VLM Airlines

[Steviec9]

Further expansion

The VLM network expansion continues....

Antwerp/Aberdeen x3 week (x1 direct, otherwise via BHX)
Antwerp/Rostock via Cologne x5 week

From 4 June

[01475]

Originally Posted by Steviec9

The VLM network expansion continues....

Antwerp/Aberdeen x3 week (x1 direct, otherwise via BHX)
Antwerp/Rostock via Cologne x5 week

From 4 June

Aberdeen???

You're late mate! *Edit* April The first was Sunday!

Joking apart... I don't know why the don't do Waterford again. Less left field than a lot of things. From London and / or Birmingham that is, not Antwerp (I should specify, because given their current plans Antwerp or Maribor to Waterford might seem entirely possible...)

[Fly757X]

Originally Posted by Expressflight

Wasn't that ANR-ABZ flight a charter on Sunday?

I believe it was as I can't find any schedules from anywhere.

[01475]

I was joking. Seems like a bizarre choice; not the part of the low countries where the oil / renewables traffic really comes from.

[OSTpax]

Originally Posted by 01475

I was joking. Seems like a bizarre choice; not the part of the low countries where the oil / renewables traffic really comes from.

VLM claims that Antwerp is the second largest petrochemical cluster in the world(after Houston).
Aberdeen is THE city of the UK/Scottish oil with large amounts of people using helicopters to get to the oil platforms.
VLM will also be serving tourists.

[01475]

Is that correct? I thought the petrochems stuff was further north (happy to be corrected...).

[Jetscream 32]

https://www.businessinantwerp.eu/sectors/oil-chemical

[BAladdy]

VLM are to launch a 12 x weekly service from ANR to MAN and a daily MAN to OST service from 01OCT18

https://pr.flyvlm.com/vlm-to-launch-...t-october-2018

MANCHESTER to ANTWERP

VO124 MAN 13:30 ANR 16:15 F50 x7
VO128 MAN 18:25 ANR 21:10 F50 x6

VO121 ANR 07:30 MAN 08:25 F50 x7
VO123 ANR 12:20 MAN 13:15 F50 7
VO127 ANR 17:00 MAN 17:55 F50 x67

MANCHESTER to OSTEND

VO222 MAN 08:55 OST 11:40 F50 x7
VO224 MAN 13:45 OST 16:30 F50 7

VO223 OST 12:10 MAN 13:00 F50 x7
VO227 OST 17:00 MAN 17:50 F50 7

[01475]

They never stop surprising me.

(Also... those Friday Antwerp times aren't shabbat friendly in winter? )

[FLYAIR10]

VLM celebrates 25 years LCY-ANR routeThe route between LCY and ANR was set up in 1993. 25 years ago. This was celebrated today at both airports.

https://twitter.com/flyvlm
VLM celebrates 25 years Antwerp-London City Airport - Aviation24.be

[BAladdy]

Originally Posted by BAladdy

VLM are to launch a 12 x weekly service from ANR to MAN and a daily MAN to OST service from 01OCT18

https://pr.flyvlm.com/vlm-to-launch-...t-october-2018

MANCHESTER to ANTWERP

VO124 MAN 13:30 ANR 16:15 F50 x7
VO128 MAN 18:25 ANR 21:10 F50 x6

VO121 ANR 07:30 MAN 08:25 F50 x7
VO123 ANR 12:20 MAN 13:15 F50 7
VO127 ANR 17:00 MAN 17:55 F50 x67

MANCHESTER to OSTEND

VO222 MAN 08:55 OST 11:40 F50 x7
VO224 MAN 13:45 OST 16:30 F50 7

VO223 OST 12:10 MAN 13:00 F50 x7
VO227 OST 17:00 MAN 17:50 F50 7

More than 4 months before the start of MAN- OST and VO have already started to cut the frequency..... Flights now showing as operating as shown above from 01OCT18-18NOV18. From 18NOV18 to 30MAR19 frequency on the OST route will drop from daily to just 3 x weekly operating Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday only

[LAX_LHR]

I would say im surprised, but I’m really really not!

[Steviec9]

Winter 2018/19 is a while away yet. I’d say there will be more changes yet. Although the fleet is depreciated assets, it still costs a lot of money every week to fly a lot of fresh air to/from Belgium to various parts of Europe. LCY/ANR and the (very) occasional charter can only bankroll the operation for so long.

[Hotel Tango]

I think that they would actually achieve better loads (although still not sufficient) with a MAN-MST route rather than MAN-OST.

[davidjohnson6]

Last week I flew Zurich to Antwerp on a weekday evening. Load factor over 80% with plenty of passengers in business attire. Perhaps a particularly good one-off day but suggests to me ANR-ZRH is not a complete financial disaster.

[FLYAIR10]

ANR-ZRH

Originally Posted by davidjohnson6

Last week I flew Zurich to Antwerp on a weekday evening. Load factor over 80% with plenty of passengers in business attire. Perhaps a particularly good one-off day but suggests to me ANR-ZRH is not a complete financial disaster.

Not a surprise to me. When traveling by air between Northern Belgium/Southern Netherlands flying from/to Antwerp airport is much more convenient than from surrounding int.airports.
2 Flights a day, 20 minutes from car to plane at ANR and very competitive prices. e.g. flying in the morning from BRU to ZRH will take at least 90 min at the BRU-airport itself. On top of that the airfares from Swiss/SN are 2-3 times higher as those by VLM from ANR. (e.g next week you pay at least around 1000 EUR for a return ticket from BRU as compared to around 400 EUR with VLM from ANR).
Also, it seems VLM is going to introduce a Sunday-flight ANR-ZRH as from their winterschedule,hence further strengthening the schedule on the routing.

[FLYAIR10]

ANTWERP-ABERDEEN

Today is the start of the very first scheduled flight between Aberdeen and Antwerp.
For the occasion, Aberdeen-airport is offering free Belgian waffles in ABZ.
VLM-airlines is offering 3 flights a week between Scotland and Belgium's diamond-city,and major European port.
https://twitter.com/ABZ_Airport
https://www.aberdeenairport.com/
Curious to see how loadfactors will evolve for this all in all surprising connection...

Also today VLM airlines is starting scheduled flights between Antwerp and Rostock via Cologne.
They also re-activated their 5th Fokker50 which will be needed to maintain the busy schedule and regular charterflights.
Earlier this month VLM also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the ANR-LCY routing.

So,nothing but good news from that side as far as I can see.

[Rob Royston]

Originally Posted by 01475

Is that correct? I thought the petrochems stuff was further north (happy to be corrected...).

I worked in the oil industry in West Africa for many years and wondered why the cargo liners all visited Antwerp along with Aberdeen. Then, shortly before I retired, the company stopped ordering materials from Houston and set up with suppliers in Antwerp.

[FLYAIR10]

VLM's Summer in the city deals

It seems VLM is having its 'summer in the city' sales campaign.
If booked any of the coming days, a returnticket from Aberdeen or Birmingham to Antwerp can be booked for 78 GBP.

flyvlm.com/en

[Hotel Tango]

So,nothing but good news from that side as far as I can see.

Really? I think the "good news" will be when they report profits on these routes. That may be a tough ask!