VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018 - 2019

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ironspan
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by ironspan »

One more thing, maybe time for Mr Buelens to urgently look for a more trustworthy operator for the LCY-ANR route (BA or FlyBe?), just in case... It is great to have a ‘home’ carrier, but when this home carrier is negatively impacting the image of your airport, it is time to change. Also all the negative press articles, will definitely scare pax away. I already repeatedly said this before, EGIS needs to actively look for other operators at ANR (and OST)...

Haplek
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by Haplek »

sonic boom wrote: 08 Aug 2018, 07:10 Lucky me. Today on the flight to Maribor, coming back on friday. Just before they cancel the route
So we were on the same flight 😊😊😊
16 or 17 PAX on MUC-MBX leg, 3 entering in MUC

koninckske
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by koninckske »

Those are dramatic cutbacks, are they?

I think it was a correct decision to put VLM back on track before they go down like they did last time. From what I have been reading is that they had to reduce their fleet to 4 from 5 F50 since one aircraft became simply to old to operate/repair in the near future. They received 1,6 million Euro extra capital in July.

They were unable to perform all (profitable) charter requests in the last months with the Fokkers busy doing their scheduled flying. So this is the business they want to increase. They already operate 1 F50 like this at he moment, increase will mean at least 2.

This leaves only 2 F50 to operated the schedules. Of course they will continue the 2 most profitable or close to being profitable high frequency routes: LCY and ZRH

Routes remaining:
ANR-LCY (16x weekly)
ANR-ZRH (10x,11x weekly from winter schedule) increasing loads at good fares
Routes cancelled:
ANR-ABZ (3x) good loads at rather low fares due to leisure passengers during holidays, low bookings afterwards
ANR-BHX (5X) low load/fares and inconvenient flight times
ANR-CGN-RLG (5x) costly operation due to positioning flight ANR to CGN
ANR-MUC (10x) increasing loads, but rather low fares. Had potential to become a good route in future.
MUC-MBX (2x) never made any sense, operated for former owners and owner from MBX airport
Postponed (?):
ANR-MAN-OST

Destinations from 8 (MAN never started) to 2: -75%
Weekly departures from ANR from 49 to 27: -45%
Monthly passengers from ANR from 8000 to 5500: -31%
Looks less dramatic in numbers then stating VLM is cancelling everything except ZRH and LCY. 'Only' 30 % of their ANR passengers being affected.

When you have to save a business and you focus on the 2 profitable parts (2 profitable or close to being profitable destinations and the charter business), that actually makes some sense to me. This should put them in a position to stabilize and grow from there in future.

New fleet next year is likely going to be ATR. ATR42 to replace the F50 and hopefully an ATR72 as well to cater for bigger charter groups and peak demand in scheduled flying to LCY and ZRH. A mix of 3 ATR42 and 2 ATR72 would be a great start. ATR72 has a bigger potential for wet lease contracts too.

Just my 5 cents, but I think this decision was good and needed.

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sn26567
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by sn26567 »

Thanks for this nice analysis, koninckske. Let's hope that their decision was the right one to put them back on the track of profitability.
André
ex Sabena #26567

sonic boom
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by sonic boom »

Haplek wrote: 08 Aug 2018, 14:56
sonic boom wrote: 08 Aug 2018, 07:10 Lucky me. Today on the flight to Maribor, coming back on friday. Just before they cancel the route
So we were on the same flight 😊😊😊
16 or 17 PAX on MUC-MBX leg, 3 entering in MUC
I was in 11b and my gf in 11a, So probably you sat in front of me :)

25+2 pax ANR to MUC 2 pax didnt get on the plane because of a pasport issue. 18 pax MUC to MBX with indeed 3 from MUC

Mr Frost
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Joined: 01 Jul 2018, 21:42

Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by Mr Frost »

Another problem with those f50 are spare parts, if you can find them the prices are extreme...
These planes are just to expensive to operate.
even they are not even on half of the max flight hours
So they are going to sell VLN (probebly it goes to amapola)
and 1 they will use as spare parts.
to cut costs in parts untill they have a new aircraft.

i think they better buy a small jet and start competing againt tui on holiday destination
Last edited by Mr Frost on 08 Aug 2018, 22:15, edited 1 time in total.

