Sion SIR/LSGS
Might be interesting to note that Darwin are reportedly abandoning their scheduled operations at Lugano and will become a purely charter carrier. I believe they have 6 Saab 2000s. Flights remain available to book but this might change in a day or two. I am not privy to any information about Darwin beyond what is in the public domain so am unable to confirm anything independently
Source (in German)
https://www.blick.ch/news/wirtschaft...id7644909.html
Source (in German)
https://www.blick.ch/news/wirtschaft...id7644909.html
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That's a great shame; I feel particularly sorry for airlines that have tried to find their niche as hard and repeatedly as Darwin did. (The reason given is of course clearly nonsense; the could have used Adria's reservation system if that was a problem, and that's before all the other off the shelf alternatives available to far smaller airlines!)
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Below is a copy of an email received by a snowHead (PPrune for skiers and Boarders) today:
An important powdair update...
Since the powdair journey commenced two years ago, we've done our very best to be open and honest about the prospects and opportunities of our fledgling airline. After all, new airlines don't launch every day and we've faced many expected and unexpected challenges along the way.
What's the point of powdair? Opening up the incredible Swiss Valais region to skiers, snowboarders and year-round mountain lovers across Europe is our mission. Significantly reduced journey times direct to Sion rather than Geneva, improved transfer connections to resort, more time on holiday and for second home owners, better access to your investment, is the end result. But that's not where this journey ends.
This morning our key financial backer walked away from the powdair journey for personal reasons.
We're faced now with two options. We either postpone starting powdair this winter – in which case, those of you who've already booked flights would be guaranteed a full refund.
Or,
We offer the airline to you, our army of passionate powdair supporters, in the hope that you'd like to own a stake in powdair and benefit in our future shared success.
In a nutshell...
Over 5,000 people have already booked flights with us for this season
More than 85 of you have signed up as Season Pass holders, already buying between 10 and a whopping 80 tickets each to fly with us this season!
We’ve already been awarded Best Start-up Business in the World Snow Awards
We’re officially partnered with 17 resorts in the Valais and Portes du Soleil, including Verbier, Crans Montana, Nendaz, Anzere, Thyon 4 Vallées, Morzine, Champéry, Avoriaz, Châtel and Les Gets – and already have a raft of events and marketing activity planned with them
We’re working with hundreds of Valais, British and Belgian businesses – big and small - to ensure that both they and our powdair passengers benefit from everything we do
Without funding, we're now facing the situation of needing to postpone the start of our flight schedule for this winter season*, which is currently set to commence on 11th December 2017. However, with your support we can still make powdair a success and take off as planned this winter. At this late stage, community ownership is realistically the only way we'll be able to make powdair operational this winter.
A word from Sean Pettit, our Chief Financial Officer:
"Just as the powdair operation begins to snowball, today's setback is both unexpected and potentially disastrous for our airline, booked passengers and resort partners. Operational systems and strategies are already in place, whilst ticket sales are very strong and exceeding expectations. powdair is ready to go, but we now desperately need investment. I'd personally like to hear from anyone interested in owning either a small or large part of our airline."
Please bear in mind that we're a very small team working with limited resources and we need to secure at least £3 million to operate this season and at least £1 million by the end of this week in order to operate a reduced but efficient flight schedule this season.
An important powdair update...
Since the powdair journey commenced two years ago, we've done our very best to be open and honest about the prospects and opportunities of our fledgling airline. After all, new airlines don't launch every day and we've faced many expected and unexpected challenges along the way.
What's the point of powdair? Opening up the incredible Swiss Valais region to skiers, snowboarders and year-round mountain lovers across Europe is our mission. Significantly reduced journey times direct to Sion rather than Geneva, improved transfer connections to resort, more time on holiday and for second home owners, better access to your investment, is the end result. But that's not where this journey ends.
This morning our key financial backer walked away from the powdair journey for personal reasons.
We're faced now with two options. We either postpone starting powdair this winter – in which case, those of you who've already booked flights would be guaranteed a full refund.
