Tag Archives: Fokker F.27

Icelandair to operate two Boeing 767-300s, Air Iceland to become a new Bombardier Q400 operator

Icelandair Group (Icelandair and Air Iceland) (Reykjavik) has announced Icelandair will operate two Boeing 767-300s. The Group has also announced plans to replace Air Iceland’s aging Fokker 50 fleet with newer Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) aircraft. The Group issued this statement:

The Board of Directors of Icelandair Group has decided to update the fleet policies of the subsidiaries Icelandair and Air Iceland.

All five Fokker 50 aircraft that Air Iceland operates will be sold and three Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 will replace it. After that Air Iceland will operate five aircraft, three Bombardier Q400 and two Q200. The Q400 aircraft can seat 74 passengers while the Fokker 50 takes 50 passengers.

The airline’s operations will be simplified and optimised as number of aircraft decrease and synergies will increase as all aircraft will be from the same manufacturer. As the Q400 is faster and has a longer range,

Air Iceland Route Map: Air Iceland flies domestically in Iceland and adjacently to Greenland.

Air Iceland sees opportunities in new markets. The company will be better equipped to service the domestic market as the aircraft are larger and travel time will be shorter. The airline aims to increase the number of foreign tourists on board its aircraft going forward.

In 2015 Icelandair will operate 23 Boeing 757-200 that take 183 passengers and one 757-300 that takes 220 passengers. The company owns 22 of those aircraft and leases two that will be redelivered this autumn.

Above Copyright Photo: Boeing 757-208 TF-FIN (msn 28989) taxies at London (Heathrow). LHR is a likely place where the larger Boeing 767-300 would be utilized along with New York (JFK).

It has been decided that they will be replaced with two Boeing 767-300 aircraft that take 260 passengers that will be added to the route network as of the spring of 2016. Larger aircraft are more feasible due to high load factors on many routes all year round and limited number of landing slots on certain airports. The increase of the fleet in the last few years has made it more economical to have more than one size of aircraft in the fleet. The Boeing 767 aircraft is similar to the 757 in terms of maintenance and crew training and the airline has experience in operating that type.

Above Copyright Photo: Daniel White – Bruce Drum Collection. Icelandair is very familiar with the Boeing 767-300 as subsidiary Loftleidir Icelandic has been a past operator of the type. Boeing 767-3Y0 ER TF-FIA (msn 24953) taxies at Sanford (SFB).

Icelandair Group’s subsidiary, Loftleidir Icelandic, has operated 767 aircraft in leasing projects that have been maintained by Icelandair. The aircraft has longer range than the 757 which will create new opportunities for the route network.

It has not been decided whether the new aircraft will be purchased or leased.

Bjorgolfur Johannsson, President and CEO of Icelandair Group: “Operating one type of aircraft has been very economical for Icelandair but when the route network and the fleet reaches a certain size it becomes more feasible to have a broader range of aircraft in the fleet. High load factors all year round and limited number of landing slots on certain airports also support this decision. In terms of Air Iceland a simpler and more economical fleet will make the operations better as crew training will be simpler.

We foresee further growth opportunities in the coming years with these changes to the fleet policy for passenger aircraft. Both the Boeing 767 and Q400 aircraft can service markets that the current fleet cannot, which will enable us to go into new markets and connect them to the current route network.”

Top Copyright Photo: Wingnut/AirlinersGallery.com. The five Fokker F.27 Mk. 050s (Fokker 50s) will be sold. Flugfelag Islands-Air Iceland Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 TF-JMO (msn 20205) lands at the Reykjavik (RKV) base.

Air Iceland aircraft slide show:

Icelandair aircraft slide show:

Air Iceland video:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuUrnkBZOMU&w=560&h=315%5D

VLM expands again with new routes, from Ireland to Italy

VLM Airlines (Antwerp) is expanding again. As previously reported, the carrier will start Rotterdam-Hamburg flights on April 13 and Antwerp-Hamburg service on April 20.

This will now be followed on April 27 with new routes from Birmingham and London (Luton) to Waterford, Ireland.

Starting on May 1 the newly revitalized airline will add four new routes from Liege, namely to Avignon, Bologna, Nice and Venice.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 (Fokker 50) OO-VLX (msn 20177) sits at Rotterdam between flights.

VLM aircraft slide show:

Expanding VLM Airlines Route Map:

VLM Airlines to expand operations in April

VLM Airlines (Antwerp) in April is launching new daily scheduled flights between Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Hamburg (Germany) and between Antwerp (Belgium) and Hamburg.

The move continues VLM Airlines’ evolution as a scheduled operator, building on the launch of an Antwerp-Geneva service last month.

Passengers will be able to choose from two return Rotterdam-Hamburg flights each weekday from Monday April 13. Twice-daily return weekday flights between Antwerp and Hamburg will begin flying on Monday April 20. Both services will utilize VLM Airlines’ fleet of Fokker 50 aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 (Fokker 50) OO-VLJ (msn 20105) rests between flights at Rotterdam.

