Name change completes Cityjet takeover
VLM Airlines at London City Airport is no more. A new airline has been formed which its owners say will be a stronger force at the Royal Docks airport.
The Belgian carrier VLM was taken over by Air France-KLM earlier this year with the aim of possibly amalgamating it with the company's own airline Cityjet, also based at London City.
From this week both carriers will run under the Cityjet name at the airport, with a complete rebranding across Europe later this year.
CEO of VLM Johan Vanneste believes this will allow the airline, which has over 50 per cent of flights at London City, to go from strength to strength.
He said: "I've said from the beginning of the takeover at some point we will have to make a decision on the brand because it's confusing for the passenger to have two different brand names at the same airport.
"Of course it's sad to see the VLM brand go because we worked very hard on it.
However, the Cityjet name is a good name. It says what it is and with this name we want to underline that we fly to London City Airport."
The group made the announcement last Thursday in central London, insisting no job cuts would be made at City Airport because of the merger.
While a rebranding is never thought to have much impact on the public, there is an insistence that this unveiling is the catalyst for a huge shift in momentum.
Particularly because VLM and Cityjet have reported reduction in passenger numbers - both airlines are running planes that are on average half-full for each flight - in line with the rest of the industry.
So there has to be a fresh impetus in strategy.
For Cityjet, this means taking on the budget airlines and, according to Mr Vanneste, re-educating the passenger.
He said: "Budget airlines are masters in creating the illusion that travel is cheap.
"But try booking a ticket the day before you travel and you will be paying a fortune and probably more than you would with a full service airline like CityJet.
"However, we will never compete on price with low cost airlines but then again we don't want to. What we want to do is make people look at what they really pay. Look at how much you pay for meals, your drink, even for checking in you have to pay.
"If it was up to Michael O'Leary [outspoken owner of Ryanair] you would have to pay for going to the toilet.
"Then you land at airports far away from city centres and you have to pay for travel.
"We say if your time is precious you should go to London City Airport. And we have value for money, it's all included. You get a free meal, a wine or a gin and tonic. You are treated in a friendly fashion with attentive staff with more leg room."
Mr Vanneste is still CEO of VLM but is heading up the joint operation as well, and is behind a major marketing campaign to attract new customers.
He readily admits a change in tactic is important during the economic crisis and believes this should be about extolling the virtues of London City Airport.
He said: "In the short term it will be less focused on business simply because business people are travelling less.
"We will now focus on the load factor by bringing in a slightly decreased fare.
"You will see a slight shift from business people to a combination of business and leisure because of the realities of the market today.
"We have to tell them London City Airport is here and it's a convenient airport. That's why we want to tell them there's a better alternative to Heathrow, Stansted or Gatwick."
London City Airport has chosen to sacrifice the health of their passengers and staff in order to line their pockets with high levels of profit.
tephanie Attwood., GMB Organiser said, “GMB members working in the arrivals area report that the fumes get so bad that they experience signs of poisoning exposure such as: dry mouth, nose and throat, sore, itchy eyes, headaches and breathing difficulties. GMB Members working in this area have to vacate the room on a daily basis in order to escape having to breathe in the toxic air. Members of the travelling public who land at London City Airport have to use this area too as will competitors and visitors to the Olympics.
The reality of the situation is that London City Airport has chosen to sacrifice the health of their passengers and staff in order to line their pockets with high levels of profit. It is time for the airport to get real and clean up the situation finally putting their passengers’ and staff’s health first.”
"We have to tell them London City Airport is here and it's a convenient airport"
In the real world it's not convenient to its neighbors and surrounding boroughs. London City Airport is in one of the most inconvenient places in the UK, SLAP BANG in the middle of the most highly populated areas in the UK. BIG business is ruining the health of Newham and surrounding boroughs by allowing LCY to expand. It's even been reported to be ruining the health of its own employees and passengers.
So why should we believe anything the owners and airlines that run from the airport.
I've been told many a time that London City Airport is key for business and has no interest in the leisure market. That's why it should be were it is. Now you have City Jet say "You will see a slight shift from business people to a combination of business and leisure because of the realities of the market today"
Just stop pushing this Airport on the communities surrounding it. Let them have a healthy lifestyle and not an unhealthy one as to what’s happening more and more around this growing monster.