VLM Airlines says it will introduce jet services for the first time from London City Airport to one of its busiest business destinations.
The 92-seat BAe 146-300 will operate from the city airport to Rotterdam in a bid to increase capacity, although only on four of the current ten daily services to the Dutch port. The airline expects passenger numbers on the route to rise from 130,000 in 2006 to 190,000 this year.
Arrival of the new aircraft will release some of VLM”s Fokker 50 capacity to increase frequencies on other routes, as the carrier adds two more of its workhorse core aircraft to the existing 19-strong fleet. Should evaluation of the jet service prove positive, the airline says it will consider using further BAe 146 machines on other high-density routes, with six under consideration. A further 20 unspecified routes, all more than 500km (310m) from LCY, are equally being assessed for potential jet operations.
”Increasing numbers of business travellers are utilising our network and in particular, our London to Rotterdam service and this larger, faster aircraft is essential to meet this growing demand,” said VLM managing director, Johan Vanneste.
Rotterdam is the airline”s second largest base, with the ten weekday flights to LCY, two services each weekday to Hamburg and Manchester. VLM currently has more than 100 weekday flights to and from LCY, representing 36% of aircraft movements at the business operation.