NLM CITYHOPPER (NEDERLANDSE LUCHTVAART MAATSCHAPPIJ, B. V.): Netherlands (1966-1988). NLM Cityhopper is organized at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in early 1966 as NLM Dutch Airlines, B. V., a wholly owned subsidiary of the state carrier KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.), to take over domestic services. Employing Fokker F.27s leased from the Dutch Air Force, the carrier inaugurates scheduled operations on August 29 linking the company’s base with Enschede, Groningen, Eindhoven, and Maastricht.
By 1973, the fleet includes 6 Fokkers and enplanements are 130,950. In 1974, the company inaugurates regional flights with a service between Eindhoven and Hamburg. The employee population numbers 8 and passenger boardings increase to 150,000. Service to Rotterdam is added in 1975.
In 1976, the company name is changed to NLM Cityhopper, B. V. and the first 2 Fokker F.28 jetliners are acquired, joining the fleet’s 6 F.27s. International destinations visited in 1978-1979 include Bremen, Dus-seldorf, Antwerp, Brussels, Birmingham, the Channel Islands, London (LHR and LGW), and Paris (CDG). President Henk S. Jonker oversees a workforce of 85 as 2 more F.28s arrive and orders are placed for 3 F.27-500s. Enplanements during the latter year total 382,000.
Flights continue without incident in 1980. En route to Eindhoven on the first leg of a flight to Hamburg from Rotterdam on October 6, 1981, Flight 431, an F.28-4000 with 4 crew and 13 passengers, is caught in a tornado. The force of the winds cause the right wing to separate and the plane crashes near Moerdijk; there are no survivors.
During 1982-1984, NLM undertakes replacement services for KLM and adds markets at Belfast, Dusseldorf, East Berlin, and Stuttgart. Passenger boardings average 400,000 per year and the fleet is increased by 2 F.28s and an F.27.
In 1985-1986, Managing Director A. J. Leyer’s fleet comprises 4 F.27-200s, 3 F.27-500s, and 4 F.28-4000s. Enplanements reach 408,401 in 1987.
In April 1988, the 250-employee company is required to take over the management of financially troubled Netherlines, B. V. as the first stage of a merger.
Passenger boardings increase by 11.3% over the previous year to 460,429; however, freight is down by 1.8% to 369,000 FTKs.
In 1989, the 2 carriers are operated as the 250-employee NLM City-hopper/Netherlines and Leyer acquires 8 SAAB SF340s.
Customer bookings rise 0.8% to 477,820.
In April 1991, the integration of the two airlines is completed under the name KLM Cityhopper, B. V.
NOBLE AIR, A. S.: Turkey (1989-1992). A Turkish-British joint venture, Noble Air is established at Istanbul in January 1989 to operate charter and inclusive-tour passenger flights on behalf of the U. K. travel agency Noble. Two Boeing 727-228s, previously operated by Air France, are leased from SGB Overseas Leasing; the first to arrive is christened Vatan. With the beginning of the summer holiday season, the trijets transport Noble’s customers from the U. K. to Turkish seacoast vacation sites.
By the end of the first quarter of 1990, President Asil Nadir’s fleet has been enlarged through the addition of two more B-727-230s and a B-737-231, all chartered from Deutsche Lufthansa, A. G. These aircraft are now employed to expand the company’s market to Turkey and Cyprus from Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, and Hamburg, as well as from the U. K.
Service continues in 1991, during which one of the B-737-228s is subchartered to Istanbul Airlines, A. S. for the summer season. In November, scheduled Turkish domestic frequencies are initiated linking the carrier’s base with Antalya and Ankara.
Airline employment totals 250 at the beginning of 1992. Intense market competition, recession, and rising costs now force the carrier toward the financial brink. Although cost-cutting measures are put into place, they do not generate the revenue needed to carry on. The company suspends operations in October rather than attempt to begin the winter holiday schedule and leases its remaining two Boeings to Istanbul Airlines, A. S.
Efforts are made to locate sufficient new capital with which to resume flying at the beginning of the European summer schedule at the end of March 1993. When these funds are not forthcoming, Noble Air is liquidated.
World History
