WELCOME

WELCOME ABOARD THIS VLM AIRLINES FLIGHT. AS YOU WILL HAVE READ in your newspaper or heard on the news at the end of last year, Air France-KLM has taken over VLM Airlines. As part of the Air France-KLM group, we will be able to offer extra value to our customers, who will be able to reach the largest possible number of destinations from London City Airport. VLM Airlines will actively cooperate with the regional airline CityJet, which also operates out of London City Airport and is a 100% subsidiary of Air France. The networks of both our airlines are entirely complementary and this will offer our customers additional links from London City Airport to major business and financial centres across Europe. I’m very excited about the future of our airline, and the opportunities that lay ahead of us. Of course we will keep you updated on any service and product enhancements that will follow, but in the meantime it’s business as usual and we remain committed to offering you quality in everything we do.

In 2007 we carried 9% more passengers than the previous year, and in the coming month we will be announcing our 10th consecutive year of profit. The largest increase in passenger numbers was seen on the routes from the Netherlands to London City, and that is why we will be adding extra frequencies from Amsterdam and Rotterdam to the heart of London, allowing more flexibility for the business traveller.

This year we will further focus on customers travelling for business purposes by offering quality in every aspect of the travel experience, from online booking to the maintenance of our aircraft. We know from previous surveys that the high standard of service on board is much appreciated by our loyal customers, and that is why we place an emphasis on hiring friendly, caring, professional and attentive crewmembers. Our annual passenger survey will be taking place during March and I hope you will take the time to fill out a questionnaire so we can continue to understand which aspects of our service are most important to you, and where we can deliver improvements.

Also worthy of mention is the fact that eight of our Fokker 50s have now been refurbished with a new interior, offering extra comfort and a homely feel when onboard our aircraft. We now also offer e-ticketing throughout the network, and I’m very proud to say that we will soon reach the 100% e-ticketing mark, banning paper tickets completely. This is another small step towards a more environmentally friendly airline, something we are all very committed to.

In this issue of Velocity magazine you will find a major feature on the changing face of the diamond business in Antwerp, and a special focus on the new challenges and opportunities being felt in Chinatowns across our destinations. With all of our cities in a constant state of change, you can look to Velocity to keep you in touch with the latest from across the network.

I wish you a pleasant journey and happy reading,

Johan Vanneste
Managing Director