Crossover jets may account for an increasing percentage of movements at regional airports, but few as comprehensively as Antwerp.
European leisure carrier TUI fly Belgium currently makes up the entire complement of commercial passenger flights at the small Belgian airport.
The airline has just marked its first year of operating three Embraer E195 E2s from Antwerp Deurne, one of Europe’s oldest airports, which dates back to 1923.
TUI chose the E195 E2 for its services to Mediterranean holiday destinations partly because of Antwerp’s short single runway, which is only 1,510m / 4,950ft long. Despite the tight runway, the aircraft’s 4,000km range brings holiday destinations as far away as the Canary Islands and the west coast of Turkey within reach.
The airport’s century-long vintage also means that the city of Antwerp has now surrounded the site, which makes the halving of noise levels compared to previous-generation aircraft a welcome – not to say vital – aspect of the aircraft’s performance, in order to avoid noise nuisance to nearby residents.
“Antwerp has been considered as an important airport for the needs of our customers, as there are passengers who would like to go on vacation but don’t want to travel into Brussels [to do so],” a TUI spokesman said.
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