Boeing767copilot wrote:Air France-KLM is in talks for a merger with VLM Airlines, according the Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf today.
Like Delta Air Transport (the true one, ANR based), that was swallowed first by KLM (if I remember well) then by Sabena, losing his spirit in the process.
Same story all over again with VLM ?
fokker_f27 wrote:VLM has a great branding and reputation, so buying stakes or a codesharing contract would be a better plan then wholly-integrating the airline, I think.
Even selling a minority stake (~20%) to AF-KLM would be a bad move. Don't set the fox to mind the geese !
OO-VLT was ex PH-JXM from Denim Air. Small Denim Air titles can bee seen (in light blue) on the main pax. door. You can only see it when actually boarding the plane, so unclear
I was at VLM Technics (on trainee period for school) that day when the reg. (sticker) was changed to OO-VLT. I also had the real honour to fly on it's test flight that day, what a day.
Pic of the plane (actually quite poor because of the bad weather ) on my photoalbum here at luchtzak. Foor the better pictures you can visit the ASA site
Anyone around here who knows why VLM stopped operating the 146 ? Wasn’t the lease supposed to be for 9 months ?
The plane was ferried from RTM to MAN on 15/6 and has been reported in SOU on 19/6 .
@spotter1102:
A quote of "Aeronews of Belgium", May/June 2007 edition, p27
"VLM Airlines nv voegde nu ook weer een extra Fokker 50 (OO-VLT) aan haar vloot toe. Het is meteen het zestiende exemplaar dat van Belgische kenletters werd voorzien. Tevens reserveerde men nog vijf registraties voor bijkomende Fokker 50-toestellen, waarvan een aantal thans al in VLM-kleuren operereen maar nog zijn voorzien van Nederlandse kenletters."
in short: VLM has reserved 5 Belgian registrations for those 50's that are now operated in dutch signs.
Gliderpilot wrote:@spotter1102:
A quote of "Aeronews of Belgium", May/June 2007 edition, p27
"VLM Airlines nv voegde nu ook weer een extra Fokker 50 (OO-VLT) aan haar vloot toe. Het is meteen het zestiende exemplaar dat van Belgische kenletters werd voorzien. Tevens reserveerde men nog vijf registraties voor bijkomende Fokker 50-toestellen, waarvan een aantal thans al in VLM-kleuren operereen maar nog zijn voorzien van Nederlandse kenletters."
in short: VLM has reserved 5 Belgian registrations for those 50's that are now operated in dutch signs.
Maybe just for the low summerseason, VLM is a business airline.
I thought they could operate some summer charters (to example Milan etc...)with the BAe 146? Too bad they don't use it during the holidays, just when I might be able to go spot it.
About the regs:
PH-FZG is already in the VLM livery (as you might probably alread know?)
PH-DMS also has the titles and logo in the tail but does not has full cls. yet.
I've spotted both recently in/around the VLM technics hangar @ EBAW.
BAe 146-300 G-BPNT operated by VLM Airlines on the Rotterdam – London/City service left Rotterdam Airport on 15 June, bound for Manchester.
It seems that the aircraft was too large for this very popular service, which is less populated during summer months. The idea is to restart operations in September. Or as a famous Briton once said : "This is not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning".
@steph-co: Thanks.
So it could be possible that we see the Jumbolino back in september, after summer holiday?
@spotter1102: the new registrations will be OO-VLB/C/D/F/P, I assume they are for PH-DMS/T, PH-LMT, PH-FZG. Then there is still one left and I think it will be for the second F50 that will be added this year. OO-VLT was the first.
That brings the total to 21 F50's.
Gliderpilot wrote:@steph-co: Thanks.
So it could be possible that we see the Jumbolino back in september, after summer holiday?
@spotter1102: the new registrations will be OO-VLB/C/D/F/P, I assume they are for PH-DMS/T, PH-LMT, PH-FZG. Then there is still one left and I think it will be for the second F50 that will be added this year. OO-VLT was the first.
That brings the total to 21 F50's.
If it's operating for Flybe (in VLM colors?) than we might see it too at BRU here someday. Flybe flies out of BRU to MAN. Even more, as from 25.03 they use the BAe-146 on MAN-BRU-MAN. Arrival 10:20LT.
) on my photoalbum here at luchtzak. Foor the better pictures you can visit the ASA site 
