Report of first VLM flight to Liverpool

[sn26567]

A little bit late, but better late than never!

A bubbly welcome for London plane Feb 6 2004
By Tony Mcdonough Daily Post Staff



A FRESH 50-seater aircraft that will fly the new Liverpool to London route touched down at Liverpool Airport for the first time yesterday (6 Feb 04).

Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA) managing director Neil Pakey told the Daily Post the new link could help attract other big airlines to Merseyside.

The sparkling newly-painted Fokker F50 was sprayed with high pressure water jets by the airport's fire service as it was officially christened with the name "City of Liverpool".

Starting on February 23, the aircraft will operate a five times a day return service to London City Airport.

The new service was first announced in December following the Daily Post's Fight for a Flight campaign.

VLM's UK regional manager Titus Johnson said the campaign had been a vital factor in the decision to begin the route, which the company originally ran in 1994.

He added: "I have always been a big supporter of Liverpool and I was sad to see the previous service go.

"What has been very important in terms of this service has been the sup-port of the Daily Post and the whole Merseyside community." Mr Pakey believes the new link could help persuade other big name airlines to offer services from JLA.

He said: "People now associate Liverpool with easyJet and they have been very good for us but the VLM service will help create a shop window that will allow other airlines to see Liverpool is geared up to support their services."

Also instrumental in the campaign to bring the capital air link back to Liverpool was The Mersey Partner-ship.

Speaking at the ceremony, chairman Roy Morris said: "The initial response from the business community to this service has been good.

"Now that corporate bodies here in Merseyside are giving an indication they will use it the individual travellers should follow soon after." Mr Morris joined Liverpool Lord Mayor Ron Gould and VLM managing director Johan Vanneste on the steps of the aircraft as they toasted its arrival with champagne.

Coun Gould said: "It can only help bring more tourists here in the run up to Capital of Culture in 2008."

Mr Vanneste revealed that more than 800 people had now booked seats for the first month of the service - despite the fact the company had not yet begun its marketing campaign for the route.

[Jense]

Thx for the great info, André!
It's a pitty that the plane wouldn't come to EBBR...

greettzzz

[sn26567]

It's a pitty that the plane wouldn't come to EBBR...

This plane regularly comes to BRU, but not direcly from John Lennon airport...

[Avro]

Thanks for the report ANdré

This plane regularly comes to BRU, but not direcly from John Lennon airport...

And here's a picture who proves it: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/461991/L/

Greetz
Chris
8)

[sabena4ever]

Mr Vanneste revealed that more than 800 people had now booked seats for the first month of the service - despite the fact the company had not yet begun its marketing campaign for the route.

Hi
Just a question, you 're talking about Mr vanneste? Johan Vanneste?
Didn't he work for DAT and SN Brussels Airlines as Chief operater or something like that????

Have a nice evening

[sn26567]

Just a question, you 're talking about Mr vanneste? Johan Vanneste?
Didn't he work for DAT and SN Brussels Airlines as Chief operater or something like that????

I think you are right, sabena4ever, it is probably that guy!

[VC10]

JUst hope that this service lasts longer than the MAN to ANR.

Incidentally, the plane in the photo does not appear to be City of Liverpool, (this aircraft has the registration OO-VLY). The plane in the photo is OO-VLM.

[EBAW_flyer]

But I've seen the OO-VLY on some sectors out of EBAW (Antwerp) too, so it will still be seen in Belgium.

[terenia]

Business soaring at London link airline Feb 19 2004

By Tony Mcdonough Business Staff
Liverpool Echo



BELGIAN carrier VLM Airlines, which launches its Liverpool to London route on Monday, bucked the airline industry downward trend in 2003 with soaring passenger numbers.

The company carried more than 425,000 passengers last year - up 11pc from 2002.

VLM's new five-times-a-day service to London City Airport from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA) takes off at 6.30am next Monday.

Last year, VLM launched a similar route out of Manchester Airport and it has proved so successful the frequency of flights has already been increased to nine a day.

As of yesterday, almost 1,700 people had already booked seats for the first month of the Liverpool-London flights.

VLM first took to the skies on May 17, 1993, following deregulation of the aviation market by the European Commission which paved the way for smaller airlines to compete with the larger flag carriers.

The man behind the venture was Freddy Van Gaever who wanted to start a national airline for the Flemish people but also saw a massive future for European short-haul commuter services.

So the company was born with the tongue-twisting name of Vlaamse Luchttransportmaatschappij - immediately shortened to VLM for obvious reasons.

Flying out of Antwerp, its first desti-nation, London City Airport, proved to be the key to its future success.

Its proximity to the heart of London's main financial district and quick turnaround facilities made it the perfect location for VLM's target market -the business passenger.

By 1994 VLM was flying 90,000 passengers a year on a growing network serving Rotterdam, Antwerp, Geneva and London.

In the same year, the carrier made its first attempt at the service out of Liverpool but this was withdrawn after just a few months.

Over the next few years, passenger numbers grew steadily and in the late 1990s broke through the 200,000 barrier.

And in the 1998/99 financial year VLM moved into profit for the first time.

[Comet]

.

Last year, VLM launched a similar route out of Manchester Airport and it has proved so successful the frequency of flights has already been increased to nine a day.

They did not start the MAN-LCY service last year, this service started in 2002.

[sn26567]

New route is flying, says airport chief Feb 20 2004
By Tony Mcdonough, Daily Post



LONDON City Airport's managing director Richard Gooding says VLM's new air link with Liverpool has generated more advance interest than any other new route.

VLM's five-times-a-day service to the capital starts at 6.30am next Monday.

Already the number of advance bookings for the first month is fast approaching 2,000.

