VLM themselves have pointed to the FDH operations as an opportunity to hire local/German crews which should reduce their personnel cost. Which is really important as the whole reorganisation they've been implementing in Antwerp has more or less come to a standstill on that issue.
Services have been outsourced, a Dutch daughter company has been liquidated and planes have been sold but the flying crew is still refusing to take a - up to 17 percent - pay cut. Talks have been going nowhere, so I can understand how VLM is happy to point out that any extra staff being needed for FDH will in fact lower the cost per employee.
What I don't understand is why the opening of the WAT base wasn't an opportunity to do the same. Did VLM not consider it, weren't they somehow allowed to or did they in fact hire Irish crew but without that operation making a sufficient impact? Could anyone shed some light on that?