VLM

[LGW_08R]

Hi

I couldn't find the VLM thread, and when i searched VLM nothing came up so....

I was just curious to know when the LCY-LPL route ended? Why did it end?

Thanks

[OpsSix]

Poor loads. The MAN base may well be closing shortly as well.

[Steviec9]

And LCY-BRU is down to once a day. In fact, VLM's booking engine now lists it as 'Brussels/Antwerp' and details all 4/5 flights a day from Belgium to London, with ANR having the higher frequency.

The acquisition by and subsequent consolidation with AF/KL/WX has also seen them withdraw from LCY-AMS. However, they have recently introduced/are about to introduce new routes from ANR-FRA and LCY-NTE and are now the sole operator on LCY-RTM. They also occasionally deputise on some of WX's lighter services ex-LCY.

Looks like some of VLM's 'traditional' routes may disappear as a result of rail competition and the general downturn. Hopefully, the new routes and their fairly busy charter business will keep their trusty F50's in work.

[johnnychips]

And so VLM's service LCY-MAN is finishing. Really hope this doesn't mean the end or curtailment of the Antwerp service from Manchester, as that late weekday flight is really useful since SN pulled theirs. However I've flown it four times on a Friday in the last year and it's not been more than half full...fingers crossed.

[lalbak]

The Manchester base will close in June but the ANR-MAN and RTM-MAN flight will continue, flight between MAN and LCY will not be flown anymore. Hopefully some new routes will be created or taken over from cityjet/air france to keep them busy.

[vaughan111]

Sadly, according to Flight, it seems that the VLM brand and good service will be consigned to the dustbin, as Air France has announced that the whole VLM/CityJet operation will be branded as CityJet only.

Cityjet are not know for being particularly customer focused, unlike the airlines that they have swallowed (VLM & in a way ScotAirways).

[mmeteesside]

Think Air France have made a big mistake with that, should have been the VLM name that stayed!

[BALLOO53]

With the rebranding to take place soon between VLM and Cityjet could there be more routes for the chop??
The London City-Jersey-London City route which is operated five times a week, the aircraft daystopping in Jersey for the best part of seven hours is not very productive.
So could this be one of the routes they might stop??

[Tonyq]

Exactly the same thing happens in IOM, although the day stop is about 5 hours, and has been going on for about 4 years. I suspect it's simply cheaper to park here (and in JER) between the peaks than at their usual bases or LCY.

Whether it goes on once the integration is done remains to be seen.

[Saab2000 Freak]

Maybe cityjet will use the scot D328's to do two rotations each day to IOM/JER instead of a daystopping F50

[BALLOO53]

With Blueislands leaseing one of the D328s of Scotair they could take on doing an early morning Jersey-London City-Jersey before there Swiss rotation and when that returns they could do another Jersey-London City-Jersey late afternoon??

[AirLCY]

The website is already out of date, it still shows LCYMAN on the map. Also it shows AMS as operated by VLM, the last few times I've flown its been operated by Cityjet, but VLM flight numbers??

[Saab2000 Freak]

Will the VLM F50's be painted up in Cityjet livery?

[first_solo]

I can't imagine they will repaint the beautiful "Green Machine":p

[lalbak]

The AMS route is still being flown using a VLM flightplan/callsign because they are using VLM slots.

It appears that they are taking a second look at JER and IOM in Antwerp so its not sure what will happen to these routes.

VLM planes will be repainted in cityjet livery by the end of the year but VLM will still exist on paper using their own AOC and management.

I suspect the F50 will start taking over some of the routes that are now operated by Scott, there's really no point in wet leasing when VLM has the capacity to spare.

[virginblue]

What routes other than DND are Scot still operating? Hasn't SXB been taken over by VG and a lot of the EDI flights are now done by Cityjet Avros?

[TechProblem]

Regarding VLM in Manchester, now no based a/c, down from 2. No LCY route for most of the week. 4 Outbounds daily to RTM and ANR.

No Ticket desk, no crew base.... not sure what happened, creidt crunch? :rolleyes:

[Skipness One Echo]

Virgin Trains and the Pendolino to Kings Cross is the short answer, so a Hell of a lot of the former LCY passengers go by train, reducing overall passenger figures and reducing the need for based aircraft and crew.

[airhumberside]

and a lot of the EDI flights are now done by Cityjet Avros?
It has been reported on an EDI forum that almost all flights are back with Scot, likely recession related capacity cutbacks

[lalbak]

Is EDI a high demand route? VLM operated this route once a week or 2 ago and from what I've heard the pax figures were not great.

