KLM

[Aviador]

KLM to launch Liverpool - Amsterdam flights

KLM is to start a three times daily service between Liverpool Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol, claiming the UK city is ‘well placed to weather the recession’. The new service will start on March 29 and KLM will operate 80-seat Fokker 70 jet aircraft on the route.

Christine Oumiéres, UK general manager for Air France/KLM, said: ’A lot of work and planning went into this project. We spoke to a large number of business and corporations and local authorities. We were very impressed with their business objectives and ambitions.'

‘Liverpool has a large catchment area with a strong economy and we believe our Amsterdam service will play an important role for its continued growth.’ She added that she expects the route to attract an even balance of business and leisure traffic.

The flights will depart Liverpool at 06:15, 10:30 and 17:30, returning from the Dutch capital at 09:25, 16:25 and 20:30. It will complete with easyJet, who already operate on the route.

Source

 

[Aviador]

This is fantastic news for Liverpool and it is what the area has been crying out for. The worlds at their fingertips. I think the previous idea of reinstating the London link was always going to fail but now KLM has made the plunge the airport can look forward to lots of connections throughout the world. I'm sure it will be a success.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Might be of more concern to easyJet at LPL who operate 2 or is it 3 x daily to AMS?

Having said that, unless Cityhopper can sort out their Fokkers the Mersyside business people will soon become disenchanted.

Cancellations on the Cityhopper routes from AMS to the likes of BRS and CWL (especially) this year have been horrendous with 3 out of 4 rotations cancelled on some days.

And it's not all down to commercial reasons by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Aviador]

Most airports where KLM operate side by side with a loco, both airlines seem to do OK.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

easyJet tried 2 x daily to AMS from BRS a year or two ago against KLM's 4 x daily but it didn't last long so easy only does a daily flight at the awkward time of mid afternoon out and early evening back.

Day trips to AMS then can only be done with KLM although given Cityhopper's record this year in cancelling flights because of aircraft technical problems even that is not something people can have confidence in.

The LPL/MAN catchment is much larger than BRS's so, as Aviador remarked, it should be all right.

I don't know the latest figures but the last ones I saw gave about 60% of KLM passegers on BRS-AMS as connecting passengers, many intercontinental, so I take Humberside's point.

 

[Aviador]

On the basis of 60% of passengers that use the BRS service to get an onward connection and assuming that Liverpool will be simmilar, Eaglestar probably meant that passengers who until now have normally used long haul services from Manchester just might now be going via Amsterdam reducing long haul passenger numbers from Manchester.

 

[pug]

A poster on dried plum suggests that KLM are less than happy with the LPL performance. Apparantly what little yield it does generate is impacting on the MAN services. They have trimmed one rotation off the MAN timetable for this winter. What will they do to the LPL flights? Poster also says that LPL does not feature in KLM's online timetable too though it can still be selected in the dropdown menu.

 

[pug]

Rumours are emerging that KLM are to pull the plug on their LPL flights.. Not sure of their authenticity.

 

[tleeds]

Well if the route is going to be pulled, people can't see KLM didn't give the LPL-AMS route 'a-go'.

The most fruitful problem that could be the cause of this is the fact that MAN-AMS is so popular, and easyJet already offer competitive fares from LPL to AMS, a lot more competitive that Jet2 at LBA!

 

[pug]

I agree 'tomleeds'.

Just to add, the person originally posting this was apparantly told by KLM's LPL rep about this.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Overall, the LPL-AMS market seems the best provincial UK route to Schipol in terms of passenger numbers except for Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham.

Presumably KLM is not getting the share it wants. Nevertheless it seems a surprise that it would pull out altogether.

 

[pug]

I agree that it does sound rather far fetched, particularly when KLM have been quite bullish about its performance. However someone has since posted on fruit that they had been told both MME and LPL are up for the chop. If that is the case then it can only be a disagreement with VAS surely?

Also it is possible that with Easyjet also serving the route there is too much competition therefore damaging yields? Hard to tell but I would assume there will be a press release or something either way before long.

 

[pug]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpoo ... z1gVX9ME85

 

[Seasider]

There's no competition for KLM at MME!

 

[Silvercity]

To clarify some confusion, KLM operated from Amsterdam to Liverpool 3 times per day , weekdays ,.this was increased to 4 times per week, I know this because I used it. I dont remember what the weekend schedule was unfortunately.

They did receive quite a lot of competition from Easyjet at the time,.however this did not deter them up the schedule.

 

[Jerry]

I'm still surprised that they haven't returned to Liverpool

 

[Silvercity]

I'm still surprised that they haven't returned to Liverpool

Im surprised they ever left ! Know they have been in discussion.

 

[Jerry]

Im surprised they ever left ! Know they have been in discussion.

Well hopefully them launching Exeter is a positive for their return.

 

[gulftraveller]

With the cap on traffic at Schiphol, I am surprised at the launch of Exeter. I was fully expecting to see CityHopper reductions and consolidation at larger airports.

 

[Silvercity]

KLM Flight Academy have operated some flights into Liverpool from Groningen today. PH MFA