KLM

[WYIA]

As it stands; from March as Sched airlines commence Summer timetables. KLM will downgrade all 3 rotations to the FK70 and the FK100 will no longer night stop.

FYI

PH-KLE
PH-KLG

are now withdrawn from service and will soon be joined by PH-KLD & PH-KLI

the Embraer fleet now stands at

PH-EZA
PH-EZB
PH-EZC

with Zulu Delta on its way in April

The airline has now commenced night stops with the type and is no longer just operating day flights

Rumour has it the airline will introduce a new style font for Cityhopper titles and it will be smaller on the Fokker fleet as per the E190

Hope of interest

 

[lsjet3]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

hopefully klm willl put there Embraers on the lba route one day

 

[Bigman]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

Given that we will no longer have LHR, maybe they will reconsider.

 

[White Heather]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

Does this mean that we are losing our KLM based aircraft then, with no early morning flight out to AMS? If so, that is surely another massive blow on the same day we lose LHR.

 

[Seasider]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

I think that they still have n/s but it will be F70 not F100.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

Rarely see a 100 at Bristol these days. It's been like that for many months with 70s the usual equipment.

Mind you, with Cityhopper's Fokker reliability problems it's just nice to see a KLM aircraft, any aircraft.

 

[Bigman]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

KLM could take advantage of the BMI situation if they wanted. Going to 4 times a day would be really useful.

 

[WYIA]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

No the base is not closing and an aircraft will still nightstop. Just pointing out that as it stands, from March all 3 flights including the nightstop aircraft will be on F70 equipment. The F100 will no doubt make an apearance from time to time and who knows you may see the E190.

This is a loss of 20 seats per flight... as the aircraft seat 80 pax instead of 100. Its not a massive blow and infact the F70 is more stable than the F100 so lets hope better performance. The aircraft are much better in the Summer too, they dont do cold and damp and this is why they tend to be tech alot.

Dont forget the majority of the KLC F100 fleet is first production 88/89 examples that flew for KLM, Air Littorial, Air Europe, Inter Canadian and Air UK and have performed 6 sectors 7 days a week for almost 20 years... Due to the demise of Fokker the aircraft have had a hard life and no operator has really looked after its F100 fleet. KLC have thrown alot of money at them but it is a loosing battle with the cost of spares increasing.. most have to be purpose made.

By this time in 2010, the F100 fleet is sched. to consist only of PH-OFL,M,N,O & P ; all younger 92-96 builds with better Tay 650 engines. They will be a rare thing in the KLC fleet to catch.

The aim is to have 10 E190 & 26 F70; the F50 replacement is yet to be announced. A decission will also be made on options for a further 9 E190.

If the loads really increase for the AMS then who knows, an aircraft upgrade or 4th rotation may well be added. Fingers crossed.

 

[Aviador]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

Thanks for clarifying that 'WYIA'. Like White Heather I misread your original post as well. So KLM are still basing and night stopping at LBA, that's good. Hopefully KLM will pick up some interlining traffic lost from the Heathrow route which should bolster the route and hopefully lead to an increase in services be it in the way of additional rotations or larger aircraft. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the Embraers!

 

[WYIA]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

Well I thought I would take the opertunity to report back to you guys the day and its events. I was in Amsterdam in a hotel this morning at Schiphol when the Turkish airlines flight crashed.

Just after 10:30 the sound of emergency vehicles could be heard passing the hotel, in growing numbers. As schiphol is surrounded by a number of residential areas i did not jump to any conclusions of an aircraft related incident.

However by 10:50 all the crews telephones began to ring and we recieved news that the airport was closed until further notice, not to call to company until they called us and informed otherwise.

All the crew staying in the hotel gathered in the hotels crew lounge and watched the news together.

As we all now know the crash site was some distance from the "polderban's" touchdown area, near the busy A9 highway. Instantly some of our flight deck watching the news pictures drew conclusions.

It echos a similar picture to the BA 777 crash and clearly - sudden engine failure or lack of power has caused the aircraft to stall on finals. Some eyewistnes;s report seeing the aircraft on a very low laboured approach in a sever nose up angle. This sugests the loss of engine thrust or incorrect approach configuration. There is also the chance of a mulitple bird strike, the area is very rural and large birs often come in to contact with aircraft when approaching this runway.

