We all know VLM loves its Fokkers but they are all approaching their 20 years of service.
What will VLM replace its Fokkers with?
Dash 8's or the renewed ATR's?
VLM fleet replacement
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FLY4HOURS.BE
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VLM fleet replacement
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Bruspotter
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Hello
If I'm not mistaking they first planned to take the Dash 8-Q400 in service but that is cancelled.
I don't know what will be the next step. VLM would like the most of all that the reproduction of the Fokker 50 would be restarted. But as it looks now they will really have to look forward for a new aircraft...
But I estimate that VLM will stay flying the Fokker 50 for about lets say 5 years.
But that's just speculating the real situation.
Best regards: Yannick
If I'm not mistaking they first planned to take the Dash 8-Q400 in service but that is cancelled.
I don't know what will be the next step. VLM would like the most of all that the reproduction of the Fokker 50 would be restarted. But as it looks now they will really have to look forward for a new aircraft...
But I estimate that VLM will stay flying the Fokker 50 for about lets say 5 years.
But that's just speculating the real situation.
Best regards: Yannick
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Gliderpilot
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It's already discussed in a previous topic a while ago. VLM is really happy with the fokkers, the only thing is they're not the fastest in cruise (small understatement).
As Vanneste already said, they are looking to add some new longer routes to the schedule, but then you have the problem of the low cruise speed of the fokkers. So they were looking for some jets, but no new-built jet is capable of LCY-operations (for sectors bigger than 400nm). That's why they're wet-leasing a BAe 146, that's the only jet capable of doing longer routes from LCY, and at the same time it can be used as expansion on the RTM service.
What's available to buy (new) and why it isn't well-suited for VLM ops:
EMB170 to 195 and CRJ's (SuperJet and MRJ ?): all of them don't have sufficient trust for take-off to fly some "longer" (600km+) routes form LCY.
ATR: just a little over the cruise speed of the fokkers, so actually no advantage over the fokkers.
Q400: looks like a good successor for the F50, but for some reason (I'm happy if anyone can tell me) the management decided to not buy it.
For the matter, TODA of LCY: 1319m
As Vanneste already said, they are looking to add some new longer routes to the schedule, but then you have the problem of the low cruise speed of the fokkers. So they were looking for some jets, but no new-built jet is capable of LCY-operations (for sectors bigger than 400nm). That's why they're wet-leasing a BAe 146, that's the only jet capable of doing longer routes from LCY, and at the same time it can be used as expansion on the RTM service.
What's available to buy (new) and why it isn't well-suited for VLM ops:
EMB170 to 195 and CRJ's (SuperJet and MRJ ?): all of them don't have sufficient trust for take-off to fly some "longer" (600km+) routes form LCY.
ATR: just a little over the cruise speed of the fokkers, so actually no advantage over the fokkers.
Q400: looks like a good successor for the F50, but for some reason (I'm happy if anyone can tell me) the management decided to not buy it.
For the matter, TODA of LCY: 1319m
This Bombardier press release is interesting:
European Airline Orders 10 Bombardier Q400 Turboprops
Toronto, October 23, 2007
Bombardier Aerospace announced today that it has received a signed firm order for 10 Bombardier Q400 high-speed turboprop airliners. The transaction also includes options on 10 additional Q400 airliners. The European airline which placed the order will become a new operator of the Q400 airliner, and has requested to remain unidentified at this time.
The value of the 10 firm orders, based on the list price for the Q400 aircraft, is approximately $267 million US. If all 10 options are exercised, the contract value would be approximately $540 million US.
European Airline Orders 10 Bombardier Q400 Turboprops
Toronto, October 23, 2007
Bombardier Aerospace announced today that it has received a signed firm order for 10 Bombardier Q400 high-speed turboprop airliners. The transaction also includes options on 10 additional Q400 airliners. The European airline which placed the order will become a new operator of the Q400 airliner, and has requested to remain unidentified at this time.
The value of the 10 firm orders, based on the list price for the Q400 aircraft, is approximately $267 million US. If all 10 options are exercised, the contract value would be approximately $540 million US.
the A318 is being certified for LCY, already did 2 fligths from it so this would be a good candidate... in any case the speed and range won't be a problem anymore.Gliderpilot wrote: but no new-built jet is capable of LCY-operations (for sectors bigger than 400nm)
http://www.lcacc.org/aircraft/index.html
look at the bottom of this page for information regarding the A318 at LCY
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FLY4HOURS.BE
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Problem with jets though is that they only beat turboprops on segments longer than 500nm, because of more efficiency at higher cruise altitude, faster,...
The higher speed isn't that interesting as it doesn't matter to VLM and its customers whether the trip lasts one hour or 45 minutes between ANR and LCY. The important on such short hops is the efficiency.
Speculations say it's a German carrier.
I thought that the possibility might be there that VLM could be the customer. Looking forward to find out.
I'd also like to add that Denim Air, who shares the same owner as VLM has Dash-8 on its fleet...
The higher speed isn't that interesting as it doesn't matter to VLM and its customers whether the trip lasts one hour or 45 minutes between ANR and LCY. The important on such short hops is the efficiency.
Yes that's actually the reason why I opened this thread again...This Bombardier press release is interesting:
European Airline Orders 10 Bombardier Q400 Turboprops
Toronto, October 23, 2007
Speculations say it's a German carrier.
I thought that the possibility might be there that VLM could be the customer. Looking forward to find out.
I'd also like to add that Denim Air, who shares the same owner as VLM has Dash-8 on its fleet...
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Gliderpilot
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@regi86: Sorry, I forgot that one, but Vanneste has already stated that it was too big and expensive for VLM ...
I'll look for the article...
edit: I read thistopic on Airliners.net a time ago. I recommend it to everyone interested in the future of VLM. The quote I looked for can be found in reply 34.
another edit:
I posted this in the Q400 thread as well.
I found a very interesting quote from Johan Vanneste on the internet (Via A.net, who quoted Airliner World). Quote is from Dec 06.
"The company [VLM] remains in the evaluation stage and does not intend to make a formal decision over its futrure fleet until next year at the earliest"
link, reply 34.
I'll look for the article...
edit: I read thistopic on Airliners.net a time ago. I recommend it to everyone interested in the future of VLM. The quote I looked for can be found in reply 34.
another edit:
I posted this in the Q400 thread as well.
I found a very interesting quote from Johan Vanneste on the internet (Via A.net, who quoted Airliner World). Quote is from Dec 06.
"The company [VLM] remains in the evaluation stage and does not intend to make a formal decision over its futrure fleet until next year at the earliest"
link, reply 34.