I wouldn't be surprised if he is actually for real.

He's probably one of these delusional people that just turned 40, read a book on management, got hit by what seems to be a good idea, got himself a lawyer and a Ltd. and now thinks he's a bigtime CEO. The problem, as always, is actual management experience and sense of reality. Watch this lead to nothing, fizzle out and disappear in a few months as Mr. Schoppmann runs out of money to pay himself and the cronies he has undoubtedly surrounded himself with.

It certainly wouldn't be the first time, at only 23 even yours truly already had the pleasure of having 2,5 years of his professional life ruined by one of these know-nothing idiots.. :=

I want to work for them! It sounds like it could be a laugh!!!!

As long as you get paid ;)

...and a free lung transplant :ouch:

Could be a company holding address.

Niche market?
 

Actually, according to the World Bank's Disease Control Priorities Project (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv...2.section.6700)
over 1.1 billion adults worldwide smoke. Granted, most of these are from lower or middle class income countries but think of the millions of middle class and upper income people in the U.S. alone who are smokers, even if only casually, such as the much touted cigar afficienado.

As a 20 year smoker who flies frequently, I have to subject myself to elaborate pre-flight rituals in order to cope with the hours in air without smoking. Yes, I know it is bad for my health, yes I acknowledge there is a great risk from second hand smoking and, yes, I realize that the vast majority of my fellow fliers despise my obnoxious, yet totally legal, habit. But as a libertarian minded individual I also feel that it is neither the government's right or responsibility to pass laws to curb my legal, albeit annoying, behavior. I can not tell you how many times, half way through an eight hour flight, crammed into a too tight seat inside a hurling tin can with surly attendants, minimal amenities and equally obnoxious and annoying fellow fliers that I would pay any amount of money to be able to stretch out smoke a cigarette and enjoy my flight in peace.

And that, I believe, is precisely who will be attracted to this option. Obviously, it will be much more expensive than your typical budget class flight. But, if I want to spend those eight hours in the lounge pounding away on my lap top chain smoking and caffeinating all along the way, that will be my choice and I will happily pay or the privilege. I believe millions of others will as well, particularly business people and those cigar smoking celebrities who grace the covers of afficienado magazines.

Mock the idea all you want. I, on the other hand, will be taking a closer look at that investment portfolio and planning my flights accordingly.

Smintair
 

http://www.justplanes.com/images/logo_Smintair.jpg
Smokers International Airways (Smintair) announced plans to begin operations on Mar 26th with service from Dusseldorf to Tokyo using a pair of B747-400s in full First & Business class configuration catered to smokers.

Rediculous! And of all the aircraft they could have picked, they went for the largest they could find! 2 744's!!!!!!!

New Airline
 

Hi,

Has anyone seen this new German airline "Smokers International Airlines" A new smoking airline where pax can smoke from T/O to Landing.

