AIRLINE NEWS

FACELIFT FOR THE FOKKERS

IN MAY 2009 VLM AIRLINES ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS PLANNING A PROCESS OF RE-BRANDING TO INTRODUCE the CityJet identity across the entire network. That process is now well under way, and one of the clearest changes took place at the end of August, when the first of our Fokker 50 aircraft received a facelift to incorporate the CityJet colours and logo. In the course of the coming months the rest of the fleet will also receive the new CityJet livery, so watch out for our new-look aircraft as you’re on your travels.

NEW GENERAL MANAGERS TAKE THE CITYJET REINS

VINCENT COSTE HAS BEEN APPOINTED GENERAL Manager Air France KLM in Belgium and Luxembourg. Coste joined Air France in 1992 and after several management positions he moved to Milan in 2006 to become Director of Sales Air France KLM Italy.

While there he managed a team of 80 in a joint Air France KLM organisation, and set up the joint venture with Delta Air Lines.

He has a master’s degree from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Bordeaux and an MBA from the world-renowned Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires (INSEAD) in Fontainebleau. Meanwhile, Henri Hourcade has been appointed Air France KLM General Manager UK and Ireland, taking over the position from Christine Ourmières, who is now to become Air France KLM General Manager in the USA, based in New York. Henri Hourcade joins Air France KLM UK and Ireland from Air France’s head office in Paris, where he held the position of Vice President Corporate and Distribution for the Air France KLM Group since July 2008. Henri began his career at Air France in 1988 as Deputy Manager for the Martinique, Southern Caribbean region and has held several other roles, including IT and Training Logistic Manager, Commercial Director for Scandinavia and Finland and Manager of Revenue Management Pricing for Europe and France. Henri holds a Masters from French business school, Essec.

92.5% PUNCTUALITY FIGURES

July 2009 was another great month for on-time performance, with 92.5% of all flights arriving on time when departing from London City to all destinations on our network.

LONDON IRISH LOOKING GOOD FOR NEW SEASON

LONDON IRISH, THE CITYJET-SPONSORED RUGBY team that reached the final of last season’s Guinness Premiership, are in good shape as they aim to build on that success in the 2009/10 season starting in September.

The Exiles, who play at the spectacular Madejski Stadium in Reading, the largest club venue in the Guinness Premiership, were also boosted in the off-season with the announcement that CityJet was renewing its sponsorship for another year. Having returned from a training camp in Northern Italy, the squad is now preparing for a bumper season that will see the club return to Heineken Cup action after a year’s absence.

And they couldn’t have asked for a better draw in Europe’s premier club rugby tournament. London Irish will line up against the current champions Leinster, first in Dublin in October and then in the return leg in Reading in February, which is expected to pull a capacity crowd. Also in the pool are Welsh giants the Scarlets and French outfit Brive, who signed several England internationals over the summer.

Irish also made some significant signings in the off-season, with seven senior players joining the club. Three of them are fly halves, including the exciting 23-year-old Ryan Lamb, who arrives after making a promising start to his career at Gloucester. Four other players have also made the step up from the Academy.

As Head Coach Toby Booth points out: “Recruitment is the most important element in maintaining success. We have continued to adopt a quality rather than a quantity approach as well as developing and rewarding our home-grown talent.”

The players moving up to the senior squad are prop Alex Corbisiero, who has recently been called up to the England Saxons squad, and Adam Thompstone, Jonathon Fisher and Charlie Gower.

After a gruelling pre-season schedule, which included matches against Munster in Cork and Leinster in Dublin, London Irish begin their Guinness Premiership campaign at the London double header at Twickenham on 5 September against Saracens, followed by a home match against Gloucester on 13 September.

LONDON IS OUR LOUNGE

AIR TRAVEL TO AND FROM LONDON HAS, FOR A LONG TIME, BEEN DEFINED and dominated by what’s familiar. BAA’s airports, the national carriers, and the low cost carriers have shaped our assumption of what air travel is. The journeys and experiences of both the airlines and the airports have become default behaviour, rather than an active choice. However, travel from London City Airport is London’s best kept secret. At CityJet we want to jolt London’s consumers out of this entrenched travel behaviour and open their eyes to another way, which meets all their needs.

So how to disrupt the conventional wisdom? We need to be visible, confident and relevant, which is why we developed a creative strategy around what we know is the key driver of most travellers’ choice – the proximity of London City Airport.

Because CityJet fly from the only airport that’s actually in London, it’s as if the whole of London is one big departure lounge. It’s not about just flying from London; it really is as if you were already at the airport. Just imagine – Oxford Street is your duty free. There are thousands of restaurants and cafes to choose from. You can even catch a movie from departures. London is our departure lounge.

