VLM

[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]

Brussels to close

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 ...

[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suffer under new management, and hope there will continue to be an evening flight from MAN-ANR now SN Brussels have withdrawn theirs to Zaventem.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.

[DutchBird-757]

Now that is hideous! I always liked the VLM fokkers. Smart and elegant planes. Look at it now. 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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

Originally Posted by egnxema

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?.

Originally Posted by DutchBird-757

Now that is hideous! I always liked the VLM fokkers. Smart and elegant planes. Look at it now. 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]

Originally Posted by Traffic is...

Cityturboprop?

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