Air Antwerp receives its first aircraft: a Fokker F-50 in a striking red and white livery

On 27 July, the latest Belgian airline Air Antwerp has unveiled its first aircraft, a Fokker F-50.

Air Antwerp, the Belgian regional airline (a joint venture between CityJet and KLM) that will soon offer scheduled flights from Antwerp Airport, has its first aircraft. The Fokker F-50 registered OO-VLS flew today from Malmö to Antwerp. Air Antwerp has applied for an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) with the Belgian Federal Public Service Mobility. The Fokker will be staying in Antwerp for a few days as part of that procedure.

“In terms of logo, we have opted for a design that symbolises a hand, the fingers of which form a wing, as it were,” said Johan Maertens, CEO of Air Antwerp. He added: “It is not yet possible to say exactly when we will receive our AOC. However, the completion of the necessary formalities is going according to plan. Our team is working diligently on the preparations for the launch of the first flights.”

Used first by the German airline DLT as D-AFKH in 1990, this nearly 30 years old Fokker F-50 was first intended for Ansett Airlines, which didn’t take up the aircraft.

It had been owned by Lufthansa CityLine as from 1992 and kept the same registration until 1995.

Thereafter, it has been transferred to Spanish airline Air Nostrum under the EC-868 registration before switching to EC-GBG the same year 1995.

Finally, in Belgium, the aircraft has been owned by the successive VLM brands (1992-2016 and 2017-2018) under the OO-VLS registration since 2001.

It was first named “City of Antwerp” and later “Freddy Van Gaever“, after the founder of VLM passed away.

After the second VLM demise, the aircraft has been transferred to Swedish airline Amapola Flyg, barely 8 months ago.

Air Antwerp took over the aircraft, which recovered its Belgian registration, arriving earlier today at Antwerp Deurne.