...not quite true...see ATI's copyrighted story below...completely separately, efforts underway to get some sort of Aero Lloyd German ops back up for spring 04.
Niki Lauda plans to launch charter flights in days
Kurt Hofmann, Salzburg (17Nov03, 17:40 GMT, 451 words)
Former Grand Prix driver Niki Lauda plans to commence services later this month with the newly-acquired Austrian division of grounded German charter operator Aero Lloyd.
He has yet to devise a brand name for the carrier – currently identified only by the working title ‘FlyNiki’ – but intends to launch first flights on 28 November to the Canary Islands resort of Tenerife.
It follows his acquisition of a majority share in Aero Lloyd Austria – understood to be around 75%, although Lauda has not confirmed this figure – giving him control over the carrier from Austrian film producer Michael Wolkenstein. The acquisition price has not been disclosed but Lauda has contributed around €4 million ($4.7 million) of his own capital.
Lauda, who has been seeking to re-enter the airline business since resigning from Lauda Air three years ago, tells ATI: “For me it is much easier to start with a new airline because I’ll start from a white piece of paper, with no debts.
“First I need the right structure. Everything has happened very fast, in just a few days.”
The new airline will begin operating with a single Airbus A320 or A321 from the existing Aero Lloyd fleet. It will start services from Vienna and fly six days per week exclusively for tour operator Neckermann Reisen. Destinations include the Canary Islands, Madeira and resorts in Egypt.
A second aircraft could join the fleet later in the winter while two more Airbuses will probably be introduced for the 2004 summer season. The fleet could expand to as many as ten aircraft and the network increase to include destinations in eastern Europe, France and Germany. First crews will be taken from Aero Lloyd; the existing Aero Lloyd Austria management will largely remain in place.
Charter operator Lauda Air – originally founded by Niki Lauda – could, ironically, become the new carrier’s toughest competitor.
To achieve competitiveness, Lauda is trying to cut lease rates for the Airbuses by about 20% to around €200,000 per month and he aims to establish a cost structure which is 30% lower than that of budget airlines such as EasyJet or Ryanair.
Lauda says he is “not in a hurry” to find a brand name for the airline and the aircraft will fly as white-tails initially. But he is working on a concept designed particularly to attract younger passengers, and is looking at the possibility of moving into ‘flight-only’ bookings.
He is also seeking a type rating for the A320, stating: “Passengers should be able to say ‘I fly with the real Lauda’.”
No firm details have yet emerged on other potential investors in Lauda’s latest venture although Ferrari chief and close business partner Luca di Montezemolo is being linked with the new carrier.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news