19 March 2008 – VLM Airlines has won the prestigious ‘Passenger Airline Award 2007’ from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in recognition of the developments and initiatives it has taken with its Amsterdam – London City service. During an official ceremony in Amsterdam, Jacques Hoendervangers, Senior Director Aviation Marketing of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, presented the ‘Passenger Airline Award 2007’ to Johan Vanneste, Managing Director of VLM Airlines.  VLM Airlines launched its London City – Amsterdam route on April 4th, 2005 with three flights every weekday.  Today, almost 3 years later, the airline has more than tripled the choice of services on offer and now operates 11 flights every weekday between these two cities.  Passenger numbers have also grown steadily over these past three years, with 151,165 passengers travelling on the route in 2007, an increase of 44% compared to the previous year.  In 2007 this route accounted for 22% of all passengers of the VLM Airlines network.

Johan Vanneste, Managing Director of VLM Airlines, commented: “I’m particularly proud of this achievement and would like to thank everyone who has been involved in making this possible. Our dedication for a fast and hassle-free travel experience and our Belgian hospitality is something that is greatly appreciated by the business travellers who fly with us regularly and we are delighted to have seen our market share increase year on year since we started this route. “

Vanneste adds: “We greatly appreciate the efforts of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in making the airport experience for our passengers swift from check-in to departure, offering them a great time advantage when travelling through this airport and giving them the same travel experience as a regional airport.  We remain committed to offering a fast and reliable service to the business community in the years to come, and look forward to working closely together with the professional team at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to achieve our goals on this route.”

With 80% of its passengers travelling for business purposes, VLM Airlines understands the demands of travelling professionals.   VLM Airlines is focussed on offering a fast and efficient mode of transport to the heart of London.  With the expansion of East London and continuing developments at Canary Wharf, the airline will further increase the number of flights on this route, adding one extra frequency as from the end of March, bringing the total number of flights from London City to Amsterdam to 12 every weekday.  

About VLM Airlines
VLM Airlines commenced operations in 1993. It currently offers flights from London City to Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Groningen, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Luxembourg, Manchester and Rotterdam. Direct flights are also offered from Manchester to both Antwerp and Rotterdam, from Rotterdam to Hamburg and from Amsterdam to Groningen. During the summer direct flights are operated from Rotterdam to Jersey and Guernsey. VLM Airlines also organises charter flights to various European destinations.

In 2006 the company recorded its ninth consecutive year of profitability. VLM Airlines currently employs over 425 people. In 2007 the number of passengers on VLM Airlines’ flights rose by 9% compared to 2006 to over 745,000 passengers.

In December 2007, VLM Airlines was bought by the Air France – KLM Group.

Source: VLM Airlines
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