Aerokiwi From New Zealand, joined Jul 2000, 2441 posts, RR: 4 Posted (8 years 3 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1588 times:
What endd up happening to KLM UK? I understand that the airline evolved from Air UK to KLM UK but then things get a bit fuzzy when the Buzz situation came along. Did KLM UK cease to operate under that brand and became Buzz entirely? Or was that maintained simply as an offshoot operation. If it was kept as an offshoot, then what has happened to the rest of the KLM UK operation? Seems like a pity for KL and SkyTeam if it was shut down.
MauriceB From Netherlands, joined Aug 2004, 2477 posts, RR: 28 Reply 4, posted (8 years 3 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1551 times:
well Mariner , the only planes they used for buzz were 8 Bae-146's EX-uk, but the other (wich took a much bigger part of the fleet) planes like the F-100's and F-50's are all now flying for KLM cittyhopper, based in holland
Mariner From New Zealand, joined Nov 2001, 22860 posts, RR: 87 Reply 5, posted (8 years 3 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1544 times:
Quoting MauriceB (Reply 4): planes like the F-100's and F-50's are all now flying for KLM cittyhopper, based in holland
Don't shoot the messenger.
Unless Wikipedia is wrong, KLM sold the airline to Ryanair:
"On January 31, 2003 KLM announced that it was selling the unprofitable airline to Ryanair for 30 million euros, including 23.9 million in cash, pending approval by regulatory authorities. Ryanair intends to return the fleet of BAe-146 airliners to KLM and replace them with Boeing 737s, purchasing as many as 100 new aircraft from Boeing."
Cornish From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2005, 8187 posts, RR: 56 Reply 6, posted (8 years 3 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1536 times:
Quoting MauriceB (Reply 4): well Mariner , the only planes they used for buzz were 8 Bae-146's EX-uk,
I believe they also had a couple of 737-300s just before the sale to Ryanair. FR quickly sold these on. Can someone confirm?
Buzz was sold to Ryanair. KLMuk which had stayed as a seperate brand during this whole period was used for flights into AMS from UK regional airports (not LHR). All their old flights to other Euro cities went over to the Buzz operation.
After Buzz had gone, some time later KLM got rid of the KLMUk brand, and moved the ops into the Cityhopper operation.
Just when I thought I could see light at the end of the tunnel, it was some B*****d with a torch bringing me more work
Aerokiwi From New Zealand, joined Jul 2000, 2441 posts, RR: 4 Reply 7, posted (8 years 3 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 1527 times:
Ahhh that explains it. I had alsways thought KLM UK had flown UK domestic routes, but if it was just flying from regional airports in the UK to Amsterdam then I spose it made sense for it to be subsumed under the KLM Cityhopper operation.
Cornish From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2005, 8187 posts, RR: 56 Reply 8, posted (8 years 3 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 1520 times:
Quoting Aerokiwi (Reply 7): Ahhh that explains it. I had alsways thought KLM UK had flown UK domestic routes, but if it was just flying from regional airports in the UK to Amsterdam then I spose it made sense for it to be subsumed under the KLM Cityhopper operation.
It used to - but by the end it was just flying routes into AMS.
Just when I thought I could see light at the end of the tunnel, it was some B*****d with a torch bringing me more work
UK_Dispatcher From United Arab Emirates, joined Dec 2001, 2553 posts, RR: 32 Reply 11, posted (8 years 3 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 1511 times:
Quoting Richardw (Reply 9): When Air UK STN-Scotland routes were dropped, Go Fly saw an opportunity and started their flights. Not sure if KLM UK ever flew LON-Scotland routes.
KLM uk also flew NCL-STN on a Fokker 50 (operated for some time by a Gill Airways ATR-42 in KLM uk c/s).
**
Basically all non-AMS flights were dropped or became operated by Buzz, which was later sold to Ryanair.