PttU
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by PttU »

koninckske wrote: 08 Aug 2018, 21:05

Routes remaining:
ANR-LCY (16x weekly)
ANR-ZRH (10x,11x weekly from winter schedule) increasing loads at good fares
Routes cancelled:
ANR-MUC (10x) increasing loads, but rather low fares. Had potential to become a good route in future.
What's the difference between "good fares" to ZRH and "rather low fares" to MUC? Wasn't it 59eur one way for both? Which seems to be cheap compared to SN.
SN/LH has 7 flights/day to MUC, Swiss has 5 daily flights to ZRH, so why can't VLM make both routes work...

Mr Frost wrote: 08 Aug 2018, 22:14 i think they better buy a small jet and start competing againt tui on holiday destination
Competing against a tour operator which is much bigger and can link their flights with a hotel etc. Seems like a bad idea to me.
I kinda liked what they were doing: serving business routes at business times, competing against BRU-based alternatives both by price and swiftness using the small-scale ANR-advantage. Especially if there's no LCC serving the same route from BRU/EIN/CRL/... Too bad they didn't get enough traction.

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luchtzak
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by luchtzak »

While Air Belgium is promoting their route to Hong Kong on social media (and on this site), I didn’t see a single ad for VLM routes...

koninckske
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by koninckske »

PttU wrote: 09 Aug 2018, 10:06 What's the difference between "good fares" to ZRH and "rather low fares" to MUC? Wasn't it 59eur one way for both? Which seems to be cheap compared to SN.
SN/LH has 7 flights/day to MUC, Swiss has 5 daily flights to ZRH, so why can't VLM make both routes work...
Starting fare is indeed 59 EUR for both, but after those have sold the fares on the ZRH (100-150-190-240-280-380) are increasing faster than on the MUC (69-110-151-193-230-...). The pax loads are higher on ZRH. So selling the tickets at 190, 240 or 280 happens on many flights. Due to lower loads on the MUC the more expensive tickets are not selling that often.

Also MUC is a longer flight: more fuel, more maintenance, more ATC... costs.

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CTBke
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by CTBke »

PttU wrote: 09 Aug 2018, 10:06
koninckske wrote: 08 Aug 2018, 21:05

Routes remaining:
ANR-LCY (16x weekly)
ANR-ZRH (10x,11x weekly from winter schedule) increasing loads at good fares
Routes cancelled:
ANR-MUC (10x) increasing loads, but rather low fares. Had potential to become a good route in future.
What's the difference between "good fares" to ZRH and "rather low fares" to MUC? Wasn't it 59eur one way for both? Which seems to be cheap compared to SN.
SN/LH has 7 flights/day to MUC, Swiss has 5 daily flights to ZRH, so why can't VLM make both routes work...

Mr Frost wrote: 08 Aug 2018, 22:14 i think they better buy a small jet and start competing againt tui on holiday destination
Competing against a tour operator which is much bigger and can link their flights with a hotel etc. Seems like a bad idea to me.
I kinda liked what they were doing: serving business routes at business times, competing against BRU-based alternatives both by price and swiftness using the small-scale ANR-advantage. Especially if there's no LCC serving the same route from BRU/EIN/CRL/... Too bad they didn't get enough traction.
don't forget both LH and LX have connecting passengers on both routes and a lot of codeshares .. so it's easy to fill planes, offer low long haul flights and let them connect through both HUBS something VLM doesn't have .. they only offer point to point
Citybird
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PttU
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by PttU »

koninckske wrote: 09 Aug 2018, 10:29
PttU wrote: 09 Aug 2018, 10:06 What's the difference between "good fares" to ZRH and "rather low fares" to MUC? Wasn't it 59eur one way for both? Which seems to be cheap compared to SN.
SN/LH has 7 flights/day to MUC, Swiss has 5 daily flights to ZRH, so why can't VLM make both routes work...
Starting fare is indeed 59 EUR for both, but after those have sold the fares on the ZRH (100-150-190-240-280-380) are increasing faster than on the MUC (69-110-151-193-230-...). The pax loads are higher on ZRH. So selling the tickets at 190, 240 or 280 happens on many flights. Due to lower loads on the MUC the more expensive tickets are not selling that often.

