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KLM Cityhopper Embraer aircraft.
KLM Cityhopper will not be adding any new destinations this winter in the face of high passenger taxes and fuel costs, which could result in schedule cuts and aircraft groundings.
Cityhopper plays an important feeder role for Air France-KLM Group, performing approximately half of all KLM flights and carrying 11 million passengers annually.
This year, the Dutch carrier added new services to Santiago de Compostela (Spain), Oviedo (Spain) and Jersey (Channel Islands).
Speaking to ATW ahead of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) general assembly in Belfast, a KLM spokesperson said these routes are performing well, but no new destinations will be introduced this winter.
The airline’s short-haul remit means operations have not been directly affected by geopolitical tensions, but the knock-on impact on fuel costs is “very significant,” the spokesperson said. And, while the Dutch government recently reduced its long-haul air passenger tax to be closer to levels in neighboring Germany, taxes on short- and medium-haul flights remain higher than many other European countries.
“As a result, it is uncertain whether the company will be profitable this year. If fuel prices remain at current levels, this could even lead to flight reductions or aircraft being grounded,” the spokesperson said. “Much will also depend on what passengers are willing to pay for their tickets.”
Cityhopper operates a fleet of 17 Embraer E175-E1s, 17 E190-E1s and 25 E195-E2s, which perform 300-400 daily flights across roughly 80 European destinations.
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