We had the luxury of local news reports as the story came to light at Schiphol and we understand that many reports suggested nobody died in the crash. Unfortunately tho, we witnessed emergency crews covering the first bodies with sheets at aprox 11:20.

It is also now known that the last bodies to removed from the wreck wer that of 3 flight deck crew in the cockpit who perished on impact. They had to be cut from the flightdeck as the entry door was jammed.

You can clearly see from the aircaft damage it hit the ground tail first, causing it to fracture and rip off with both elevators detatching. Passengers and crew sat at the rear had little chance. The main gear will then have imacted the soft mud causing an enormous amount of force to be concentrated on the centre of the aircaft... the wheels detached as the airframe lunged into the ground and causing fractures near the nose section and fwd of the wing. The aircaft radome is also seperated in the impact.

All operations from Schiphol came to a halt at the time of the crash. Many diversions as a result to rotterdam and brussels. However no more than 50 minutes after the crash, runway 27 was accepting arrivals and 24 for deparutres all be it with delays due to the capacity issues.

It was a very somber sad day at schiphol and for all of us who went flying today you couldnt help but think about it. I hope my account was of some interest to you and i hope its a long time before it happens again.

 

[Aviador]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

Thanks for the report 'WYIA' I've placed it in the World section as well under your username.

It must have been a terrifying experience for those involved. The thought of what must have been going through the minds of the passengers and crew on board the flight sends shivers down my spine.

There seems to have been a run of accidents of late but at least we have seen a good number of survivors in most of the incidents which is somewhat reassuring.

 

[WYIA]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

Yes it has to be said alot of accidents but more people surviving these more modern aircraft crashes.

 

[White Heather]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

Absolutely awful. I was almost in tears looking at it on TV. The odd thing was that the cockpit section appeared to be pretty much intact, yet the crew died. Yet people sitting not far behind them in the front of the fuselage, appear to have survived.

 

[Bigman]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

Why are so many planes just falling out of the sky when on final approach??? First the BA777, then the Colgan DH8/4 the other week and now this. I hope this is just pure co-incidence.

 

[wawkrk]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

So thats 3 out 25 million flights per year.
You cannot be serious Bigman.
More than 1000% more are killed going shopping.
By comparison driving cars should be banned altogether.
Dying as a result of smoking is equal to about 2000 air crashes per year but of course its not really a news item.

 

[Aviador]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

So thats 3 out 25 million flights per year.
You cannot be serious Bigman.
More than 1000% more are killed going shopping.
By comparison driving cars should be banned altogether.
Dying as a result of smoking is equal to about 2000 air crashes per year but of course its not really a news item.

I can believe that one. You should see how the other half drives the trolly around Morrison's

 

[White Heather]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

 

[WYIA]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

In response to the cockpit section on the turkish 738. Its reported that the fwd gear went upwards into the cockpit on impact, you could also see that most of the overhad console had detatched and furthermore without getting to graffic - no 3 point harness would save you from that concentration of force on impact.

 

[Aviador]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

Yes I agree, there's not a great deal that a safety belt could do in those circumstances. It was very horrific.

 

[WYIA]

Re: KLM cityhopper B.V

Its announced that KLM are to take up to 7 options for more Embraer 190 jets out of the listed 9. That will put the E190 fleet @ 17 within the next few years.

3 of the original 10 order are now in service, the announcement was made as the airline confirmed the phase out of the Fk50 within the next 16 months. 2 Fk50 aircraft have left the fleet in the last 10 months for cargo conversion.

The Cityhopper fleet model is to be as follows 5 FK100 (PH-OFL,M,N,O & P) 26 FK70 (5 Ex Air France to be introduced) & 17 E190
So as you can see an all jet fleet.

....

KLM has afew issues today with an early morning tech delay which was followed by a delay on the 1546.

The KL1546 had to wait almost 15 minutes for a passenger bus in extreme gusts and also waited for its new Amsterdam bound pax with more delay. Too add to the complications, the wind was so strong it was closing the hold doors and preventing the loading team from loading baggage. In the end the A/C PH-OFH had to be towed off stand and parked tail to wind to allow the baggage to be loaded.