Dan208B
6th Dec 2006, 00:14
Does anyone know anything about the new Western Airlines? Supposedly a new start-up based out of Bellingham, WA(KBLI) with 737s. Anyone know anything about pilot salaries there or anything along those lines?
Thanks,
Dan
airhumberside
6th Dec 2006, 20:32
I know the planes are provided by Xtra Airways. Not sure about the crew
Here's our story from a couple of weeks ago:
US proposed startup Western contracts Xtra to aid launch
Mary Kirby, Philadelphia (20Nov06, 18:53 GMT, 334 words)
A Bellingham, Washington-based company known as Western Airlines has contracted Xtra Airways to operate ‘scheduled charters’ on its behalf beginning in mid-January.
Western last year unveiled plans to attain federal certification and offer its own scheduled passenger service, after entering into an airport terminal lease with the Port of Bellingham to open its corporate offices at the regional airport.
But a Western spokeswoman says the firm has “put the certification process on the side” while it launches the contracted service.
“Once everything gets going, and we’re running smoothly…then we’ll return to [seeking] certification,” she says, adding that a scheduled operation is “absolutely still part of the plan”.
Area businessman Jerry Welsh, who along with Curt Tronsdal heads up Western, tells ATI that the company “saw that we were probably two years off from being [Part] 121 certificated” and decided “we needed to get into that marketplace and get our position”.
The Bellingham airport is a “great alternative” to nearby Vancouver International, he says.
Western is now advertising two-class Boeing 737-400 service from Bellingham to Ontario, California; Reno, Nevada; San Diego, California; and William Gateway airport in Mesa, Arizona.
Xtra of Elko, Nevada – formerly known as Casino Express - will operate the aircraft in Western’s livery. A single -400 will be placed into service in January, with a second aircraft scheduled to launch in June 2007. A third Boeing narrowbody, a 737-800, will be introduced in November.
Welsh says the 737 is Western’s aircraft of choice.
“We at Western are excited to call Bellingham International Airport ‘home,’ and anticipate becoming an active participant in the northern Washington community,” says co-founder and chairman Curt Tronsdal in a statement.
“We feel very fortunate to be working with the superior airports into which we will be flying and we look forward to growing these relationships as we grow this company.”
Bellingham airport’s director of aviation Art Choat says Western’s flights will double the number of destinations that Bellingham serves, “making this a very exciting time for the airport”.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news