From todays Gibraltar Chronicle.
UK AVIATION EXPERT HELPS GIB BASED AIRLINE VENTURE
A leading aviation lawyer who helped set up easyJet 10 years ago is now advising local company OEM International on its plans to launch a Gibraltar-based airline. OEM is well-advanced in negotiations to set up FlyGibraltar, which will use the Rock as its hub for flights to various destinations in the UK and Ireland.
The company has retained the services of Hugh O’Donovan, an aviation specialist with Quadrant Chambers in London.
Mr O’Donovan, a highly-regarded lawyer who has worked across all areas of aviation law, is guiding OEM through the process of obtaining the necessary operating permits from the Civil Aviation Authority, the UK’s airline regulator.
He is working alongside the company’s Gibraltar management team, led by Darren McComb, and its local lawyer, Hassans partner Fabian Picardo.
Assuming all the necessary paperwork is in place, FlyGibraltar hopes to begin operations by the spring of 2007.
It will use chartered passenger planes that will start and end their flights in Gibraltar, spending the night on the tarmac here.
The company has already reached an understanding with the Ministry of Defence, which operates the local runway, on the thorny issue of runway fees.
The MoD had already indicated to existing carriers that an increase in traffic at the airport would help keep down the cost of running services to Gibraltar.
The launch of a local airline will provide a positive economic boost for Gibraltar, not just in terms of larger passenger throughput but also in terms of direct job creation.
FlyGibraltar will probably step into the market gap left after Monarch ceased its flights to the north of the UK this month.
Although the local airline intends to focus on the UK and Ireland for its launch services, longer term plans could include services to other destinations in Europe and possibly even north Africa.
OEM is expected to make a formal announcement on its airline venture within the next few weeks.