From January to June 2005, VLM Airlines carried 315,739 passengers, amounting to an increase of 20% over the same period of last year.Ê In 2004 the airline carried more than 553,000 passengers, representing an increase of 31% over 2003 and the airline expects over 650,000 passengers will use its services in 2005.
VLM Airlines is rapidly expanding and already this year it has added two new routes to its network and a new plane to it’s fleet.Ê In January 2005, the Southampton - Brussels route was launched with two daily flights.Ê This strengthened VLM Airlines’ leading presence in the Anglo - Belgian market, where it already operates 10 daily flights from London City Airport to Brussels and Antwerp.
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In April 2005, VLM Airlines increased its presence in The Netherlands with three daily flights from London City to Amsterdam.Ê Within one month of launching this route and following customer demand, the airline increased the frequency to four flights every weekday.Ê For the past 11 years, VLM Airlines has built a strong reputation in the Dutch market with its London City to Rotterdam service, a route that now offers eight daily flights between these two cities.Ê
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VLM Airlines remains the largest carrier at London City Airport and despite increased train competition (both within the UK market and from Belgium), remains the fastest connection to the centre of London. This speed of connection will be further strengthened by the extension of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in December 2005 into London City Airport. The DLR will further decrease the travel time to and from the airport and reinforce VLM Airlines as a time-efficient choice for business passengers.Ê
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Punctuality as well as excellent service and short check-in times is key to the success of VLM Airlines. The first six months of 2005, has seen 92% of all of flights arriving and departing on time.
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Johan Vanneste, Managing Director of VLM Airlines comments: “this punctuality figure proves our commitment to business communities around Europe, where time is of primary importance.Ê This is certainly one aspect of our service we shall pay ongoing attention to in the future.”
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He continues: “We will continue to expand our business and look at bringing the best possible network and frequency to our customers.ÊOpportunities will be looked at as they arise, although we will always remain careful and expand when we are convinced the market potential is there and the economics remain strong.Ê Fuel prices continue to be a burden and the record kerosene prices will have a significant impact on our results again this year. VLM Airlines, at present is one of the only European carriers which so far has not introduced a fuel surcharge, whereas other airlines have already introduced two or three fees to cover their additional fuel costs.”
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Two weeks ago, VLM Airlines noted another record-breaking week, carrying over 13,700 passengers on its network.
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