KLM

[imagineif]

KLM cityhopper is introducing new ultra slim seats by UK company Acro (Basic/Launch model also used by Jet2) to its Fokker 70 fleet. The roll out commenced in August and will allow the carrier to begin selling a 3 tier cabin product based on space.

Europe Business, Europe Economy Comfort & Europe Economy. The new seats are lighter and slimmer, offer a recline function and 2 seat back stowage compartments for passenger belongings and literature - but leg room will diminish on the more aft rows of the cabin.

KLM has committed to extended Fokker 70 operations up until 2018 but has now retired its Fokker 100 fleet (the last example was officially signed over to Air Niugini last week). It will however be removing 6-7 Fokker 70's from the fleet in exchange for 6 new Embraer 190 aircraft - a new deal announced with BOC aviation.

http://www.aviationquestions.com/klm-introduces-new-seats-on-cityhopper-fokker/

http://nieuws.klm.com/klm-cityhopper-signs-deal-for-six-new-embraer-190-aircraft/

 

[cmj]

I had one of these new seated F70 the other week. They're okay tho I'm not sure they are as comfortable as the old seats.

The flight into LBA was pretty full (friday evening week before last) - hopefully KLM will start to introduce the larger Embrarers on some LBA rotations soon.

 

[Aviador]

The Embraer can't come soon enough. I can't understand why LBA is seemingly last on the list to get the new aircraft.

 

[imagineif]

It will have something to do with LBA still having pilots based, and all on the Fokker. So the Fokker must remain the based aircraft until its no longer viable at which point they will have to convert all the pilots over to the Embraer.

They could make the day time flights Embraer & just keep the night stop/early departure Fokker. I suspect with more Fokkers going, good loads & 6 new Embraer's arriving things will change inside the next 12 months.

Perhaps in the new year? For the winter its still planned as FK70 and reducing to 3 flights a day again.

I wouldnt say LBA is last on the list for the E190 - none of the UK crew bases are E190 yet. It only night stops on occasion or operates a day return flight.

LBA - FK70
HUY - FK70
BRS - FK70
NWI - FK70

Plus we did see the E190 in Leeds for a month this year and with good loads by all accounts

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I wouldnt say LBA is last on the list for the E190 - none of the UK crew bases are E190 yet. It only night stops on occasion or operates a day return flight.

LBA - FK70
HUY - FK70
BRS - FK70
NWI - FK70

BRS

Two of the 4 x daily BRS-AMS rotations are on the E 190 this summer, with the other two being the F 70.

Last winter (3 x daily in winter) one of the three was an E 190.

This coming winter sees either one or two E 190s per day (the rest on the F 70) depending on dates. Next summer seems to be three E190s and one F 70 per day.

However, thus far none of the night-stopping rotations has been the E 190 but this is about to change according to this winter's and next summer's timetables.

One you missed out was CWL which is entirely F 70 and at the moment remains so this winter and next summer according to the latest timetables.

 

[imagineif]

Yes so BRS is clearly capacity wise - ready for the E190 on the route. They will have to decide pretty soon when to convert the group of based Fokker pilots over to the E190. I believe there are less pilots at BRS than LBA so it would not surprise me if it becomes the first of the UK bases to become E190 with local crew -ahead if LBA.

Cardiff is not included as it is not a Pilot base for KLM Cityhopper UK - it is an outstation. No crew based here so the equipment on that route is not an issue, they could go all E190 tomorrow if they wanted.

I was only summarising which UK airports have Pilot/Crew bases and are also Fokker.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[offtopic]Thank you for that. I hadn't realised that BRS is a pilot base.

I know its (and CWL's) KLM Cityhopper provenance is Netherlines and I believe the other UK Cityhopper routes stem from Air UK, an airline that never operated into BRS or CWL, at least not regularly.

I wrongly assumed that the airports where Air UK formerly operated were the only ones that are crew bases.[/offtopic]

 

[imagineif]

Your right in what you say, It's not clear how BRS became a Pilot base (and only pilot - no cabin crew ever based here) - I can only surmise that Pilots got offered a deal to re-locate from NWI or perhaps the Stansted HUB when it was closed. If my source is correct there are only a handful of UK Captains based at BRS now.

But yes CWL is just a destination, they have 2 full crews stopping every night. An odd set up when you look at it but then there must be cost savings somewhere and on intraeuropean networks I guess its no different to Ryanair with satellite bases and multinational crew?

 

[User0001]

klm emb 190 just landed. PH-EZI

 

[imagineif]

I was reliably informed this evening that Leeds Bradford will become an Embraer 190 base sometime in 2014 and all the British chaps still flying for KLC based at LBA will be trained on it. There is nothing official in the public domain yet but it should be seen as a positive. I guess it will be quite a challenge converting an active base of pilots onto a new type and there will be a transitional period before the E190 appears on the schedule.

So good news! ... More Capacity with LBA returning to a 100 seat based jet as it was when the Fokker 100 was still in fleet, a more modern aircraft with a better despatch rate than the older Fokker & a product re-alignment versus the competition on the legacy carrier front.

It will be a nostalgic moment however, LBA has been home to a Fokker jet for a few decades be it with Air UK / KLM or Midland. Its unclear if the introduction of the E190 will keep the schedule at 4 daily in the summer or down to 3. Perhaps a mix would be nice

So enjoy the Fokker 70 and its Rolls Royce Tay620 Engines, the unmistakable morning rumble after 6am that signals the start of another day at LBA - will soon be a thing of the past.

 

[Aviador]

So enjoy the Fokker 70 and its Rolls Royce Tay620 Engines, the unmistakable morning rumble after 6am that signals the start of another day at LBA - will soon be a thing of the past.

