http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1060783.htm
My first thought given the JetStar launch was, "You must have rocks in your head" but if he can secure Moorabbin or Essendon, Bankstown and Archerfield the GOOD LUCK TO HIM.
Yes Essendon may be difficult to get into because of the residents but Moorabbin would be WAY, WAY better anyhow. The demographic centre of Melbourne is somewhere around Noble Park and the drive to Tullamarine is a pain. 15 minutes to Moorabbin would be brilliant and really appeal - certainly to me anyhow. If he can sustain say $99 airfares from Moorabbin to Mascot or Bankstown then I would certainly use him as would literally millions of others. Moorabbin is a far better concept than JetStars' Avalon, purely by the major population base located within 20 minutes (toll-free) drive.
Bankstown is a little more difficult to get to or from but if you get a cab there is a railway station nearby so anywhere is within reach. Again it is close to millions of urban Sydney dwellers.
This is what deregulation is all about, eager entrepreneurs finding major (Virgin) and niche (OzJet) markets. They said Virgin would fold and it is bigger than ever.
One only hopes that the ripoff merchants at Qantas don't put pressure on John Anderson (their lapdog in Canberra) to prevent little airliners from using airports like Moorabbin. He would of course use 'environmental grounds' for preventing such operations but in reality his main motive would be in securing his post-politics position on the QF board.
Unfortunately I guess the BAe146 is a necessity due to short field lengths and noise considerations (please OzJet, use this in your marketing - 'Whisperjets' etc - and prove they are quiter than Metros or Navajos that regularly use the airports).
I am sure there are many current or ex-Southern 146 employees who would happily return from their possibly dull employment outside of aviation to be involved with something like this.
After my initial scepticism I have thought about it at length and wish them all the very best - I reckon it's a real goer.
