VLM Airlines

VLM Airlines was[1] a Belgian airline offering scheduled, charter and ACMI services. It was headquartered at Antwerp International Airport in Deurne.[2] It ceased operations on 31 August 2018.[1] It is not to be confused with its Belgian sister airline VLM Airlines Brussels, which operated leisure charters and ceased operations in December 2018. A new airline known as Air Antwerp which is owned by CityJet (75%) and KLM (25%) launched operations on 9 September 2019 and consists of ex-employees and fleet of VLM Airlines.

This article is about the Belgian regional airline. For the Belgian leisure charter airline, see VLM Airlines Brussels. For its Slovenian sister airline, see VLM Airlines Slovenia.

VLM Airlines
IATA ICAO Callsign
VG VLM RUBENS
Founded1992
2017
Commenced operationsMay 1993
30 October 2017
Ceased operations31 August 2018[1]
Focus citiesAntwerp International Airport
Subsidiaries
Fleet size6
Destinations7
Parent companySHS Antwerp Aviation
HeadquartersDeurne, Antwerp, Belgium
Key peopleJohan Maertens, CEO
Employees85[1]
Websiteflyvlm.com

History

Early years
VLM Fokker 50 in former livery

VLM Airlines started operations in May 1993 with a scheduled service between Antwerp International Airport and London City Airport. "VLM" is an abbreviation of Vlaamse Luchttransport Maatschappij, "Flemish Air Transport Company". Its original hub was Antwerp; this was switched to London City, and after a management buy-out late in 2014, it was again based at Antwerp Airport.

On 24 December 2007, Air France-KLM agreed to buy the company from Panta Holdings.[3] In 2008 the airline reported its tenth consecutive year of profits; for the year ending 31 December 2007 it had a net profit of 3.6m euros. Turnover grew to 112m euros and passenger numbers rose 9% to 745,781 during 2007.[4] The airline at this point employed over 400 people, and carried 745,781 passengers in 2007.

Air France-KLM announced on 28 May 2009 that VLM Airlines would gradually start to operate under the brand name CityJet. The name CityJet was already in use by the Irish regional partner of Air France-KLM. In 2010 the name VLM Airlines had been replaced altogether by CityJet. This merger was never completed. On 16 February 2010 CityJet launched a new seating configuration on their aircraft, including the Fokker 50 aircraft added during the merger. They were fitted with CityPlus, a 4-abreast premium economy class along with CityValue, the standard economy.[5]

VLM used to promote itself as Europe's leading "business airline" and tried to reflect this in its pursuit of superior service. Passengers were served fresh meals on board, and were able to request a vegetarian or kosher meal at the time of reservation. Meals were presented on a half-tray, and all passengers were served drinks in real glasses with tea and coffee served in china cups. Such features are not commonly found on short-haul airlines. After the CityJet/Air France takeover, this product was downgraded to reflect the Air France-KLM product on short-haul flights—a simpler service of sandwiches and drinks, with glassware and china cups replaced by plastic. However, the airline did continue to distribute boiled sweets to its passengers before take-off, and Belgian chocolates mid-flight.

Development since the 2010s
VLM BAe 146-300 in former livery

In early 2014, following the sale of CityJet by Air France to German investor Intro Aviation, the latter decided to "demerge" Cityjet and VLM. VLM would from then on provide aircraft and crews on an ACMI basis.

In October 2014, however, the management of VLM Airlines undertook a management buyout and VLM became independent from CityJet and Intro Aviation. The CEO, Arthur White, became the majority shareholder. The company continued to provide services to Cityjet and to offer charter services and reintroduced scheduled flights from Antwerp Airport to Geneva and other destinations.[6] In the same month the airline signed a contract to lease two Sukhoi Superjet 100s, with options for 12 more, as a possible replacement for the Fokker 50s, to be delivered from April 2015.[7] This date was later revised to 2016 due to certification delays,[7] however the order was cancelled.[8]

In March 2015, it was announced that VLM would take over two routes from Waterford Airport, Ireland to the UK which were previously served by Stobart Air and Flybe. The routes to London Luton and Birmingham started late April 2015 and continues throughout 2016. In June 2015, VLM announced it would discontinue all operations to and from their new base at Liège Airport (to Avignon, Nice and Venice) after only six weeks of service, due to low demand.[9] In December 2015, VLM Airlines announced it would base three aircraft at Friedrichshafen Airport in Germany by February 2016 to take over the domestic routes to Berlin, Düsseldorf and Hamburg previously provided by bankrupt regional carrier InterSky.[10]

Demise
VLM Fokker 50 in the last livery of the original airline

On 13 May 2016, VLM Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection at a court in Antwerp after accumulating €6 million of debt.[11] Bankruptcy protection was granted for a duration of six months on 25 May 2016.[12] VLM planned to continue its operations with a turn around plan that envisaged a return to break even in mid 2017 with the main focus on improving cash flow, stabilising the economic situation and stabilising operations.[13] After the bankruptcy protection was announced, several pilots left the airline due to a restructuring plan which focused on cost reduction and maximizing revenue.

