much higher than someone could ever get back on the ANR route alone. Which means the most likely buyer is someone with a number of existing routes at LCY like.. BA or, come to think of it, BE.

[luchtzak]

A Cityjet spokesman confirmed the news: “We are to close the route between Antwerp and London City Airport with effect from October 27th next. The decision follows a review of the service in the context of route performance and operational efficiency.”

[Passenger]

A Facebook member booked in November, will he get a refund or does Cityjet need to provide other means of transport?

Indeed, they have to. When a confirmed flight is cancelled because of a commercial reason, the airline has to give the passengers the choice between a refund and a rebooking. When VLM would operate ANR-LCY-ANR, the problem for Cityjet is solved. But when no other carrier is taking over that route, Cityjet must provide an alternative routing. Example: AMS-LCY-AMS. If so, Cityjet must then also arrange and pay the transfer costs between ANR and AMS. And if it was an early morning flight out of ANR, with alternative out of AMS before arrival of the first train Antwerp-AMS, Cityjet must provide a hotel at AMS for the previous night.

Repeat: the passenger has the right to choose between a refund and a rebooking.

Because the announcement is given more then two weeks in advance, Cityjet doens't has to pay the indemnity (150 Euro for an ANR-LCY).

It's all in Article 5 and Article 8 from European legislation EU Rule 261/2004:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/ ... 32004R0261
(language change possible)

[ironspan]

I wonder in case nobody would take over the flights, where all these pax will go (25 per leg, 900 per week). There are no flights to LCY from Brussels, and our 'great' NMBS' decided that (for budget reasons), the Eurostar will not stop in Antwerp Central Station. Hopefully they are working on a solution, although the Airport Authorities mush have known this was coming and should have been ready with an announced on a successor on the day that Cityjet are saying they will stop. Maybe they are hoping for VLM, but also there it is very silent (remember the Minister promised that the AOC would be issued mid August, we are now 1st Sep...). Not good

[crew1990]

I hope Brussels Airlines will jump on the occasion to open a BRU-LCY routes with the SSJ100