bnhs89
27th Oct 2008, 09:50
Apologies if this has already been posted elsewhere, from TTG.....
Zoom boss plans start-up airline
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Chris Gray and Lucy Huxley (%[email protected])
The former UK boss of Zoom Airlines is in the advanced stages of setting up an airline aimed at meeting demand for seats from small operators hit by the collapse of XL Airways.
Jonathan Hinkles is talking to investors about getting start-up funding of up to £11 million and has pledges of support from several independent operators that are also prepared to invest.
The airline, codenamed “Project James”, would fly from Gatwick using four leased aircraft, a mix of Boeing 737-700s and 737-800s, to summer destinations including Greece, Turkey, Spain, Egypt and winter ski resorts including Chambery.
Hinkles, who was UK managing director of transatlantic no-frills airline Zoom, which collapsed in August, is targeting a formal launch within weeks and plans to start flying in April 2009.
Hinkles said the idea was to meet demand from small operators who wanted to take small allocations on aircraft flying to routes previously serviced by XL Airways.
He refuted claims by The Co-operative Travel boss Mike Greenacre, that the trade should stick with established airlines because start-ups were inherently risky in the present climate, saying his passengers would book through Atol-bonded
operators on routes for which there was clear demand.
“The routes to market for the sectors we are selling would be through Atol-bonded tour operators and the flying would be on routes that have been flown for many years,” he said.
Hinkles said capacity out of Gatwick was 25% down next summer and his venture would replace seats that had been taken out of the market.
Noel Josephides, Sunvil managing director, said he supported the idea of Project James as small operators were struggling to find capacity for next summer as the big two refused to give allocations they had used for several years.
“It [Project James] would solve a lot of problems for us,” he said. “We need the right size of aircraft and choice in the market so we don’t have to put all our capacity into one airline.”
Zoom boss plans start-up airline
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Chris Gray and Lucy Huxley (%[email protected])
The former UK boss of Zoom Airlines is in the advanced stages of setting up an airline aimed at meeting demand for seats from small operators hit by the collapse of XL Airways.
Jonathan Hinkles is talking to investors about getting start-up funding of up to £11 million and has pledges of support from several independent operators that are also prepared to invest.
The airline, codenamed “Project James”, would fly from Gatwick using four leased aircraft, a mix of Boeing 737-700s and 737-800s, to summer destinations including Greece, Turkey, Spain, Egypt and winter ski resorts including Chambery.
Hinkles, who was UK managing director of transatlantic no-frills airline Zoom, which collapsed in August, is targeting a formal launch within weeks and plans to start flying in April 2009.
Hinkles said the idea was to meet demand from small operators who wanted to take small allocations on aircraft flying to routes previously serviced by XL Airways.
He refuted claims by The Co-operative Travel boss Mike Greenacre, that the trade should stick with established airlines because start-ups were inherently risky in the present climate, saying his passengers would book through Atol-bonded
operators on routes for which there was clear demand.
“The routes to market for the sectors we are selling would be through Atol-bonded tour operators and the flying would be on routes that have been flown for many years,” he said.
Hinkles said capacity out of Gatwick was 25% down next summer and his venture would replace seats that had been taken out of the market.
Noel Josephides, Sunvil managing director, said he supported the idea of Project James as small operators were struggling to find capacity for next summer as the big two refused to give allocations they had used for several years.
“It [Project James] would solve a lot of problems for us,” he said. “We need the right size of aircraft and choice in the market so we don’t have to put all our capacity into one airline.”