In an interview with Routesonline, White confirmed VLM Airlines will configure its SSJ100LRs in a two-class arrangement with 12 Business and 75 Economy seats and hopes to build on the strong legacy the Belgian carrier developed during its previous scheduled operations.
“We plan to offer a true two-class service to our customers and the product we will offer onboard our aircraft, particularly the Superjets, will provide comfort and efficiency and reliability to travellers. We don’t plan to compete with LCCs and high-speed rail but provide important point-to-point regional operations into airports close to city centres that are performance and noise restricted and cannot be served by larger airliners such as the A320 and 737,” said White.
According to the former DHL executive, VLM will offer a “modest” scheduled operation that will complement its ACMI activities and will serve a network “measured to support the size and capability of the business”. By the end of 2015, White expects up to seven city pairs could be served, four using three or four Fokker 50s transferred from its charter fleet and three others dedicated to the Superjets. The first turboprop route could be launched as early as next month.
Although VLM Airlines remains tight-lipped on its exact scheduled plans, White has confirmed that it will look to fly from the Antwerp International Airport base. “We are already studying a number of possible new routes from Antwerp International Airport. We will communicate this as soon as the deals have been concluded,” he confirmed.
Air services from Antwerp, the second most populous city of Belgium, are currently limited by its location just 50 minutes drive away from the capital city, Brussels and the short runway length at Antwerp International Airport which limits flight operations to regional jet and turboprop types.
Alongside a CityJet flight to London City, inherited from VLM Airlines and currently flown by the Belgian carrier under an ACMI contract, Stobart Air currently offers the only other scheduled flight with a route to London Southend which was introduced in July this year under its new Flybe franchise operation.
From April 2015 local Belgian leisure carrier jetairfly will introduce a network of 15 weekly flights from Antwerp to popular city break and holiday destinations including Alicante (2x weekly), Barcelona (3x weekly), Berlin (3x weekly), Malaga (2x weekly), Milan (3x weekly) and Palma (2x weekly) in a major boost for the facility.
Under the terms of its contract with Ilyushin Finance, VLM Airlines has requested that certification work is completed for the Sukhoi Superjet to get access to London City Airport, but White said the carrier has no plans to compete with CityJet on the Antwerp – London City route. “We do not want to compete with our ACMI customers. Our scheduled business will complement our existing activities,” he said.
http://www.routesonline.com/news/29...rjet-to-resume-schedule-flights-from-antwerp/