VLM Airlines announced the termination of its flights from its Waterford Airport base to London-Luton at short notice by 13 June 2016, leaving Waterford without any scheduled traffic.[14]

On 22 June 2016, People's Viennaline announced the cancellation of its ACMI contract with VLM without further notice, citing a lack of quality in the provided services, e.g. several delays and cancellations.[15] Later on the same day, VLM Airlines declared bankruptcy. All flights were cancelled with immediate effect and all planes grounded.[16][17] The airline's website was shut down a few hours later.[18]

Owing to VLM's demise, its ACMI customer CityJet replaced VLM with Danish Air Transport on the London City Airport to Antwerp route.[19]

New ownership, restart of operations and second demise

On 9 September 2016, SHS Antwerp Aviation reached an agreement with receivers. SHS Antwerp Aviation is owned by the Dutch SHS Aviation b.v. From November 2016, it employs 15 people. To start operations, a new AOC will need to be asked. The new fleet currently has seven Fokker 50's registered to SHS Antwerp Aviation.[20]

VLM restarted the London City Airport to Antwerp route on 30 October 2017, taking over the route previously operated by Danish Air Transport.[21]

In March 2017 SHS Aviation announced it would take over the flight licences, two of the remaining Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium aircraft,[22] and the remaining 40 employees, and integrate them into the reestablished VLM Airlines.[23] The 'new' airline's first flight was TCW7011 from Brussels to Eskisehir Airport and returning to Brussels as TCW7012 on 11 November 2017.[22] The two Airbus A320 aircraft (OO-TCT and OO-TCX) have been re-registered to VLM Airlines.

In February 2018, a Dutch investor, SF Aviation Management B.V., took over the former Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium activities and aircraft that were renamed VLM Airlines (Brussels). The Antwerp activities would continue as VLM Regional. One of the A320 aircraft was returned to Thomas Cook. The remaining A320 (OO-TCT) is used for charter and ACMI activities. On 17 June 2018, CEO Harm Jan Prins announced an A321 would soon join the fleet.

On 24 April 2018, VLM announced routes from Manchester to Antwerp and Ostend-Bruges to be launched on 1 October 2018.[24] However, these plans were cancelled shortly after.

On 6 August 2018, VLM Airlines announced the termination of all scheduled routes except two (the remaining destinations being London and Zurich) at Antwerp International Airport in the coming weeks to focus on charter operations.[25][26] In the same time, VLM announced the retirement of their Fokker 50 fleet while a new aircraft was to be acquired for charter operations.[27]

On 31 August 2018 however, VLM ceased all operations again following a decision by its shareholders to go into liquidation.[1][28]


Destinations

As of 21 August 2018, shortly before its demise, VLM Airlines operated to the following scheduled destinations:[29]

Belgium
Germany
Switzerland
United Kingdom

Former destinations
Ireland
Slovenia
United Kingdom

Fleet

As of August 2018, the VLM Airlines fleet included the following aircraft.[20] Not included are the fleets of VLM Airlines Slovenia, which operated further Fokker 50s, and VLM Airlines Brussels, which operated Airbus A320 family aircraft.

VLM Airlines Fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
Fokker 50 6 — 50 were to be retired[27]
Total 6 —
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References
  1. pr.flyvlm.com - SHS Antwerp Aviation (VLM) goes into liquidation 31 August 2018
  2. "Your VLM contacts". VLM Airlines. 1 August 2003. Retrieved on 6 July 2010. "Headquarters VLM Airlines Belgium NV Luchthavengebouw B50 B 2100 Deurne Antwerpen." "Antwerp office VLM Airlines Belgium NV Luchthavengebouw B50 B 2100 Antwerp Belgium Company registration number 0446.670.251."
  3. Message on the VLM website announcing the takeover Archived 14 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine access date 24 December 2007
  4. "Annual financial summary 2007-08". Archived from the original on 14 November 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  5. CityJet. "CityJet - CityPlus". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  6. "Lara News Show". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  7. flightglobal.com. "Certification issues delay Superjet introduction at VLM". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  8. "VLM Airlines scraps Superjet order". atwonline.com.
  9. "aero.de - Luftfahrt-Nachrichten und -Community". aero.de. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  10. austrianaviation.net - FDH: VLM tritt InterSky-Erbe an 18 December 2015
  11. aerotelegraph.com - "VLM Airlines escapes into creditor protection" (German) 13 May 2016
  12. aero.de - "VLM receives bankrupcty protection" (German) 25 May 2016
  13. "La compagnie aérienne VLM Airlines demande la protection contre ses créanciers". rtbf.be. 13 May 2016.
  14. ch-aviation.com - Belgium's VLM closes Waterford base 7 June 2016
  15. "Peoples kündigt VLM-ACMI fristlos". austrianaviation.net.
  16. flightglobal.com - VLM files for bankruptcy 22 June 2016
  17. "VLM Airlines on Twitter".
  18. flyvlm.com - This account has been suspended. retrieved 22 June 2016
  19. [cityjet.com - Flight disruption] retrieved 25 June 2016
  20. "Belgian Aircraft Register". Belgian Government - Official information and services. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  21. "London city airport press release". Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  22. "Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium ceases all operations". CH-Aviation. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  23. "VLM Airlines neemt deel werknemers en vlieglicentie Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium over " (Dutch) 31 May 2017 retrieved 26 Jun 2017
  24. "VLM to launch new routes from Manchester to Antwerp and Ostend-Bruges on 1st October 2018". Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  25. hln.be - VLM snoeit in aanbod lijnvluchten vanuit Antwerpen: op twee na alle bestemmingen geschrapt (Dutch) 6 August 2018
  26. routesonline.com - VLM Airlines network changes from Sep 2018 10 August 2018
  27. airliners.de - VLM schedules fleet switch (German) 9 August 2018
  28. ukaviation.news - VLM Airlines ceases operations again 31 August 2018
  29. flyvlm.com - Book retrieved 21 August 2018

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