The new owners of the defunct VLM (1992) (Antwerp) plan to relaunch the airline with flights between Belgium and China according to the Trends weekly.

Acquired by SHS Antwerp Aviation (Antwerp), which is backed by Chinese investors, the new owners intend for the carrier to operate services from Ostend to secondary Chinese cities with wide-body equipment, as well as to a number of regional points in Europe with Fokker 50s. Furthermore, Antwerp would continue to play an important role in the airline's network.

VLM filed for bankruptcy this June after accumulating debt. Prior to its demise, it operated eleven Fokker 50s on passenger charter and scheduled passenger flights between Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

As previously reported, start-up Air Belgium (KF, Brussels Charleroi) also plans to launch scheduled charter services between Belgium and Asia. Flights are expected to begin during the second quarter of 2017. The airline has yet to select an operating base.