Air Antwerp has ceased all activities. The small airliner from Antwerp, actually a joint venture between CityJet of Ireland and KLM of the Netherlands, operated flights between Antwerp International Airport (ANR) in Deurne and London City Airport (LCY).
The Board of Directors decided to pull the plug. The nine remaining employees will be laid off. Air Antwerp operated one plane, a Fokker 50, OO-VLS, owned by Amapola Flyg from Sweden. CityJet had already left as shareholder.
Air Antwerp started in the second half of 2019 and COVID-19 pandemic curtailed any potential growth. Spokesperson Yves Panneels said prognoses for business travel are bad and that is or was the core business for Air Antwerp.
So the curtain falls.
Nico flew Air Antwerp in October 2019. You can read his review here.
Resources
- ‘Corona nekt Air Antwerp, luchtvaartmaatschappij die vliegt tussen Antwerpen en Londen houdt het voor bekeken’, Ludwig De Wolf, Belga, VRT NWS, 11.06.2021.
- ‘Doek valt voor Air Antwerp door coronacrisis’, Belga, Gazet van Antwerpen, 11.06.2021.
- ‘Donkere wolken boven Air Antwerp’, Flightlevel, 06.05.2021.
- ‘OO-VLS Air Antwerp Fokker F50’, Planespotters.net.
Bummer
Indeed 🙁
The Belgian Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Antwerp International Airport (also: Antwerp City Airport) in Deurne remains a strategic asset for military operations and…