Or,
We offer the airline to you, our army of passionate powdair supporters, in the hope that you'd like to own a stake in powdair and benefit in our future shared success.
In a nutshell...
Over 5,000 people have already booked flights with us for this season
More than 85 of you have signed up as Season Pass holders, already buying between 10 and a whopping 80 tickets each to fly with us this season!
We’ve already been awarded Best Start-up Business in the World Snow Awards
We’re officially partnered with 17 resorts in the Valais and Portes du Soleil, including Verbier, Crans Montana, Nendaz, Anzere, Thyon 4 Vallées, Morzine, Champéry, Avoriaz, Châtel and Les Gets – and already have a raft of events and marketing activity planned with them
We’re working with hundreds of Valais, British and Belgian businesses – big and small - to ensure that both they and our powdair passengers benefit from everything we do
Without funding, we're now facing the situation of needing to postpone the start of our flight schedule for this winter season*, which is currently set to commence on 11th December 2017. However, with your support we can still make powdair a success and take off as planned this winter. At this late stage, community ownership is realistically the only way we'll be able to make powdair operational this winter.
A word from Sean Pettit, our Chief Financial Officer:
"Just as the powdair operation begins to snowball, today's setback is both unexpected and potentially disastrous for our airline, booked passengers and resort partners. Operational systems and strategies are already in place, whilst ticket sales are very strong and exceeding expectations. powdair is ready to go, but we now desperately need investment. I'd personally like to hear from anyone interested in owning either a small or large part of our airline."
Please bear in mind that we're a very small team working with limited resources and we need to secure at least £3 million to operate this season and at least £1 million by the end of this week in order to operate a reduced but efficient flight schedule this season.
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@TO53 remember of course that most airlines only get 70% of their seat sales upto 96 hours before departure..... its not meant to be a charter airline...plus if you read it for what its worth - they may still fly!
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Surely anyone who has the money freely available to invest the sort of funds Powdair are looking for at such short notice would already be travelling by private jet and not booking flights on CRJs and Saabs?
I've got nothing against Powdair and wish to see them succeed but this all feels a bit desperate now, and it's hard to see how any sort of investor or passenger confidence can be retained after today's announcement.
I've got nothing against Powdair and wish to see them succeed but this all feels a bit desperate now, and it's hard to see how any sort of investor or passenger confidence can be retained after today's announcement.
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Quite. It's one of the worst examples of amateurish desperation I've ever heard of! Yet... they are still taking bookings? No wonder their payment processor has them on 100% retention!
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They're proposing community ownership - 5,000 ticket holders each stump up £600...£3m raised. It won't happen but it's wrong to say they were looking for a white Knight amongst their passengers.
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This might be the case for business routes but for sure not for routes which have 99% leisure travelers.
I realize that you are an endless believer of Powdair....
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@TO53 certainly not an endless believer but having spent a lot of time with the powdair team, mainly Zoe and occasionally nick or the others I am left with a genuine and sincere belief that they are undertaking a tough task, with a genuine interest and desire to turn this airport into a regular service airport - that is a massive start from ZERO and from rumours this morning there is a huge response to that email missive that want this to work and will put their hand in their pocket... so this could be a "best seller" book material if they turn it around.. very nervous / exciting few days ahead I think!
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I hope J32 is right but the website does not seem to be accepting bookings and their Twitter feed links to text similar to that I posted above (clearly I won't post it again as I may end up in the sin bin!)
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If Powdair wrote a book it would be launched as the best book in the world, it will be hand carved into the best alpine granite (by popular demand) and then it will get downgraded to a hardback, then a paperback followed by a refusal to commit to any type of paper at all! Shortly before launch they’d fall out with every printer in the land and then write a ransom note to their customers withholding the book until 1 million pounds is paid…. it would be funny, if it were not true.
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The idea that making a booking for a ski holiday makes you part of an airline's "community" would be laughable if it weren't for the pathetic desperation. I do fee will sorry for them, but there are times to give up and this is unfortunately one.
You cannot launch a crowdfunded airline at 2 week's notice.
You cannot launch a crowdfunded airline at 2 week's notice.