VLM aircraft slide show:

Route Map:

Seven local airlines in Sweden to be united under a single brand in 2015

Sverigeflyg (Stockholm-Bromma) is the primary umbrella brand for seven local airlines (some virtual) which includes Blekingeflyg, Flysmaland, Golden Air, Gotlandsflyg, Kalmarflyg, Kullaflyg, and Sundsvallsflyg.

Braathens Regional (formerly Golden Air) holds the actual AOC and operates ATR 72-500s and SAAB 2000s under the Sverigeflyg brand. The group flies to Sundsvall in the north and Ängelholm/Helsingborg in the south of Sweden (see below).

Sverigeflyg Route Map:

Some of these marketing names do not operate any aircraft.

Braathens Regional, Malmö Aviation and Sverigeflyg are all part of the Braathens Aviation group of companies.

This group of airlines will unite in 2015 under a single new brand which has not yet been determined or announced.

The company issued this statement (translated from Swedish):

Now it’s time to take the next step, and together with its sister company, Malmö Aviation, we will challenge throughout Sweden as a domestic airline with a Bromma Airport hub.

Malmö Aviation (below) provides scheduled passenger services between Malmö, Gothenburg and Umeå to Bromma, the Stockholm City Airport.

Braathens Aviation is a corporate group owned by Braganza AS. Braganza is a privately held investment company based in Oslo and is owned by Per G. Braathen and his immediate family.

The group consists of Malmö Aviation, Sverigeflyg, Braathens Technical, Braathens IT Solutions, Braathens Training, Braathens Leasing and Braathens Regional.

Top Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com (all others images by the group). Operated in the past, Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 (Fokker 50) SE-LEC (msn 20112) of Skyways Express arrives in Stockholm (Arlanda) in Sverigeflyg colors.

Malmo Aviation aircraft slide show:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Robbie Shaw/AirlinersGallery.com. Malmo Aviation’s BAe RJ100 SE-DST (msn E3247) taxies at Glasgow.

VLM Airlines’ management team buys the company, will become a a scheduled carrier again and is considering new aircraft types

VLM Airlines (Antwerp) is getting a new chance to thrive. The company has announced its management team is acquiring the airline from Romscope and Intro Aviation. The following announcement was issued:

Today (October 28) Intro Aviation, majority shareholder of Romscope, has announced together with VLM Airlines that Romscope has sold VLM Airlines to the management of VLM Airlines with formalities of the transaction to be completed by the first week in November. As a truly independent airline, VLM Airlines will continue to offer ACMI and Charter services, but will also be offering scheduled services again in the near future.

VLM Airlines – which started in 1993 with its inaugural Antwerp-London City Airport route – over the years has become one of the most successful airlines in the charter business based at Antwerp International Airport. With its Fokker 50 fleet VLM Airlines focuses on meeting the needs of the European charter market including ACMI/Wet Lease contracts and charter operations for tour operators, travel agents, music & film, special events, incentives, sports teams, government & military, NGO’s and emergency support.

“We received an offer from the management of VLM Airlines that we felt we could not refuse.” said Peter Oncken, Managing Director at Intro Aviation. “We are happy to see VLM now to develop as a wholly independent airline in the ownership of a management which is dedicated to VLM”.

“We strongly believe in VLM Airlines as a truly independent airline,” commented Arthur White, CEO and majority shareholder of VLM Airlines. “As an independent airline we will keep offering ACMI & Charter services, but we will also start offering scheduled services in the near future. 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.”

VLM Airlines is also seeking to add a new aircraft type to its fleet, for the moment VLM Airlines is evaluating a number of possibilities.

The history of VLM Airlines:

From a low key beginning in 1993 with its inaugural Antwerp – London City Airport route, to the time of its sale in 2008 to Air France – KLM, VLM Airlines had become Belgium’s most commercially succesful airline. With ten years of consecutive profit, a record never beaten in Belgian aviation history, and a route network that stretched from Amsterdam, Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Luxembourg to London, Manchester, and Jersey, the airline at its peak was operating over 500 flights a week from London City Airport making it the No.1 airline operating from the airport.

During this period VLM also won many awards, among them the highly prestigious Regional Airline of the Year.

In 2008 the airline was acquired by Air France-KLM via Cityjet and VLM’s fleet was re-liveried in Cityjet colors. By 2010 the combined airline was carrying over 1 million passengers a year.

VLM reborn

In 2014, VLM Airlines became part of the Intro Group. Intro Aviation GmbH is a family-owned company and part of the Intro Group, which has over 40 years of aviation experience.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. With the new ownership group, VLM is likely to come up with another new color scheme or revert back to this colorful 2004 livery seen on Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 (Fokker 50) OO-VLX (msn 20177) at Rotterdam.

VLM Airlines Aircraft Slide Show:

CityJet to launch new routes from Cambridge to Amsterdam and Dublin

CityJet (Dublin) has announced it will be adding two more routes to its network this year, with flights launching from Cambridge International Airport to Dublin and Amsterdam.

Operated with 50-seat Fokker 50 aircraft, flights will start on May 12. The route to Dublin will operate twice-daily during the week, and daily at weekends. The Amsterdam route will also operate twice-daily, during the week, and daily at weekends,

CityJet already launched four new routes out of Cardiff Airport this year, with routes to Paris-Orly and Glasgow starting in January, followed by the Edinburgh route which launched on March 30 and Jersey on April 17.

In other news, Intro Aviation completed its acquisition of CityJet and VLM Airlines on April 30, 2014. One change being dictated by the new owner is VLM will operate charter flights under its own name.

Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/AirlinersGallery.com. The VLM Airlines Fokker 50s are currently operated under the CityJet brand but this may change under the new owners. Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 OO-VLZ (msn 20264) taxies at Nantes.

CityJet (Ireland):

CityJet (VLM Airlines):

Minoan Air to drop all services from Oxford on August 4

Minoan Air (Heraklion) will end all scheduled passenger services from Oxford, England on August 4 per Airline Route. This will leave Oxford without scheduled flights.

The Greek carrier commenced scheduled passenger services from Oxford to Edinburgh on March 4, 2013 and to Dublin two days later.

Minoan Air operates four Fokker 50 aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Richard Vanderford/AirlinersGallery.com. Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 (Fokker 50) SX-BRV (msn 20199) rests between flights at the OXF sub-base.

Air Astana retires its last two Fokker 50s on November 30

Air Astana (Almaty) has retired its last Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 (Fokker 50). The airline issued this statement:

Air Astana continues to phase out the fleet of Fokker 50 turboprops, with the last two aircraft scheduled to be returned to the lessor in January 2013. The original fleet of six aircraft will be fully replaced by new generation Embraer E-190 jet airliners by mid 2013.

During eight years of service with Air Astana, the Fokker 50 fleet completed 50,000 domestic flights, flew 90,000 hours and safely carried 1.5 million passengers.

As a result of the Fokker 50 being withdrawn from service, Air Astana ceased operating Astana to Uralsk, Astana to and Atyrau to Uralsk services on December 1, 2012. The airports at Uralsk and Semey do not meet the international safety and equipment standards required to support Embraer E-190 jet operations. The resumption of flights to Uralsk and Semey will only be possible after a major upgrade of airports to jet standard.

“Modernizing the fleet is a strategic priority of Air Astana, with new generation Embraer E-190s having started replacing Fokker 50 turboprops on the short-haul routes over the past 18 months. The new aircraft offer our passengers more comfort and time-saving convenience to destinations Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Russia and the Caucasus”, said Peter Foster, President of Air Astana. “Air Astana regrets any inconvenience caused to passengers caused by the withdraw of these turboprop services, but safety is our number one priority”.

Air Astana:

The VLM Airlines brand is now gone

CityJet (Dublin) has repainted the last Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 of VLM Airlines. The VLM brand is now retired.

Copyright Photo: Pepscl. OO-VLI (msn 20226) was the last to be repainted. The airliner waits for its passengers at Paris (Orly).

Iceland to close two airports tomorrow due to the ash

Flugfelag Islands-Air Iceland Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 (Fokker 50) TF-JMM (msn 20214) ARN (Stefan Sjogren), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Iceland will close two airports on Friday for the first time, a week after ash from an Icelandic volcano forced the shutdown of airspace over much of Europe and stranded thousands of passengers around the world, the Icelandic aviation authority announced Thursday according to this CNN report.

The Keflavik International Airport and Reykjavík International Airport will be closed beginning early Friday morning, the aviation authority said, according to a statement on the Keflavik airport’s website.

Though the ash cloud originated in Iceland, the country’s airports have been spared from closure until now. Strong northwest winds had been blowing ash from the volcano, in the south of Iceland, out to sea and over Europe.

Two other Icelandic international airports, in Akureyri and Egilsstadir, will stay open to all air traffic, the aviation authority said. The ash cloud is not expected to reach those cities, which are in the north and east of the island nation.

Icelandair announced Thursday that trans-Atlantic passengers from the U.S. and Europe who would have stopped in Keflavik will be rerouted Friday via Glasgow, Scotland.

Icelandair said that passengers traveling to and from Iceland will have the option of being re-routed through the Akureyri airport, a four-hour drive from Reykjavík. The airline is arranging bus travel between Akureyri airport and the Reykjavík Bus Terminal.

Read the full report from CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/22/iceland.airport.closures/

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren. The ash is now also disrupting domestic air travel in Iceland. Flugfelag Islands’ (Air Iceland) Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 TF-JMM (msn 20214) prepares to land at Stockholm (Arlanda).

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