Also MUC is a longer flight: more fuel, more maintenance, more ATC... costs.
Although the difference is only about 100km, or about 15min flight times, that kinda makes sense... But what about making triangles? ANR-ZRH-MUC-ANR: would that see an increase in LF combining passengers from ANR to both ZRH and MUC, or would that increase the travel time too much and scare off potential passengers for both destinations?

Haplek
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by Haplek »

sonic boom wrote: 08 Aug 2018, 21:54
Haplek wrote: 08 Aug 2018, 14:56
sonic boom wrote: 08 Aug 2018, 07:10 Lucky me. Today on the flight to Maribor, coming back on friday. Just before they cancel the route
So we were on the same flight 😊😊😊
16 or 17 PAX on MUC-MBX leg, 3 entering in MUC
I was in 11b and my gf in 11a, So probably you sat in front of me :)

25+2 pax ANR to MUC 2 pax didnt get on the plane because of a pasport issue. 18 pax MUC to MBX with indeed 3 from MUC
True, I was on the 10A :)

carllegein
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Joined: 21 Oct 2008, 21:45

Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by carllegein »

Doing our best but please bear in mind the new CEO is very competent and doing a great job. With Vizion Air we will send them a big pile of charter flights, because we love VLM, the Fokker 50 and the crew are fantastic.

AAI
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by AAI »

i hope to see some charters out of ANR too

Flanker3
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by Flanker3 »

It's back to reality I guess.
I was surprised that they launched all these routes, but now we see that it was just madness.
Good to see the cutback and trying to become sustainable.
LCY and ZRH make sense.
If Vizion Air is giving them enough lucrative work, it makes sense to pursue that.

ANR could in theory sustain a major regional network.
In practice though, with BRU just around the corner, it needs to create additional selling points and lower fares.

The ATR42 is a lot of aircraft compared to a F50.
I don't think that they can operate that profitably out of ANR.

Whatever happened to their plans to get A330's, etc? How about the A320's they took over from TCB?

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KriVa
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by KriVa »

Regarding A330s and A320s: not the same company, as far as I'm aware. VLM (SHS Antwerp) versus VLM Brussels.
Thomas

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CTBke
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by CTBke »

Flanker3 wrote: 14 Aug 2018, 03:42 It's back to reality I guess.
I was surprised that they launched all these routes, but now we see that it was just madness.
Good to see the cutback and trying to become sustainable.
LCY and ZRH make sense.
If Vizion Air is giving them enough lucrative work, it makes sense to pursue that.

ANR could in theory sustain a major regional network.
In practice though, with BRU just around the corner, it needs to create additional selling points and lower fares.

The ATR42 is a lot of aircraft compared to a F50.
I don't think that they can operate that profitably out of ANR.

Whatever happened to their plans to get A330's, etc? How about the A320's they took over from TCB?

two different companies, VLM brussels will go for an Airbus fleet (A320 OO-TCT/A321/A330)
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jan_olieslagers
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by jan_olieslagers »

... and change name, too.

airtrainer
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by airtrainer »

Did a daytrip ANR-CGN-ANR today with two friends. This morning we had the whole aircraft for us as we were the only pax on board 8-) The flight attendant told us that they were picking-up 21 pax in CGN to continue to RLG.
On the way back in the afternoon 16 pax flew RLG-CGN, two stayed onboard to continue to ANR and we were 5 to board at CGN.
The cabin crew were again very friendly and the service excellent, much better than a lot of other big Airlines.
They also told us that they need at least 20 pax onboard to be profitable and that the London route is almost always full or nearly full while the route to Zürich has some up an downs but is mainly good...

tangolima
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Re: VLM (SHS Antwerp Aviation) news 2018

Post by tangolima »

airtrainer wrote: 18 Aug 2018, 21:37 The cabin crew were again very friendly and the service excellent, much better than a lot of other big Airlines.
Hello

Easier to spread your attention and kindness to 5 pax than to a full loaded aircraft 8-) With 5 pax you can easily make a personal talk with every pax and still do your service, how do you want to do that on a fully booked flight? So in my opinion not a very hard task to be friendly and do a good service if you only have 5 pax.

But maybe that is the advantage of the low load factors...

Greetings,
All my posted timings are local !

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