VLM brand to be revitalized?

[Inquirer]

What I dont understand is why everybody assumes that just because the VLM brand is (likely) going to return, they are also going to refocus on Antwerp?

IMHO, they'd do better to move to BRU and try to turn VLM into some sort of a regional airline overthere, serving routes for which none of the other companies based there have the right plane. Brussels airlines for instance is wetleasing a bunch of props and jets, aren't they? How about vlm bidding for those contracts?

FWIW- the above scenario is exactly what happened to DAT so many years ago and which ultimately drove it into the arms of Sabena, only to become brussels airlines many years later, so history could very well repeat itself, once again.

[saratoga]

Vlm was a nice brand untill it was merged with cityjet. Since then, it only went down. Somehow i would like to see the split of cityjet. I never understood why they sold vlm to cityjet.

Starting new routes to zurich, geneve out of antwerp....they already did that in the past. I guess it was not profitable.

[RoMax]

What I dont understand is why everybody assumes that just because the VLM brand is (likely) going to return, they are also going to refocus on Antwerp?

Everyone talks about ANR because that's what has been said by Travel Magazine ("based on a recent Intro Aviation business plan", of course that is still to be seen how reliable that is), a (possible) new focus on ANR with possibly new routes. That's why everyone talks about ANR.

But I think you have a very good point in saying they could look at regional operations for larger airlines such as SN which lack the smallest aircraft they need for some of their routes (and lack the size to buy such a fleet for their own).

[Inquirer]

Oh, I fully understand they want to look at Antwerp too for opportunities, but I think they'll find much more opportunities if they'd look elsewhere, like BRU.

As was said before: much of the new routes from Antwerp which they speculate on, have been tried (by them) in the past and didn't work out, so clearly they are not as obvious to make them work as they may seem.

[AAI]

The best solution for ANR is a good through connection via ZRH or MUC

[air belgium]

What about the VLM colours on the aircraft?

[FLYAIR10]

According to De Tijd, VLM would play a more visible and important role within Cityjet after the takeover by Intro Aviation.
Tomorrow friday 2 may ,VLM will provide some more info on this.

Source: http://www.tijd.be/nieuws/ondernemingen ... NDUP&ckc=1

[Passenger]

"Sold for almost nothing", the Irish Independent writes:

http://www.independent.ie/business/iris ... 37257.html

[sn26567]

"Sold for almost nothing", the Irish Independent writes

If you sell a loss-making business for nothing, your profits next year will increase!

I also read that the CityJet rebranding exercise will start next month. With a revival of the VLM brand?

[sn26567]

After the sale of CityJet by Air France to the German group Intro Aviation, the Belgian airline VLM Airlines, a subsidiary of CityJet, will again operate autonomously within the German group. This was confirmed today Friday 2 May during a press conference at Antwerp Airport.

VLM Airlines said the transaction will allow it to stand on its own, without debts within Intro Aviation and with a fleet of 12 Fokker 50 aircraft. Some of these aeroplanes will be used for flights operated by VLM for other companies, for CityJet and for potential future partners.

Besides this, the company intends to focus on its own charter activities, which are likely to be operated under the names VLM Airlines or FlyVLM .

According to the CEO of VLM Airlines, Arthur White, there will be "no drastic restructuring" of staff and maintaining the 280 existing jobs is the "top priority." The CEO expects to make a profit in the year or year and a half to come.

Source: La Libre Belgique

[Passenger]

...
Source: La Libre Belgique

And in Dutch:
http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nl-NL/Ar ... an_CityJet

[Boavida]

Great news. I hope they'll re-use their old slogan/baseline "Wings of Flanders". Sounded nice and it gave the airline an identity (what CityJet completely lacked, btw).

Another thing: aren't these VLM-Fokkers getting a bit old? Any plans for a fleet renewal in the future perhaps?

I know they once had a BAe 146...

[saratoga]

I really hope that vlm will be back like in the old days. It was a stable company but with cityjet it just got to the bottom. And i'm also wondering what is going to,happen with the F50. I heard also that it was getting an old bird.

Good luck!

[teddybAIR]

The F50's might be getting old, they are still one of the most cost effective planes around for low density routes. From a customer perspective, I think a thorough cabin refurbishment should do the trick. Question remains how many cycles/flight hours they still have left.

[DIBO]

I don't think the F50 is getting old in the sense of getting too unreliable. It's rather the cost of spare parts, which are becoming (too) expensive. I agree that direct operating cost & aircraft size are pretty well suited for VLM. But if maintenance costs can't be kept under control, you still have a problem.

[saratoga]

Why did they not continue with the 146?

Too expensive?

[CTBke]

Why did they not continue with the 146?

Too expensive?

maybe too much capacity ..

[Flanker2]

A cabin refurbishment would cost more than the residual value of the aircraft. The F50 is a good machine.
With maintenance, it's not only the problem of reliability and cost of spares, but the structural surprises you find during the C-checks. Those can set you back much much more than the predictably increasing spare parts cost. Yes, age and fatigue does play a role, no matter how well you maintain the aircraft.

But the dilemma that VLM faces is what to replace it with?
Those Fokkers don't have capital cost, so they're darn cheap. Their reverse hub system sees low utilisation, so if they bring in new aircraft they will be stuck with high lease cost and low utilisation to spread that cost over.

Maybe the only option they have is to hold on to their F50's until they fall apart.

On the old Twin Otter's (not the new -400's), the C-checks cost as much, sometimes less than the residual value of the aircraft.
Yet, operators still continue to operate and carry out the periodic C-checks, because there is not better aircraft to do the mission.

[CTBke]

Roll out of the first Re-branded Fokker F-50 OO-VLS at ANR airport


picture: http://www.asa-be.com/

[cathay belgium]

So much better!
Great!
Cxb