All AMS flights (except STN-AMS with Buzz) were still operated by KLM uk, which was merged into KLM Cityhopper, and all aircraft are now on the Dutch register.
Dutchjet From Netherlands, joined Oct 2000, 7864 posts, RR: 58 Reply 14, posted (8 years 3 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1255 times:
Quoting Cornish (Reply 6):
I believe they also had a couple of 737-300s just before the sale to Ryanair. FR quickly sold these on. Can someone confirm?
Buzz was sold to Ryanair. KLMuk which had stayed as a seperate brand during this whole period was used for flights into AMS from UK regional airports (not LHR). All their old flights to other Euro cities went over to the Buzz operation.
After Buzz had gone, some time later KLM got rid of the KLMUk brand, and moved the ops into the Cityhopper operation.
This is basically correct. AirUK became KLM uk and the route system was realligned to focus on operating flights from UK regional airports into the KL Amsterdam hub. Aircraft were moved around and the AirUK flights were mainly operated by Fokker 50/70/100 aircraft (Air UK operated the F100). AirUK also had a fleet of BAe146s which were then assigned to Buzz, KL's attempt at a UK based lowcost carrier out of London STN. This was during the era that GO and Buzz were fighting it out with Ryanair and Easyjet in the first round of the LCC wars in the UK.
Buzz did add the 737-300 to its fleet (5 or 6) which were ex-CO aircraft. These were the newer 737-3Q8s that CO had leased from ILFC (these 733s had more in common with the CO 735s than CO's own older 733 fleet) but were dropped from the CO fleet after 9/11....Buzz took the aircraft. KL then decided to get out of the LCC business in the UK and Buzz was sold to Ryanair and most of the Buzz fleet found homes with other carriers.
With Buzz gone, KL again reorganized, with KLM UK being intergrated into the KL Cityhopper system. KL went on to launch Basiqair, a LCC, later intergrating that product into its Transavia charter airline, but thats another story.
Blsbls99 From United States of America, joined Sep 2004, 345 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (8 years 3 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1181 times:
I know there was also Air UK Leisure, that operated charters. I believe they flew 767-300s. What happened to them? I loved Air UK and Air UK Leisure's schemes/liveries.
JRadier From Netherlands, joined Sep 2004, 4599 posts, RR: 51 Reply 17, posted (8 years 3 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1188 times:
Quoting Dutchjet (Reply 14): Aircraft were moved around and the AirUK flights were mainly operated by Fokker 50/70/100 aircraft (Air UK operated the F100). AirUK also had a fleet of BAe146s which were then assigned to Buzz
Just setting some things straight in this further good summary.
Air UK never operated the Fokker 70 to my knowledge, they did however operate the ATR-72 (started to come in around the time they became KLM UK if I'm correct), 2 of wich (G-UKTL, G-UKTK) were leased out to Gill Air (now defuct) and were later impounded/stored in RTM.
Air UK used to operate a charter arm called "Air UK Leisure" wich operated with 737-400's (and -200's, A320's, 763's) to my knowledge. KLM at that time operated both the 737-300 and the Fokker 100. KLM was looking for a larger plane, and Air UK wanted to get rid of the 734's, so the planes were 'swapped' (not without extra money etc, but they basically swapped).
One of the Fokker 100's that went to Air UK, and later KLM (cittyhopper) UK:
The Fokker 100's were registered in the english register after that. Now with the transformation from KLM UK to KLM Cityhopper UK they are once again registered in the dutch register (with difirent regs tho). The 734's that were transfered to KLM were registered with PH-BP* regs, and those were the first to leave the fleet.
Sponsor Message: 
From New Zealand, joined Jul 2000, 2441 posts, 
From Netherlands, joined Nov 2003, 140 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2005, 8187 posts, 
From United Arab Emirates, joined Dec 2001, 2553 posts, 
From Australia, joined Mar 2005, 940 posts, 
From Solomon Islands, joined Feb 2004, 97 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Sep 2004, 345 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