[airhumberside]

EDI is certainly high demand, not like it was, but it sustains BA and Cityjet on multiple weekday frequencies

JER/IOM - arent they essentially somewhere to park the aircraft during the day? The question will be can Cityjet find a more profitable/less loss making way of using the aircraft, or somewhere cheaper to park them? If not then they might as well keep going with JER/IOM

[lalbak]

It was announced today that the Brussels base will close as of Juli 17. Cabin crew will be moved to the Antwerp base, it is uncertain what will happen to the flight crew. I recon its about time they start looking at removing one or two aircraft from the fleet :uhoh:...

[OpsSix]

BRU has been running with poor loads for well over 2 years now, often in single figures. The ANR base is going to have a lot of staff what with the MAN crew being based there now!

[johnnychips]

Booked a VLM flight to MAN from ANR ages ago for 1815 last Sun; in April was emailed by VLM to say flight changed to 1600 - annoying but these things happen. Turned up at airport about 1520 and told, no, flight is 1815; had not been re-notified. Check in staff said things had been a bit all over the place recently.

Now I am an expert on 14 bus from Deurne to and from Antwerp Centre (Deurne is not the liveliest place on Sunday afternoon), but I will forgive them most things including this because of excellent service. Hope it doesn't suffer under new management, and hope there will continue to be an evening flight from MAN-ANR now SN Brussels have withdrawn theirs to Zaventem.

Otherwise it's National Express trains and Eurostar :{

[Steviec9]

VLM services certainly being cut back.

LCY-BRU - route closed
LCY-MAN - route closed
ANR-FRA - route closed after barely three months of operation
LCY-IOM - route closed (currently suspended for the Summer but not returning)

Unless any new routes are opened, VLM's fleet of F50's are going to be scratching for business after the summer charter work slows down.

Given that VLM's website hasn't been updated in a while (certainly not to announce any of the above route closures), looks like both the VLM brand AND some/many of their aircraft will disappear early in 2010 when the full Cityjet branding is launched. Sad to see them go.

[Wellington Bomber]

Last week went to Rotterdam and there were 3 VLM F50's sat on the ramp doing nothing all parked up

[ghost_rider24]

I heard that one of the focker's is to operate one of the dnd - lcy sectors tonight could vlm take over from scotairways on the route maybe??

[Richard Taylor]

Great shame to see a once successful airline butchered in this way. Has echos of Air UK, & not just because of the FK50s.

Progress? Not for me.

[egnxema]

VLM's F50 fleet is to be repainted into a new Cityjet livery, first aircraft due to fly in September.

The VLM website is replaced by the cityjet website - a new site for the whole London City Network.

Sad to see the VLM Airlines brand going, but as the economy seem to be on the turn upwards the new Cityjet is well positioned for LCY expansion.

[OpsSix]

The F50's are going to look dated in the CityJet livery.... it's a shame the VLM brand is going.

[Jippie]

Picture of a VLM F50 in Cityjet colors.
Sorry, I was not able to find the copyright holder of this picture, but it's not me, that's for sure.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9405/oovlq.jpg

[DutchBird-757]

Now that is hideous! I always liked the VLM fokkers. Smart and elegant planes. Look at it now. :eek: Yuk...feel sorry for the guys flying them. But as long as there's money coming in...who cares about the outside. (they must have thought)

[BAladdy]

Great shame to see a once successful airline butchered in this way. Has echos of Air UK, & not just because of the FK50s.

Successful and popular. I fly regularly from LCY to AMS with VG. I recently booked another flight through VG, checked in and went to the gate and what was waiting there a WX RJ85. Personally I felt that the RJ85 was much more cramped than the F50 and the service felt hurried and missed that attentive and friendlyVG touch.

It is a shame T3 didn't go through with starting up on the route. Their product would have been a great replacement for VG. I hope WX decide to put the F50 back on the route.

Sad to see the VLM Airlines brand going, but as the economy seem to be on the turn upwards the new Cityjet is well positioned for LCY expansion.

Very sad. I would have thought the VG brand was stronger and more highly thought of than the WX one. They will be we positioned for expansion. However I can't help but think they might meet some resistance from regulators and other airlines when it comes to expansion. Didn't they have to hand over slots to T3 when they where bought by AF?. Do those slots still belong to T3?.

Now that is hideous! I always liked the VLM fokkers. Smart and elegant planes. Look at it now. http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/eek.gif Yuk...feel sorry for the guys flying them. But as long as there's money coming in...who cares about the outside. (they must have thought)

Must admit I don't like the look of it much either. Much prefered the bold VLM livery. It seemed to suit the aircraft more. They have done one thing worse than change the livery. OO-VLQ when it was in VLM colours used to be named City of Manchester. I notice now it has been given Cityjet colours the name had disappeared. Does anyone know if they F50's will be renamed??.

[Traffic is...]

Cityturboprop?:)

[BAladdy]

Cityturboprop?http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/smile.gif
:D:D Very good...............
Was thinking maybe they have removed the name to make way for the:

Air France operated by Cityjet in association with VLM Sticker