Dutch investor acquires VLM's Brussels operations, AOC

An unspecified Dutch investment group has acquired the Brussels National-based operations of VLM Airlines from Sino-Dutch firm, SHS Aviation BV.
There are three entities operating under the VLM Airlines umbrella and they include VLM Airlines (Slovenia) and two Belgian AOCs, the first is Antwerp-based, VLM Airlines (Antwerp), used for Fokker 50 operations, while the second is Brussels-based, VLM Airlines (Brussels), which is used for A320 operations.

According to the Belga news agency, the purchase involves VLM Airlines (Brussels) which is, in fact, the old Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium (HQ, Brussels National) licence. Whether the new investors will continue to use the name VLM Airlines Brussels is not clear. SHS Aviation BV is a Dutch holding company in which local Dutch investors control 60% and Chinese investors 40%. According to a spokesperson, there are no links between this firm and the new owner of VLM's Brussels operations.
The report indicates that the new owners will continue to deploy A320-200s OO-TCT (msn 1402) and OO-TCX (msn 1381) on ACMI/charter flights and have also assumed VLM's intention to start longhaul flights to China using A330-200s in the longterm.
Prior to this development, VLM Airlines communications officer Yves Panneels had told Belga earlier this month that the carrier's Chinese market plans entailed service from any of Ostend, Brussels National, or Liège airports. In terms of destination cities, Shenzhen has been touted as a strong likely candidate given it sees less competition than Shanghai Pudong or Beijing Capital.

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Photo:Ton Jochems - BRU