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EUROPEAN AIR EXPRESS GOES FOR NICHE MARKETS

With the collapse of the low-cost airline Debonair at the end of 1998, the "Düsseldorf Express Airport Mönchengladbach" was robbed overnight of several important routes. As no other airline wanted to set up operations in Mönchengladbach at that time, local business people founded a separate airline called European Air Express GmbH (EAE). The new company intends not only to fill the gap which Debonair left behind in Mönchengladbach, but also to establish its own distinctive profile with its own route network and service concept - and make a profit.

Only three months after incorporation in December 1998, the company resumed flying operations between Mönchengladbach and Munich with a leased Fokker 50. In its first summer season Fokker 50s from Mönchengladbach were already flying the profitable routes to Sylt and Nice. Then in November 1999 another destination was added, Luton airport, to the north of London. Wolf Jaura, General Manager of EAE since 1 April, praises Mönchengladbach airport for its compact design and short check-in times, which make travelling convenient for the passenger. Another advantage, he points out, is the fact that passengers travelling to the airport by car are always driving against the general flow of traffic.

On 1 April 2000, European Air Express commenced services with two ATR 42s which it had purchased second-hand from ATR in Toulouse. EAE now flies with the two ATR 42s three times a day Mondays to Fridays and once a day on Sundays from "Düsseldorf Express Airport" to London-Luton. Flights to Munich's Franz Josef Strauss operate at the same frequency.

The Mönchengladbach-based scheduled air carrier shares its name with European Air Express, an airline based in Nuremberg which was formerly known as Filder Air. This has its own engineering department and its two Jetstream 31s are hired out by companies for executive charter and shuttle flights from Nuremberg. In the medium term there are plans to merge the two companies together.

When it comes to ticket sales, EAE Mönchengladbach relies heavily on sales partnerships with travel agents. Its flight details are held on the main reservation systems and around 60% of its air tickets are sold over this sales channel. Around 40% of tickets are sold directly to customers, and here the Internet plays an important role as a lot of reservations are made online. For frequent flyers EAE has developed a bonus programme.

EAE's ATR 42s are all configured with first class seats only, offering 46 passengers the comfort of plush leather seats. Since the end of August EAE has introduced a new on-board service concept, under which a full menu is offered on every flight. Different meals are served, depending on the time of day. EAE's catering is contracted out to the Stockheim company, which also runs the airport restaurant in Mönchengladbach.

Thanks to its small fleet and utilisation of airports which are out-of-the-way, EAE can offer its customers a bonus which large carriers at the hubs cannot provide their passengers: during the first six months of ATR flight operations, 96% of all EAE flights arrived at their destination airports on time.

From page 36 of FLUG REVUE 11/2000