737atlast

Do they leave the windows open too .... :p

Smokers airline
 

Take off, light up on smokers' airline
Wednesday November 8, 08:41 AM
BERLIN (Reuters) - "We would like to remind passengers that smoking is permitted on this flight."
It has been a long time since most European air travellers heard anything like this, but a German entrepreneur has set up an airline that will give its customers the freedom to chain-smoke from take-off to landing.
Alexander Schoppmann, the 55-year-old founder of Smoker's International Airways -- Smintair -- said he got the idea for a smokers' haven in the heavens after he'd had enough of expensive non-smoking long-haul flights with poor service.
"I got so annoyed that ticket prices were rising while service was getting worse," said Schoppmann, who is a 20-a-day cigarette smoker.
Once Smintair flights begin in October 2007, smoking will be allowed in all 138 seats aboard a spacious Smintair Boeing 747. Normal airlines fit up to 559 passengers in a 747.
"The crew can smoke as well," the former stockbroker said.
Schoppmann came up with the idea as Germany considers toughening its smoking regulations, among the most lenient in Europe. Germans have been loath to ban smoking because of memories of Adolf Hitler, who forbade it in public places.
The centre-left Social Democrats, who are part of the grand coalition, have drafted a proposal to ban smoking in many public places.
Berlin, the city-state that is Germany's capital, may go even further. It is considering a ban in all public places.
LARGE ASHTRAYS
Nicotine-friendly Smintair is already popular, even though tickets are not on sale yet.
"Demand is strong," Schoppmann said. "We get people who say they want to fly with us, even though they have no business in Tokyo or Shanghai," he said.
On daily flights from Duesseldorf to Tokyo and Shanghai, Smintair will offer Cuban cigars, caviar served by flight attendants in designer uniforms, a deluxe on-board entertainment system and large ashtrays at every seat.
There will be a lounge with a duty-free shop.
The extravagance will not cost any more than a flight to Japan with any other airline, Schoppmann said.
A first-class return ticket -- Smintair offers only business and first-class tickets -- from Duesseldorf to Tokyo will cost 10,000 euros (6,704 pounds), while a business-class seat will go for 6,500 euros on the same route, he says.
Schoppmann expects to make profit within the first 12 months. He forecasts a rise in annual sales to 500 million euros and a pre-tax profit of 120 million euros by October 2008.
Airline industry experts are sceptical.
"I don't think an all-business class smoking flight can be run economically from Duesseldorf," said Andreas Kretzschmar, chairman of the Board of Airline Representatives in Germany.
Ernst-Guenther Krause, vice-president of the Non-Smoker Initiative Germany, said Schoppmann's idea would never fly because people were increasingly aware of the risks of smoking.
"Most people have realised by now that tobacco is not good for them," he said.
Nearly one in three German adults smokes regularly and about 140,000 Germans die every year from tobacco-related illnesses.
Schoppmann, who dismisses the effects of second-hand smoking as "nonsense", is not worried about a future smoking ban.
"Quite the opposite. We'll benefit from it," he said.
Smintair does not have an airline licence yet, since it still lacks one crucial piece of equipment -- planes.
Schoppmann said he was taking over three used Boeing 747s from airlines that hoped to replace them with the new Airbus A380 super jumbo, whose delivery is delayed.
Once his airline takes off, the chain-smoking Smintair founder hopes to open a chain of hotels, restaurants, pubs and holiday resorts.
He may also expand the airline's route to the southern hemisphere. Johannesburg and Sao Paulo are on his radar.

737atlast
if what you say is true & they do manage to get airborne in 3Q07 they will be a flying lawsuit waiting too happen, due to crew & other pax inhaling 2nd smoke or will they eliminate this problem by only hiring staff who smoke & putting a legal disclaimer /waiver on each pax ticket.?
In this scenario would it stand up in court in germany if they were sued & secondly would the airline have to pay higher insurance costs due to increased risk of fire onboard?
Eitherway you are going to have a high cost base bottom line which won't do the Balance sheet anygood or win any favours from the beancounters or banks for further financing if required.

This has been done before in the US, Tobacco Airways or something. They did Chicago to LA, maybe one or two others. American Trans Air held the AOC and operated the flights.

Most of the (few) early pax seemed to be TV reporters doing a story. After a few weeks it folded, inevitably. I hope ATA got their money :)

I thought smoking was banned on all EU registered airlines. If so this airline is going to find it tough to get business!

Largely as it is a branch of Post Boxes etc...

If an airline can be set up to provide what is effectively compulsory smoking why is someone not setting up other extreme niche airlines that cater for addictions?

What about one that caters for nymphomaniacs, another for cocaine addicts, maybe one for murderers, perhaps even one for paedophiles. the opportunities are endless. The idea of one that specialises in carrrying bureaucrats is especially appealing. Just imagine a plane full of people discussing the development of senseless forms. It would be the biggest switch off in all of time. The airline would have to self-destruct at the end of its first flight. Perhaps they would all try a combinatioin of excessive smoking, Viagra guzzling, and flaggelation at the same time as devising those forms.

A documentary series about it all would make the easyJet series look extremely boring.

All the low-costs to Prague
SN Brussels I presume
:)

For marketing purposes Simitair could be renamed ...as Fag Air!!:ok: