VLM : still growing

Vinnie-Winnie · Post by **Vinnie-Winnie** » 27 Feb 2007, 19:29

Comet wrote:Maybe they ought to operate LCY-LBA - bmi did that with a leased ATR for a while but now there is no service on that route. VLM is biased towards the north west of England, favouring MAN and LPL. The east of the Pennines is very poorly linked to LCY (a flight from NCL by Eastern but I think that is all).

Yeah then again GNER provides a fast(2h30) pretty punctual and comfy journey in first class from Leeds to London so that market might be quite tough!

NCL makes more sense! Edinburgh with its growing financial center might also be a good candidate!

Off topic:

@Comet your trips to Belgium will be much more cheaper from on I believe! Cheap Transpenine express to NCL for example, and B-light ticket to BRU! (Got one for 42 quid all in)

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 27 Feb 2007, 19:55

Thanks for the tip Vinnie, but we're giving NCL a miss this year (tip for Newcastle - Virgin are better than TransPennine any day). We haven't actually got flights booked but we'll either use BHX or MAN (you can get good rail and hotel inclusive deals for airport stopovers at BHX and MAN).

I don't know how long LBA-LCY would take, but it would be quicker than the train. And if people checked in online (as you can with more and more) then that saves long waits at the airport for those busines travellers who just have hand luggage.

I think a LBA-LCY service with those conditions could do quite well.

summersso · Post by **summersso** » 27 Feb 2007, 21:07

burner737 wrote:To summersso: You'll love their service ... Maybe you'll only wanna fly with VLM after it ...

Maybe indeed! If they were to start flying to Central Europe, definitely!
Rarely go home to London but when I do prefer flying to the Eurostar and LCY/DLR connection is convenient for post-work drinks in the City

A318 · Post by **A318** » 27 Feb 2007, 23:27

Atlantis wrote:In the next coming months VLM is going to add two more F50's. Total number of aircrafts grow to 21. One of them is coming from Denim air, the other from outside that group.

And Vanneste confirms that they are thinking to use bigger aircrafts than F50 and this to open other destinations.

Source: luchtvaartnieuws.

Wonder how long it will take until VLM takes over Denim completely, they keep on putting F50's over to VLM until no one is left, well not in europe.

Post by **Bruspotter** » 28 Feb 2007, 20:52

Hello

Summerso:

I hope I'm not disappointed.

Indeed you wont be disappointed , although you should not expect the impossible

it's not a business jet

But apart from that I can say that the flight want be bad at all

I flew with them once to LCY in 1997 in the beginyears. The service right than (and I am sure it still is)was really good. It was only a 50min flight and we got 'koffiekoeken' (don't know how to say in English , srry

), croisants , a coffee and some candy

. The flight is quite calm because it isn't a really big plane and yet 2 flight attendants for max. 50pax is still good. Only the typical F50 flying style you'll have to accept.

Expect a steep approach dive with a very short turn right after you overflew the right of EBAW's runway (Antwerp) , at least it it's RWY29 , wich I must say I would prefer. And Oh I did like that approach

Anyway, I wish you a good flight and I'm looking forward to hear about your expierence with VLM.

Best regards: Yannick

summersso · Post by **summersso** » 28 Feb 2007, 22:56

(Apologies for straying off the topic!)

Thanks Yannick for the tips. Have flown in/out of LCY a few times before - excellent views, especially on a summer evening. I'll try and make a photo montage/report if I've time or a chance...

blackbox · Post by **blackbox** » 01 Mar 2007, 00:34

Bruspotter wrote:There was a time we could even call it the 'Airline of Flanders' but those times are unfortunatly over.

And why would those times be over?

anyway, I would love to see some REAL planes in the VLM fleet in stead of those small Fokkertjes.

I think a 737 would look gorgeous in VLM colors....

Stij · Post by **Stij** » 01 Mar 2007, 08:48

blackbox wrote:anyway, I would love to see some REAL planes in the VLM fleet in stead of those small Fokkertjes.

I think a 737 would look gorgeous in VLM colors....

I tend to disagree. People are very strange, when people have to board, there's never a hassle or stress, however, when a 737 has to board... I really love to fly small planes.

Kind regards,

Stij (unfortunatly mostly flying out of CRL or intercontinental.)

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 01 Mar 2007, 11:27

Stij wrote:
blackbox wrote:anyway, I would love to see some REAL planes in the VLM fleet in stead of those small Fokkertjes.

I think a 737 would look gorgeous in VLM colors....
I tend to disagree. People are very strange, when people have to board, there's never a hassle or stress, however, when a 737 has to board... I really love to fly small planes.

Kind regards,

Stij (unfortunatly mostly flying out of CRL or intercontinental.)

I am another who loves flying in the Fokker 50 (and also the 27 when it was around). The sound of the props when they start up is something I could never tire of.

VLM are restricted to what they fly by their preference for operating to and from London City (which is the pleasantest airport in London!)

eudokia · Post by **eudokia** » 01 Mar 2007, 12:37

blackbox wrote: I think a 737 would look gorgeous in VLM colors....

It certainly does:

http://img294.imageshack.us/my.php?image=oovvldz0.jpg

blackbox · Post by **blackbox** » 01 Mar 2007, 20:10

eudokia wrote:
blackbox wrote: I think a 737 would look gorgeous in VLM colors....
It certainly does:

http://img294.imageshack.us/my.php?image=oovvldz0.jpg

That's the old livery.

Post by **Bruspotter** » 01 Mar 2007, 20:54

Hello

The times of 'Wings of Flanders' are really over, believe me. Say for yourself , VLM has diverted it's main hub to LCY and flies more a day from Manchester, besides that it also has mini hubs in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, at AMS there are even more flights than from BRU or ANR so tell me... No , my opinion is that VLM still is a Belgian airline in the official way but VLM is actually more a 'multinational' airline.

If VLM would buy jets I think the best chance goes out to an Avro RJ seen the capacity and the possibility to handle it at any airport VLM flies to/from, or maybe even a Dornier Jet , who will say? In every case the livery would certainly fit on these planes

Although they choose for the Fokker 50 because that's their succes.
The F50 is not that expensive and the flights they do don't really require top prestations of the aircraft so the F50 is sufficient for the short flights wich VLM operates. + 50 people on one flight is quite the max. for a VLM flight.

You have to know that for the kind of city-hopper flight a jet has a very bad output (rendement). A jet engine wouldn't get the time to reach it's maximum output , prestations and advantages on a that short flight. The Turboprop has the highest output for flights of that range, cruise alt. and speed. A simple propellor plane would do bad instead so the Turboprop is the ultimate solution.
I think that VLM will only buy jets when they also do further destinations than ANR-LCY , LCY-MAN , LCY-LIV , etc...

It could be possible to operate this with a jet , but I must agree with VLM they choose for a Turboprop plane for this flights.

The F50 will stay around with VLM for quite some wile I think

No problem because me myself I like the VLM fokker 50's the most , the best F50 livery there is around.

Best regards: Yannick

A318 · Post by **A318** » 01 Mar 2007, 22:03

Main problem for VLM is cash and no investor to buy Jets in the first place.
A F50 cost almost nothing these days and they can keep expanding slowly.
Even Panda Holding is owner of VLM and Denim there just isn't enough financial backup to invest in Jets.
My $0.02

Erwin

Boeing767copilot · Post by **Boeing767copilot** » 05 Mar 2007, 10:10

VLM will use a BA146-300 as from 16 april on the Rotterdam-LCY -route.

jan_olieslagers · Post by **jan_olieslagers** » 05 Mar 2007, 10:15

Boeing767copilot wrote:VLM will use a BA146-300 as from 16 april on the Rotterdam-LCY -route.

What's your source? There were rumours for the Luxembourg-LCY route earlier, but I never heard about R'dam jet service!

OO-VEX · Post by **OO-VEX** » 05 Mar 2007, 10:47

Luchtvaartnieuws.nl confirms the introduction of the BAe146-300 on the LCY-RTM route by VLM

http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/news/?ID=19042
Flying a bigger jet aircraft on this route could also the be reason for decreasing the number of flights between LCY and RTM from 12 to 10 and to use the available slots on the RTM-MAN route.

OO-VEX

Post by **sn26567** » 05 Mar 2007, 11:53

Boeing767copilot wrote:VLM will use a BA146-300 as from 16 april on the Rotterdam-LCY -route.

Good news is that they will use a 2-3 seat configuration, leaving nice elbow space to the passengers.

Any idea of which plane they will use (current owner and registration) ?

Post by **sn26567** » 05 Mar 2007, 12:59

Boeing767copilot sent me the first of these 2 nice pictures, an artist impression which can also be seen in the press release on Luchtzak News:

Avro · Post by **Avro** » 05 Mar 2007, 13:19

The livery would look great on the whisper jet if they paint it like that !!

I'm looking forward to see it !!

Chris

Post by **ElcoB** » 05 Mar 2007, 15:32

BAe 146 to serve high-density London City – Rotterdam route

Antwerp, Monday 5 March 2007, VLM Airlines has today announced that it will enhance its fleet with the introduction of a jet aircraft for the first time.

The 92-seat BAe 146-300 will enter service on April 16th, 2007, and will be operated on one of the airline’s busiest routes betweenLondon City and Rotterdam City.

Corporate Info > Press Office - Latest News > 2007-03-06 VLM Airlines to introduce Jet service