Another new regional: Big Sky

[FL CH]

The October issue of Australian Aviation says the new regional airline operating from IVL and GDH to SY will be called Big Sky Express. The airline will be operating a Metro 23 and is linked with Transair in QLD. I wonder if they will offer "Jimbo" a job, he did a good job flying the PA31 in Big Sky.

Another new regional mentioned is Elite Airways, who are planning on operating PA31's from BN to TWB. Anyone know who they are?

[23 Metros In a Row]

Nah, but the old Chief Pilot makes a better Inspector than Captain!

Good luck to them, lets hope they do better than their namesake if its true

[VIS9999]

Elite Airways is purely a charter company with no plans to go RPT. Offer charter from TWB.

[Whats the goss]

Rumour has it, that Big Sky is no longer operational. Not making enough $. Has any one ells got any news?

[Timbo78']

I just got off the phone to some one that works for the company and he said that the company was still running just fine. and in fact that the loads were quite good.

[tobzalp]

Aaaaah Lexi and her globes of perfection. Sniff. Good days.

[Timbo78']

What the hell does that mean???

[tobzalp]

go watch a rerun of the series. You will work it out:ok:

[Timbo78']

well I'm not that a keen fan but now I see.... Cheers:cool:

[Big Sky Matt]

Hello, I was the bloke Timbo above was talking about. People like "Whats the Goss" should have at least 10 percent of truth in what they are going to muck rake before making such blatently incorrect statements. It makes you look like an absolute Tosser, when you can be dispelled in a second. At least if 10 percent was truth you'd have a fraction of credibility. For "Whats the goss" comment to be true the following wouldn't be fact. I am still on the payroll, all the other crew still getting paid handsomely and we are carrying pax with good loadings. I can assure you this is fact. Shame on you and you tall poppy syndrome.

[Timbo78']

Fire up Matty, don't hold back. I think that some people put those kind of posts just to get a rise out of people, whitch seems to have worked.... Stay cool Matty:cool:

[Beer Can Dreaming]

Very true Matt but then again you are the one working for a company that has been ineptly named after a failed and third-rate television series !

I hope your company does better than its television namesake.

[Highbypasss]

I too miss "sexy Lexi". She had the whole bit happenin'. ;)

.....................................................H.:cool :

[Swanrider]

If BigSky is on their toes they might get going on the Cooma runs over winter, while it's there, now Smackair have pulled out.
Would be a great way to utilise those mid-day hours possibly.:ok:

[Utradar]

It sound like we're getting a little bit too technical with pax load numbers in this case and to make any speculation without the facts would make anyone look stupid. Obviously the loads will go up and down, fluctuating in this dynamic industry but it sounds like their loads are good at the moment and with other opportunites around the corner, as Swanrider has mentioned, the future doesn't look too shabby. As with any new company, there is always 'teething problems' as they sort out which routes are most profitable. I think any company that changes it plans in the right way are doing it proactively as to obtain the best outcome. So might be an idea not to comment negatively too early but to wish them the best of luck instead. :ok:

[apache]

Hate to be a nit picker, but....

Load factor is really irrelevant without cost per seat.

ie if you were to charge $20 per seat per sector, and fly at 100% Load Factor, then , on a metro, you would make $380 per sector.

If however you charged $200 per seat, then to make the same amount of money, you would need 1.9 pax (call it two) per sector....

By the same logic, if you charge $500 per seat/sector, then with 2 pax you are making $1000, with a load factor of 10.5 %

The metro is a money making machine! Typical loads of 5 or 6 will see you make money, based on NORMAL / reasonable airfares!

Good luck to them... No one else flies that route, and it just means more jobs for us.

[Full Noise]

I can't see how any one would want to fly with Big Sky from Coona in a Baron to Inver to catch a Metro down to Sydn when they could drive to Tamw and jump on a Dash 8 direct to Sydn for what is prob fraction of the price. Wouldn't they be better off losing the metro and just running a light twin out of Coona and a light twin out of Inver or just running the one from Inver via Coona to Syd. Its just a thought.......... I wouldn't want to see a company go arse up after such a short time. And from what I understand the Rumour about Big Sky not doing so well was from senior personel....

[Farknel]

I have often wondered if it's possible to make money with a smaller turboprop such as a Cessna Conquest.

O'connors have operated them in S.A. in the past (may even still have one) and while it may not have the pax appeal of a bigger a/c such as the Metro (or B1900), it's fast and pressurised - it would have to be better than putting the punters in a Chieftain (or similar).

Just my thoughts - does anyone else have anything to add?

Fark!

[Whats the goss]

Fark!!
I agree with you. For a run such as this they need a smaller A/C. May be a C-404 would be a good choice (good size good pay load) and would run at a fraction of the cost of a metro or conquest with the same size of the conquest for pax comfort....:ok:

[Whats the goss]

Big sky must be doing well, I hear that a 2nd metro is on the way, and a new route!! Any more news out there?????

[noflow]

Can't you blokes come up with more original airline names? There is a SkyWest in the US and someone starts a SKyWest down under. There is a well established Metro operator named Big Sky Airlines headquartered in Montana or Idaho and now there will be another one in OZ.

Just kidding guys.