Varsity Express
 

I've just discovered the website for Varsity Express, who are planning to operate a Jetstream 31 from (London) Oxford Airport to Edinburgh. They intend to have flights every weekday starting at the beginning of March with one-way flights from £49.

They are registered at Companies House WebCHeck - Select and Access Company Information and are backed by a private consortium of British and Spanish investors previously involved in property development and the entertainment industry. The company claim to be "well funded with sufficient reserves to launch what will be the first of a number of planned domestic routes over the coming year." They are planning to operate a Jetstream 31 on wet lease from a charter company based at Humberside and are recruiting for a type rated Captain and cabin crew.

Anyone know anything further or have any comments?

Varsity Express
 

I've just discovered the website for Varsity Express, who are planning to operate a Jetstream 31 from (London) Oxford Airport to Edinburgh. They intend to have flights every weekday starting at the beginning of March with one-way flights from £49.

They are registered at Companies House WebCHeck - Select and Access Company Information and are backed by a private consortium of British and Spanish investors previously involved in property development and the entertainment industry. The company claim to be "well funded with sufficient reserves to launch what will be the first of a number of planned domestic routes over the coming year." They are planning to operate a Jetstream 31 on wet lease from a charter company based at Humberside and are recruiting for a type rated Captain and cabin crew.

Anyone know anything further or have any comments?

Professional website, modest start.

The schedule shows an aircraft flying EDI-OXF in the evening and OXF-EDI in the morning- not sure if it's an Oxford-based aircraft doing a day stop in EDI or an EDI aircraft night-stopping in OXF. Hopefully there is some other flying for the aircraft (whether for Varsity Express or another contract) fitting around this.

I guess my initial question is just about the economics. There are lead-in fares of £49 including taxes and £149 flexible, both one-way. Taxes are shown as £16.64 one-way so (let's just take these numbers for the time being) that means that a one-way passenger is netting the airline either £33 or £133. Managing a 60% load factor day in day out would be a good achievement - that's about 11 passengers per flight. And let's assume that six of those book the cheap fare and five the expensive fare (these are just assumptions - I obviously don't know their planned RM policy or the size of the market). That gives revenue of £863 per flight to cover the ACMI and fuel and overheads. It's a 90 minute flight - that revenue figure feels just about doable but a bit tight. I don't think it's sustainable as a standalone operation but as noted they plan to diversify, which would allow them to spread some of the overhead.

So the jury may still be out, but it's several light years more credible than Excelsis! ;) [what is the standard unit of credibility anyway? the "reciprocal Ryanair"? :cool:]

Professional website, modest start.

The schedule shows an aircraft flying EDI-OXF in the evening and OXF-EDI in the morning- not sure if it's an Oxford-based aircraft doing a day stop in EDI or an EDI aircraft night-stopping in OXF. Hopefully there is some other flying for the aircraft (whether for Varsity Express or another contract) fitting around this.

I guess my initial question is just about the economics. There are lead-in fares of £49 including taxes and £149 flexible, both one-way. Taxes are shown as £16.64 one-way so (let's just take these numbers for the time being) that means that a one-way passenger is netting the airline either £33 or £133. Managing a 60% load factor day in day out would be a good achievement - that's about 11 passengers per flight. And let's assume that six of those book the cheap fare and five the expensive fare (these are just assumptions - I obviously don't know their planned RM policy or the size of the market). That gives revenue of £863 per flight to cover the ACMI and fuel and overheads. It's a 90 minute flight - that revenue figure feels just about doable but a bit tight. I don't think it's sustainable as a standalone operation but as noted they plan to diversify, which would allow them to spread some of the overhead.

So the jury may still be out, but it's several light years more credible than Excelsis! ;) [what is the standard unit of credibility anyway? the "reciprocal Ryanair"? :cool:]

Interesting. London(!) Oxford Airport have been crying out for flights to Scotland for sometime and I can see the J31 being about the right size of aircraft to get things off the ground. One just has to hope that a start up company like this is able to survive a very tough trading environment that exists at the moment.

That aside, the fares seem very reasonable, particularly when compared to the alternatives. I live nearby and might try the service out at some point if they get going.

Am I right in thinking this is Linksair in Humberside who are operating the flights? They only got their AOC late last year didn't they?

