Niceair
 

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....0880b8a521.png


A new airline starting flights between London and Akureyri, Iceland, from 3rd June 2022.

They will use Airbus A319 aircraft.

1---5-- STN/AEY 12:45/14:45
1---5-- AEY/STN 07:45/11:45

The is Thorvaldur Ludvik Sigurjonsson, the managing director of local airline Circle Air, who has a recent "history"...

Going to Manchester as well twice a week also Mon and Fri so would presume an afternoon flight

Is that the same bloke running it who had been to prison a few years ago or am I mistaken? Was tempted to book a flight with them, but slightly apprehensive to do so

It is the same person

Ah may see how they do first then

Leasing in the A319.

There is a lengthy article about Niceair at an Icelandic aviation blog at
https://flugblogg.is/2022/03/21/why-...nefit-from-it/

Many will have read about Niceair having "issues" with the CAA around their flying between Akureyri in Iceland and London Stansted. If interested, the main business newspaper in Iceland has some good coverage (Google Translate works well) - https://www.frettabladid.is/tags/niceair/
You can also read an English language blog about Icelandic aviation at https://flugblogg.is/

It seems that to satisfy the post-Brexit bilateral, one needs a UK or Iceland based airline to fly between Iceland and the UK - a wet lease from an EU carrier seems to attract too many queries from the CAA. I realise Niceair probably don't have the cash to lease in another aircraft, but if they did have the cash, which airlines have suitable aircraft to fly 1,000 nm over a lot of sea and might be interested in operating a wet lease for Akureyri - London ?
Icelandair wouldn't want to help a competitor, while BA, Easyjet, TUI and Wizz UK are all struggling to operate their own schedules, Jet2 are leasing in aircraft from other airlines, Eastern haven't got anything with the range, and I can't see Ryanair UK being interested.
So potentially what airline in the UK or Iceland has suitable available aircraft, and would be interested in doing some regular passenger wet leases between London and Akureyri without demanding a huge pile of gold ? Loganair ? Titan ? Anybody else ?

In the absence of a suitable airline, is the CAA (or DfT) able to grant an exemption to a bilateral to allow an EU-based airline to fly the route as a wet lease instead ?

Does Eastern still have the E190? That would work.

This para from the flugblogg.is post seems to sugest it is a HiFly issue - why else would the authorisation be revoked?

Given that there is plenty of ACMI flying available in the UK and Europe this summer, not sure why anybody would want to get involved?

Niceair has ceased operations as apperently Avolon repo’ed the A319 from HiFly. According to Niceair, not seen anything from HiFly.

As of today the A319 is parked at Apron B at NOC. Not sure if it's being serviced or scrapped (there is an airplane scrappage facility at that location). It may feature in the background of some POTUS related TV coverage later this week as he will be flying in and out of the airport and possibly also using Apron B.

9H-XFW seems to be flying about happily for the last week on behalf of Air Malta, still operated by HiFly.

So that would suggest any outstanding payments on the lease are settled.

There was clearly more to the story, HiFly alleged breach of contract on Niceair's part.

Whatever the truth XF is back in the air for HiFly and there is radio silence from Niceair.

Here is an article from www.visir.is (Google translation):

Þorvaldur Lúðvík Sigurjónsson, founder and managing director of Niceair, says he has put his life and soul into the airline. Its fall can best be attributed to "fraudulent transactions of a foreign partner." This chapter is now over.

"Dear friends. It has become clear that it was not possible to save what was left of Niceair after many weeks of life rowing. The board found itself forced to file for bankruptcy. I tried my hardest to get investors for the project and save what could be saved, take a step back to take off this winter or next spring. The estimated cost of that waiting game ran at 90-135 [million]. Then it would have to be refinanced when flights would start on new terms," says Þorvaldur Lúðvík in a post on Facebook.

Two things happened
He says that a lot of work has been put into talking to investors outside the traditional shareholder group, but the answer has usually been something like this: "You must sort it out yourself in the north." It obviously didn't work out.

"In general, flying around Akureyri went well and the plans assumed a balance in the operation in 2023, as Britain would be added this fall. It turned out that flying through Akureyri is feasible. Niceair suffered two major setbacks: There were no flight permits from the partner (HiFly) between Iceland and Great Britain (2022). The same partner most recently defaulted on the machine's owner, Avolon, which ended up confiscating the machine (2023)," he adds.

He believes that the damage primarily fell on Niceair, as it was the only aircraft the company had at its disposal. Without the plane, according to the nature of the matter, no income came into the company.

Investor interest waned
Þorvalður adds that the board has been looking for more funding in the last few months, and the Swedish National Development Agency has, among other things, offered to help. When HiFly lost the plane, the plans came to naught; planeless company with passengers all over the world at Easter.

"There was no way to get another machine at that time, or later. There is now significant excess demand for aircraft and rental prices have risen sharply, which perhaps explains the game that later ensued when HiFly failed to pay for "our" aircraft. "After we no longer had possession of 'our' machine, which the leasing company took out of their hands, the interest of investors dried up."

He says it is very difficult to think that the public and shareholders have suffered financial losses.

"It is also heavy to see behind your workplace and colleagues, at the same time that it will be the final result that my dream, and that of many others, is over. I had passion and heart for this project, but the reasons for failure can mostly be attributed to the fraudulent business of our foreign partner, which made it impossible for us to continue, although mistakes were obviously made here at home as well. I put my life and soul, immeasurable sweat and sleepless nights into making this happen."

Þorvalður Lúðvík ends the post with just a few words: "This chapter is over for me."

https://www.visir.is/g/20232417589d/...lokid-hja-mer-

Good excuses. The aircraft was not "confiscated", it's still flying with HiFly to this day. It's not hard to find another aircraft either as dozens of A319s are listed as stored/parked. Getting an AOC however is another matter...

Would be kind of ironic if another airline has seen the potential of Akureyri and was shortly to announce flights there for this winter...

Ironic indeed... but who do you propose could make this work ? Norlandair ? SAS ?

I reckon EZY could make a fist of it from a couple of their larger bases such as LGW.

Would Easyjet do a W route from maybe LGW or BER via CPH ? Or do Easyjet have or plan to have an aircraft that spend some nights of the week in CPH ?
Or might this be a way for Sunclass, Novair, Jettime, TUI Nordic or even Braathens to get some winter utility out an aircraft ?

No just out and back from LGW