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Old 1st Nov 2001, 00:56
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Take up the Hold
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Scotland
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And to counter The Scotsman from todays Glasgow Herald. I wonder if the right hand knows what the left hand is doing?

TUTH
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Just watch us Go, says airline chief


BARBARA Cassani, the 41-year-old chief executive of budget airline Go, sipped cappucino at Edinburgh Airport yesterday and affirmed her commitment to expanding the company's operations in Scotland.

"It's too early to say exactly how and when we will be expanding in Scotland, but we will certainly be expanding," she said.

"We are looking at adding more frequent flights and more destinations. We really want to fly to Europe from Scotland. Eventually, we're hoping to find a way to serve cities in France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Sweden from Glasgow and Edinburgh."

Cassani was in Scotland yesterday to celebrate the first anniversary of Go flights from Glasgow and to announce the hiring of 17 cabin crew members, who will be based Edinburgh Airport.

They bring the total number of Go staff in Scotland to 50, out of a total of 800 employees in the UK and at various European airports, which are served by flights from London Stansted and Bristol.

Go, the former British Airways subsidiary launched in 1997 and sold in a management buy-out last year via venture capitalist firm 3i for £100m, says it served 1.7 million passengers on its Scottish routes.

Cassani worked as a BA executive for 10 years and ran Go for three years as a stand-alone subsidiary. The management buy-out gave her the opportunity she coveted - to go it alone.

"We've gone from having a tiny presence to becoming the biggest low-cost airline serving Glasgow and Edinburgh airports. That's something I think we can rightfully be proud of," she said.

In the beginning, Cassani's critics and competitors said the company would never make it.

Ryanair's colourful chief executive Michael O'Leary said: "This is a dog. I don't think Go could ever make money."

And easyJet's chief and founder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, said ran a contest on the company website to guess the size of Go's losses.

Cassani, one of only three female airline executives in the world, proved them wrong. Go broke into the black with a £2.7m pre-tax profit in March. This financial year, the company says it is on target for a £4m profit.

"I'm flattered to be the target of their vitriol," she said. "It means they're worried. But if you ask me what I think of Michael O'Leary, I would have to profane. In the same breath, though, I still think there is enough room for the three of us in Europe."

Like her low-cost competitors - but unlike the world's major flag carriers - Go was hardly affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks in US.

Cassani said: "Sales were dramatically affected just after September 11. We were looking at double-digit declines in the couple of weeks that followed.

"But we have no transatlantic exposure, and business bookings gradually came back."

Cassani said she is no hurry to float Go shares on the stock market.

"We're in growth mode now, so we're concentrating on keeping our prices low, offering more destinations, more frequency and gaining market share," she said.

"Six months ago, I said we might float in two or three years. I'm still saying it might be two or three years."
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