VLM Airlines has become Bankrupt

[OwlMan]

LM Airlines has thrown in the towel. The airline filed for bankruptcy, and this was officialised by Antwerp's commercial court today. The news does not come as a surprise: VLM Airlines had been in dire straits for some time. VLM employed some 160 people.

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/Economy/1.2691876
VLM Airlines has gone bankrupt

Belga

Wed 22/06/2016 - 17:11 Michaël Torfs VLM Airlines has thrown in the towel. The airline filed for bankruptcy, and this was officialised by Antwerp's commercial court today. The news does not come as a surprise: VLM Airlines had been in dire straits for some time. VLM employed some 160 people.
Last month, VLM Airlines was granted a special status by the Antwerp commercial court, receiving protection from creditors.
This gave the carrier some breathing space, as it was allowed some time to try to take a new start, but apparently this was not good enough. According to the financial daily De Tijd, the management was expected at the commercial court this morning after examining magistrates had not seen enough progress.


A "second start" under the wings of its original founder?

VLM Airlines employs some 160 people. They offer flights from Deurne to Hamburg and Southampton, between Watford and London and also between Friedrichshafen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Berlin. The carrier was founded in 1992 by the Flemish businessman and former politician Freddy Van Gaever. He pulled out as shareholder in 1996 and later also quit as CEO.
The same Freddy Van Gaever has come forward to take over the airline. He claims he can make a second start together with his business partner Carl Legein, the owner of Aviation Factory (which is one of VLM's clients now). However, all this will be looked at by the curator. It's also probable that staff will have to made redundant, even in the case of a take-over.

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/Economy/1.2693408

“Wait and see” for the staff of bankrupt airline

Belga

Thu 23/06/2016 - 14:52 MB A meeting was held on Thursday morning with staff of the airline VLM. VLM was declared bankrupt on Wednesday. VLM Airlines employed some 160 people. The airline offered flights from Deurne Airport in Antwerp to various cities including Hamburg and Southampton. The 160 staff are being made redundant. However, the Olivier Coenen of the Liberal trades union ACLVB told VRT News that the official receiver will be keeping all options open.
"There was an air of resignation coupled with wait-and-see among staff. The receivers explained the current situation and what options, including a relaunch of the airline, were a possibility. We will now just have to wait”, Mr Coenen explained.
After the meeting the staff were allowed to return home. The unions will help their members draft debt repayment demand for the wages, holiday pay etc. they are owed. The staff had been paid up to the end of May but are still owed wages for the first three weeks of June and have yet to receive their holiday pay.
The man that originally set up VLM Freddy Van Gaever’s idea of joining forces with the Antwerp company The Aviation Factory to re-launch the airline was reportedly not discussed at the meeting.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Even this one was a second go - they were taken over by Air France-KLM and incorporated into their operations years ago. I used to use them for LCY-AMS, and stopped, switching to KLM, after the near-hourly timetable they published was clearly a lie, as they repeatedly cancelled and combined flights for no good reason other than one being a little low on bookings.

Hopefully this instance didn't pull tricks like that (never used it). Nonetheless it's a shame for the staff who no doubt worked hard.

 

[Bungle965]

Even this one was a second go - they were taken over by Air France-KLM and incorporated into their operations years ago. I used to use them for LCY-AMS, and stopped, switching to KLM, after the near-hourly timetable they published was clearly a lie, as they repeatedly cancelled and combined flights for no good reason other than one being a little low on bookings.

Hopefully this instance didn't pull tricks like that (never used it). Nonetheless it's a shame for the staff who no doubt worked hard.

I think that from what you have said about your experiences, it is showing then that they were in trouble. With them canceling flights because it was low on bookings could be seen to be because they were running out of money.
I do feel for the staff though and wish them well, and hope they find new jobs as soon as possible.
Sam

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think that from what you have said about your experiences, it is showing then that they were in trouble. With them canceling flights because it was low on bookings could be seen to be because they were running out of money.

