Virgin Express to downsize
http://business.scotsman.com/transport.cfm?id=71442004
Jets axed but no flight cuts at Virgin Express
VIRGIN Express, the Belgian no-frills airline, has confirmed that it plans to trim the size of its fleet by 15 per cent, but insisted the move will not lead to fewer services.
The carrier is to cut two planes from its fleet of 13 Boeing 737s and said it could make cost savings and maintain its existing number of flights and destinations by using the remaining aircraft more efficiently.
Virgin Express, controlled by entrepreneur Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, has the option to renew leases for two of its planes in February and May but does not intend to do so.
However, a spokesman for the budget carrier stressed that cutting the fleet would not limit the range and number of flights it offered.
"We don’t see any problems for the summer season," said Yves Panneels, adding that further refining the airline’s flight schedules would compensate for the reduction in planes.
Virgin Express also said it planned to halt its one-year-old code-sharing agreement with Belgian peer VLM Airlines on flights to London City airport in late March, because the two airlines operate along different lines.
VLM Airlines is the main airline flying to the small city-centre airport from Brussels, and Virgin’s Boeing 737 planes are unable to land there.
Earlier this month, VLM said it planned to add extra flights to Brussels from London City in mid-January.
Virgin is reviewing different alternatives to continue to serve London, Mr Panneels said. The airline operated flights between Brussels and London Heathrow until October 2002.
Not a good week for Belgian aviation. What are they doing wrong ?