Mr Gooding told the Daily Post that is well ahead of the equivalent period in the run up to the start of the Manchester service in 2002.

VLM's service to Manchester has been so successful the frequency of flights has been increased to nine.

Mr Gooding said: "Ourselves and VLM are very important to each other - they represent about 25pc of our business.

"Over the years we have started six routes with them and what we have realised is the most important thing when starting a new service is communication - making sure people know how to buy a ticket.

"We have had fantastic cooperation from Liverpool, particularly from the Daily Post.

Mr Gooding claims transport links into the centre of London from the airport are already as good as those from the capital's other airports and they will improve when the Docklands Light Railway is completed next year.

He said: "The Daily Post has thrown down the gauntlet to people to use the service or lose it - we hope they respond to that challenge.

"But, if anyone can make it work, VLM can."

[Comet]

VC10 checked the arrivals yesterday for the LCY-LPL flight, the first one was six minutes behind schedule, but there have been some weather warnings over here in the UK, so that may have held them up slightly.

[sn26567]

Air link to capital is restored Feb 24 2004
By Clare Usher, Daily Post



LIVERPOOL'S first flight to London took off yesterday as final proof of the success of the Daily Post's campaign to restore the city's airlink to the capital.

Those who had been involved in launching the route, run by Belgian carrier VLM, were thanked on the inaugural journey, with the Daily Post and its readers at the top of the list of people who made it happen.

Managing director of VLM Johan Vanneste was in high spirits on the first day of the Liverpool to London airlink.

He said: "This flight today has been thanks to the Daily Post for its Fight for a Flight campaign, and I was one of the people that signed the petition when I visited Liverpool airport.

"Praise must go to the editor, Jane Wolstenholme, and the Daily Post. It has been a pleasure to work with them and I'm sure that will continue."

At 6.30am, VLM's first London-bound Fokker F50 took off into a clear sky from Liverpool's John Lennon airport.

Managing director of JLA Neil Pakey added his thanks to the Daily Post by saying: "This service is without doubt due to the driving force of the Fight for a Flight campaign.

"The whole thing should be seen as a benchmark for how to conduct a successful campaign.

"When VLM visited the airport, they were heavily influenced by the Daily Post's coverage and were immediately struck by the stand which had pages of signed petitions.

"That single day made their minds up that Liverpool needed this link and that's in great part to the efforts of local people and the Daily Post."

Editor Jane Wolstenholme was on the inaugural flight which touched down at London City airport in the heart of the capital's Docklands.

She said: "The flight was absolutely superb and I'm certain it won't disappoint anybody who uses it.

"The whole community of Merseyside fought long and hard to get this flight and, having been on the first one today, it is wonderful to see that VLM have produced such an outstanding service."

VLM's Mr Vanneste added that the reason he felt the route - with prices from £70 return including taxes - would be successful was the level of service.

Little luxuries like extra leg room, leather seats, china cups instead of plastic and a short check-in time come as standard.

The airline also has a 93pc punctuality rate, making it popular with business travellers who need reliability on internal services.

As of yesterday afternoon, 2,330 passengers had booked onto the new service, which runs five return flights per day, one on Saturday and two on Sunday.

The earliest flight is at 6.30am and with a flight time of 60 minutes and only 15 minutes to the main banking district of the capital, business travellers can arrive in time for a breakfast meeting. The last flight arrives in Liverpool at 9.30pm.

London City is the only airport inside the M25 and by the end of 2005 it will have a Jubilee line underground station directly outside.

For now, there is a regular shuttle bus service to the nearest tube stop. So far, 40 jobs have been created, with more hoped for if the service expands as VLM expect.

[Comet]

The authors of the articles quoted on these pages need to get their facts right!

Each article quoted so far has contained glaring errors and the latest one is no exception.

LCY will have a DLR (Docklands Light Railway) station by the end of 2005, not an extension of the Jubilee Line as quoted in the report. And I am not just saying that as the stupid LCY fan that many people think I am, that is information directly from the LCY website, and was submitted as news a few weeks ago.

[Comet]

I won't offer any more opinions on VLM and London City - I know that people don't like me to mention them, so I won't.

[sn26567]

From Cheshire Online

Bridge campaign reaches for the sky Oct 14 2004

By Simon Drury, Weekly News

A MAJOR airline has become the latest high profile backer of the campaign to secure a second Mersey bridge crossing.

VLM Airlines - which runs a direct route from Liverpool airport to London - believes the new crossing is vital to ensure the continued success of Liverpool John Lennon.

Managing director Johann Vanneste said: 'I think the second Mersey crossing will give better access to Liverpool and Merseyside.

'People from the other side of the river wanting to come to Liverpool for a convenient connection to the destinations offered from here will get faster.

'Crossing the Runcorn-Widnes bridge is very time consuming, particularly in the morning when you are stuck in traffic jams - I have done it myself.

'I think the second Mersey crossing is very important for business, for the further development of the Mersey area which is already doing well. From what I have seen in recent months, the Merseyside economy is certainly growing at a much faster pace and the second Mersey crossing will no doubt contribute to that.'

Last week VLM celebrated the route's 50,000th passenger.

The lucky passenger was David Walker, 54, managing director of Vista Optics Ltd in Widnes.

He said: 'I used to use the railways but this is the perfect option now.

The mark was hit in just over seven months since the air link with the capital was established in February.

VLM's London route was welcomed by Mark Basnett, director of investment at the Mersey Partnership.

He said: 'The business community has been asking for a decent service down to London for a number of years now and since the route has been launched it's been very well used by the business community.

'We've hosted quite a few investors looking at Merseyside as an investment location who have used the VLM service.'