Quite possibly. The thing I had against it was that they were doing it on the day, ruining plans on a near-weekly basis because of the randomness of it. They should have done it once and changed the timetable based on what they were going to run.

A reliable 2-hourly service is better than an unreliable hourly one.

 

[childwallblues]

They did once run a service from London City Airport to Liverpool.

 

[stut]

They offer flights from Deurne to Hamburg and Southampton, between Watford and London and also between Friedrichshafen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Berlin. The carrier was founded in 1992 by the Flemish businessman and former politician Freddy Van Gaever. He pulled out as shareholder in 1996 and later also quit as CEO.

Facing stiff competition from London Midland, London Overground and London Underground, there!

(I assume they mean Waterford...)

 

[WestCoast]

Shame, do CityJet still have some Fokker 50s leased from VLM?

I don't think they've been doing especially well on their newish Birmingham/Luton-Waterford routes, which seemed like a strange choice anyway considering Flybe couldn't make them work.

 

[richard1976]

Shame, do CityJet still have some Fokker 50s leased from VLM?

I don't think they've been doing especially well on their newish Birmingham/Luton-Waterford routes, which seemed like a strange choice anyway considering Flybe couldn't make them work.

Cityjet did have some fokker 50 but where returned when VLM when bankrupt

 

[AlterEgo]

Sad to see this. I fondly remember a MAN-LCY some years back on a Fokker 50. Fokkers are great aircraft.

 

[stut]

I used to do LCY-AMS weekly - mostly KLM, sometimes VLM if cheaper (preferred KLM as the VLM gate check went to the belt) in the little Fokkers. It was like getting a lift up the M1 in the back of a Land Rover (and you got the impression that most faults on the aircraft could be fixed with a bit of gaffer tape - and regularly were).

The old Air UK crew were great. You got buffeted about rather a lot in the winter over the North Sea, but they'd still manage to get you a cup of tea, even if it meant diving from empty seat to empty seat to pour it, as it was too rough to stand up. They always did the Dutch passengers on the first pass, and the British passengers on the second, to get the strength just right.

These were also the days where the 10-minute check-in at LCY was a reality. I used to cycle out there from Moorgate. If you were running late, they'd have your boarding pass ready at the check-in counter, and hand it to you as you dashed past.

Downside (vs now with the RJs) was the bus tour from the "Fokker Farm" at AMS. And those Denim Air wet leases!

I do miss it. And I do miss Air UK as well, come to think of it!

 

[AlterEgo]

I used to do LCY-AMS weekly - mostly KLM, sometimes VLM if cheaper (preferred KLM as the VLM gate check went to the belt) in the little Fokkers. It was like getting a lift up the M1 in the back of a Land Rover (and you got the impression that most faults on the aircraft could be fixed with a bit of gaffer tape - and regularly were).

The old Air UK crew were great. You got buffeted about rather a lot in the winter over the North Sea, but they'd still manage to get you a cup of tea, even if it meant diving from empty seat to empty seat to pour it, as it was too rough to stand up. They always did the Dutch passengers on the first pass, and the British passengers on the second, to get the strength just right.

These were also the days where the 10-minute check-in at LCY was a reality. I used to cycle out there from Moorgate. If you were running late, they'd have your boarding pass ready at the check-in counter, and hand it to you as you dashed past.

Downside (vs now with the RJs) was the bus tour from the "Fokker Farm" at AMS. And those Denim Air wet leases!

I do miss it. And I do miss Air UK as well, come to think of it!

Air UK? You're showing your age....

I've done 15 minute check in with BA before, not through choice. I wouldn't repeat it! LCY during the evening peak is hell on earth on a par with Waterloo for passenger experience. Still, it's 25 minutes from the office by Uber.

 

[317 forever]

Sad to see this. I fondly remember a MAN-LCY some years back on a Fokker 50. Fokkers are great aircraft.

They then halted this service in 2009 just weeks before I was going to book a flight on this route!