Confident and full of attitude, this idea invites you to experience the benefit of flying with CityJet from London City Airport. It immediately identifies CityJet as flying from somewhere closer than you think:

If you’re eating in Hoxton, you’re closer than you think – only 38 minutes away from your gate.

If you’re walking back from a meeting through Regent’s Park, you’re closer than you think – only 48 minutes from departure.

Overall, the idea allows us to own London as only CityJet really can, and gives massive standout in an overcrowded marketplace, while maintaining a classy, confident exterior pose.

Finally, the idea can also be tailored to more time-based, site-specific messaging. For example, at Oxford Circus, servicing the media, retail and banking community, we can challenge people’s default assumptions by making an explicit comparison between total time to take off at Heathrow versus London City Airport.

The campaign will be seen across London and uses a mixture of large format poster sites focusing on the main arterial routes in and out of London (car and train). We’ll have a heavy presence on the underground, including an installation at Bank, and in the press. We’ll even have the first ever live departures board at Canary Wharf!

We are also launching the brand new cityjet.com at the same time, to deliver a richer overall brand experience through applications (journey planners, mobile check-in) and an online departure lounge for those passengers who want more.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TOPS 90%

THE RESULTS OF OUR FLY TO DELIGHT SURVEY 2009 CLEARLY INDICATE THAT BOTH CITYJET AND VLM Airlines remain very popular for business travellers. More than 1,800 customers took part in the two-month Fly to Delight survey, and whilst over 65% of passengers told us they were satisfied with the service we provide, more than 25% said they are delighted, leading to overall satisfaction ratings that exceed an incredible 90%. A delight level above 25% for both CityJet and VLM Airlines is a remarkable achievement – within other large companies, the score lies between 10% and 15%.

But we’re not resting on our laurels – the survey also gives us detailed information on the sort of improvements we can still make to our service and product offerings to make sure that in the future even more passengers are delighted. We take all the feedback we receive very seriously, and commit ourselves to taking the necessary action to enhance areas that require improvement.

Around 72% of passengers responding to the survey said they travel for business, while leisure travellers account for approximately a quarter of journeys. The main reason that passengers choose CityJet are the convenience of its London City hub, the location of its other route airports, and its time-saving benefits such as short check-in times, alongside fast boarding and disembarkation.

Other findings from the survey show that over 30% of passengers make travel arrangements within seven days of the date of departure, and over 55% of trips are for two nights or less.

CityJet passengers also express a clear preference for German cars, with over 40% driving Mercedes Benz, BMWs, Audis or VWs. More than 65% work in middle management or higher.

Looking at the delight levels more specifically, our customers have expressed the most delight about the cabin crew – yet more praise for that element of our service. As well as CityJet winning the ERA Silver Airline of the Year award 2008/09, VLM Airlines won the Skytrax Award for ‘Best Cabin Staff Western Europe’ last year, providing further proof that our cabin crew are doing an excellent job in offering customers an impeccable onboard service.

BUSINESS CALENDAR

10-15 SEPTEMBER
IBC 2009 RAI, AMSTERDAM
www.IBC.ORG
“The leading international forum for the electronic media industry, attracting more than 1,000 exhibitors from more than 130 countries. It combines a highly respected and peer reviewed conference, an exhibition that demonstrates state of the art media technology and unrivalled networking opportunities.”

3 OCTOBER
IX EXPO 09 EXCEL CENTRE, LONDON
www.THEINFORMATIONEXCHANGE.COM/IXEXPO
“A one-day conference and exhibition specifically designed to help private investors profit from the stock market. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn how to trade the markets and discover what the future holds for investors – this entertaining conference showcases leading speakers and instructors, and also includes an exhibition of service provider companies and investment opportunities.”

22-24 OCTOBER

THE PROPERTY INVESTOR SHOW AND OPP LIVE EXCEL CENTRE, LONDON
www.PROPERTYINVESTOR.CO.UK/LONDON
“The major new property event of 2009, which will see Europe’s two premier property expos come together to create ‘the complete property experience’. Featuring 200 exhibitors and over 100 seminars, debates and workshops, it’s the ‘must attend’ event for property professionals and investors serious about making money from property investment.”

28-29 OCTOBER
BUSINESS NORTH WEST EXHIBITION 2009 MANCHESTER CENTRAL, MANCHESTER
www.BUSINESSNORTHWEST.CO.UK
“Now in its fourth successful year, Business North West is designed for owners, directors and entrepreneurs running small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). A central point for gaining advice, information and inspiration.”