VLM (1992) (Antwerp) will become a more distinct and separate entity from its sister carrier, CityJet (WX, Dublin International), according to Intro Aviation's plans for the airline. Outlining his intentions for the Belgian carrier, Hans Rudolf Wöhrl, the founder and Chairman of Intro Group, said VLM will transform from a full-service, scheduled operator into an ACMI provider.
“We intend to separate VLM from CityJet. As a result, VLM Airlines will become a direct Belgian independent subsidiary of our Irish holding company. In the future, VLM Airlines will be a substantial provider of ACMI and charter services with CityJet as one of its main customers,” he said.
On his firm's future plans for Cityjet, Wöhrl said that the finalization of the sale of the carrier from Air France (AF, Paris CDG) to Intro would allow the airline to start with a clean financial slate. Advancing this notion, Cityjet will be rebranded in June to further reinforce the airline's new beginnings.
“Our business model is ideal for the point-to-point traffic that is much needed in regional areas across Europe, with our operational hub, London City, being the heart of the source for this demand. With the aviation industry consolidating, and moving towards hub traffic, we are filling much needed gaps. As an independent regional airline, we will be able to quickly and easily adapt to these demands in service, as we’ve recently done with both Cardiff and Cambridge,” Christine Ourmières, CityJet’s Chief Executive Officer said.
The CEO's initial concerns will likely centre on Cityjet's immediate refleeting needs. Speaking at a press conference, Ourmières and Wöhrl said, inspite of their age, the airline's fleet of ARJ-85s were the only machines capable of delivering the type of service required for its London City Airport operations.
Among the contenders as a replacement are the SSJ 100/95. The airline is already in talks with Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (Zhukovsky) but has yet to commit to any orders. Wöhrl noted that the Bombardier Aerospace (BBA, Montréal Trudeau) A220-100 is also under consideration but added that it would only be given serious thought once it has entered service and proven itself.
