Belgium’s newest airline Air Antwerp joins ERA

• ERA (European Regions Airline Association) is delighted to announce at its annual General Assembly its newest airline member, bringing the number of carriers in ERA membership to 51.
• Air Antwerp is Belgium’s newest carrier, established in May 2019, operating Fokker 50 aircraft.

Based in Antwerp, Belgium, Air Antwerp is a new regional carrier that began operating in September of this year. The airline currently provides 16 return flights a week from its home base to London City Airport, operated with a Fokker 50 turboprop that seats up to 50 passengers. The Belgian startup is co-owned by the Irish regional carrier CityJet – an ERA member – and Dutch flag carrier KLM, the parent company of ERA member KLM Cityhopper.

ERA Director General, Montserrat Barriga, says: “Air Antwerp is in the early stages of what I’m sure will be a long and successful journey and I believe the airline will benefit greatly from the breadth of knowledge, experience and support our association and its members can provide. The Belgian carrier offers excellent connections for business travellers and I look forward to working with them in the future.”

Johan Maertens, CEO of Air Antwerp, stated: “We are looking forward to co-operating with ERA and the other member airlines to defend our common interests in our relationship with the regulatory bodies in Europe. And secondly, the association also helps its members to identify and address common industry challenges faced by European regional airlines. These two important elements spurred our decision to join ERA.”