The kids go by that like an alarm clock so I'll not be sad to see it go, might get a few more minutes in bed. :whiteflag:

 

[lbaspotter]

For us spotters it will be nice to see the Embrear more often

But it will be sad day when the Fokker jet leaves Leeds concrete for the last time, I sure will miss the sound off those Rolls Royce Tay620 engines at 0610 every morning. Even if if others won't!
I have a friend who flew the Fokker out of BHX before moving to the LBA base 2 years ago. I do know he dose not want to be retrained to fly the Embrear, so I guess he will ask for a transfer to either HUY, NWI or MME so to keep on the Fokker fleet. I also understand that some of the Leeds based KLM crews have already done some training onto the type

Hopefully the Fokker won't disappear altogether on the Leeds - Amsterdam route and will continue to make an apperance until the type is finally retired by KLM in 2018.

As previously mention I agree that both the Fokker 70 and 100 aircraft has served its time well at Lreds for the likes off KLM/Air UK, British Midland and for a couple of years with Austrian Arrows as well. It surely was a well built and designed aircraft by the Dutch.

 

[cmj]

The extra seats will be good - I've had a few trips lately where it's been pretty full. I've flown in on a F100 once (90-odd on board) a year or so back. I hope that with the E190s they will keep 4 x daily in summer, maybe the F70 will appear on a non-based turn?

But it will be a bit of a sad day when then finish - the end of an era.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

It will definitely be a shame to see the Fokkers go. I consider them to be 'real' aeroplanes, unlike the 'lightweight' Embraers that will replace them. Somehow the latter just do not feel so robust or purposeful.

 

[lbaspotter]

Well it looks as the upgrade has now confirmed! As the KLM website is now showing Leeds/Bradford – Amsterdam rotations been upgraded to Embraer 190 operation as from May 26th 2014. The Fokker 70 will continue visit as it will be still used on the weekday midday KL1547/1548 rotation.

New revised timetable
KLM1540 - LBA 06:20 / AMS 08:45 - E190 = MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
KLM1545 - AMS 08:25 / LBA 08:35 - E190 = MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
KLM1546 - LBA 09:10 / AMS 11:25 - E190 = MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
KLM1547 - AMS 12:50 / LBA 13:00 - FK70 = MON TUE WED THU FRI ---- ----
KLM1548 - LBA 13:35 / AMS 15:50 - FK70 = MON TUE WED THU FRI ---- ----
KLM1549 - AMS 16:35 / LBA 16:45 - E190 = MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
KLM1550 - LBA 17:20 / AMS 19:35 - E190 = MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
KLM1551 - AMS 21:10 / LBA 21:20 - E190 = MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN

 

[752]

The AMS stats was up again this month, which is good with BA also competing! Great news once again! Does the E190 hold more pax then the F70?

 

[imagineif]

Wow so it got in the timetable quicker than expected, and nice to see the F70 will still be making a daily appearance for now! Variety is the spice an all that!

FYI the E190-STD (unfortunate customer version designator isn't it!) - has 100 seats with 3 varying pitches. The Europe Business class is adaptable depending on demand, there is an Europe Economy Comfort zone about to come on the fleet and then a Europe Economy zone. They are decreasing the pitch in Economy to increase the pitch in Eco Comfort & Business and this will soon be reflected when booking & on seat plans etc.

They have done the same on the F70 - with the addition of brand new seats but the aircraft has a maximum retail config of 6C/70M as they don't sell middle or aisle seats in business class on the Fokker. This means a passenger always has an empty seat next to them in business on this smaller aircraft. They can extend the config of business and again an Economy Comfort Zone was added with so many rows offering increased pitch.

Oh and with BRS & LBA both becoming UK E190 bases more aircraft on the way - 6 in total with PH-EZY arriving next month!

 

[a300boy]

I expect these E190 aircraft are Cat 2 or maybe the newer ones might be Cat 3 and maybe they are light enough to use it at Lbia. I hope so as this would be a major step forward for the Amsterdam service for Winter 2014.

To continue the discussion regarding the use of ILS and Autoland at LBA please read this thread

Aviador

 

[a300boy]

PH-EZO Embraer 190 of KLM just landed on runway 32.

 

[imagineif]

Cabin Crew Unions at KLM have failed to meet the required cost savings of 20+ Million Euros per operating year via an agreement for a 5 year pay freeze, productivity increase & other stipulations in a new labour agreement.

There for KLM has asked KLM cityhopper to take over cabin operations of the Boeing 737 fleet from 2014, the transition period is set to take up to 5 years in totality to allow the outflow of current crew to intercontinental only operations, retirement and the gradual introduction of Ciyhopper cabin staff on to the 737 fleet. The eventual end of KLM mainline crew with freshman contracts operating on the 737 fleet will see cost savings of up to 25Million Euros per operating year for KLM.

The move does not affect any pilots at cityhopper or KLM & it is unclear if the Boeing 737 fleet will transfer to the Cityhopper AOC at this time. In summary, KLM cityhopper cabin crew will begin operating the Boeing 737 fleet in a project starting in 2014 and taking upto 5 years to fully implement. This means the crew will be 3 type checked, operating the Fokker 70, Embraer 190 and Boeing 737.

KLM operates the Boeing 737-700, 800 & 900 series of the type and currently KLM mainline crew who also fly intercontinental routes are responsible for the cabin operation.

Its a similar move to that of Iberia, Lufthansa, British Airways & Austrian who have all transferred aircraft, crew, switched AOC's or created a new subsidiary to slash costs.