Good luck to them. The UK airline scene needs some good news!

Interesting. London(!) Oxford Airport have been crying out for flights to Scotland for sometime and I can see the J31 being about the right size of aircraft to get things off the ground. One just has to hope that a start up company like this is able to survive a very tough trading environment that exists at the moment.

That aside, the fares seem very reasonable, particularly when compared to the alternatives. I live nearby and might try the service out at some point if they get going.

Am I right in thinking this is Linksair in Humberside who are operating the flights? They only got their AOC late last year didn't they?

Good luck to them. The UK airline scene needs some good news!

Press release states its an ACMI deal with Linksair, who did indeed get their AOC last year

Press release states its an ACMI deal with Linksair, who did indeed get their AOC last year

Thanks airhumberside. Wikipedia shows them as being owned by a guy called David Lawrence with offices in Canary Wharf. All looks very promising, fingers crossed for them. Jersey and Geneva have both worked very well from Oxford, so I can't see them having any problems selling seats to Edinburgh.

Thanks airhumberside. Wikipedia shows them as being owned by a guy called David Lawrence with offices in Canary Wharf. All looks very promising, fingers crossed for them. Jersey and Geneva have both worked very well from Oxford, so I can't see them having any problems selling seats to Edinburgh.

Oxford, a very affluent area of the country, added to the fact it has a world class university - could IOM be a good destination?

Glad to hear of a new airline which is well financially backed looking to start operations!:ok:

Oxford, a very affluent area of the country, added to the fact it has a world class university - could IOM be a good destination?

Glad to hear of a new airline which is well financially backed looking to start operations!:ok:

Maybe they could add NCL too, beats 5 hours on a train which isn't cheap anyway especially if you go 1st class (£300+ return). My once a month journey might not make the service viable though :rolleyes:

Maybe they could add NCL too, beats 5 hours on a train which isn't cheap anyway especially if you go 1st class (£300+ return). My once a month journey might not make the service viable though :rolleyes:

Good luck to them lets hope the usual 'my cup is half empty' brigade stay in the wings on this one. OXF-EDI is a no-brainer compared to the train, other airport connections or of course the environmentally friendly automobile! Putting it into perspective it's 18/19 seats one rotation a day M-F service from an affluent area and with an excellent catchment..I hope it works for them:ok:

Good luck to them lets hope the usual 'my cup is half empty' brigade stay in the wings on this one. OXF-EDI is a no-brainer compared to the train, other airport connections or of course the environmentally friendly automobile! Putting it into perspective it's 18/19 seats one rotation a day M-F service from an affluent area and with an excellent catchment..I hope it works for them:ok:

Re Oxf-EDi

Sorry Guys it will not work

Wrong A/c Wrong oute Wrong Fare

Its all been tried in the UK As the Record By Billy Paul says

Only the strong survive


Sorrry to throw a dampner on this

But this is a no goer and it depends how long they can fly the route with 1-2 Pax at 49 pounds (NOT LONG)



Regards

Re Oxf-EDi

Sorry Guys it will not work

Wrong A/c Wrong oute Wrong Fare

Its all been tried in the UK As the Record By Billy Paul says

Only the strong survive


Sorrry to throw a dampner on this

But this is a no goer and it depends how long they can fly the route with 1-2 Pax at 49 pounds (NOT LONG)



Regards

I've been doing a bit more digging into Varsity and Linksair using the Companies House website.

Varsity Express are registered as Varsity Air Services Ltd and have their registered office as an address at Canary Wharf, though they are also associated with an address in North Oxford.

Linksair have previously been known as Flintpark Ltd until 1983 and London Flight Centre (Stansted) Ltd until 2007. It appears that they may also have links with Diamond Air Charter Ltd. Does anybody know anything further about these businesses?

I've been doing a bit more digging into Varsity and Linksair using the Companies House website.

Varsity Express are registered as Varsity Air Services Ltd and have their registered office as an address at Canary Wharf, though they are also associated with an address in North Oxford.

Linksair have previously been known as Flintpark Ltd until 1983 and London Flight Centre (Stansted) Ltd until 2007. It appears that they may also have links with Diamond Air Charter Ltd. Does anybody know anything further about these businesses?