Buster Hyman
10th May 2004, 23:01
By Scott Rochfort
Sydney
May 11, 2004
Qantas subsidiary Jetstar yesterday boasted it had pulled off the most successful launch of a low-cost airline ever, despite the airline still being two weeks away from its first scheduled service.
At the delayed unveiling of the first repainted ex-Impulse Boeing 717 yesterday, chief executive Alan Joyce said: "We had the most successful launch of any low-cost carrier, we believe, in the history of aviation."
Asked how one could measure the success of an airline that was yet to fly, Mr Joyce said it was based on the 98,000 bookings Jetstar's website had on the day of its launch in February, which he said was a world record for any start-up low-cost airline.
"Navitaire, who are people that give us the reservation system, host a whole series of airlines.
"They gave us a plaque to celebrate that we were the most successful launch airline in their history, and they are the reservation system that hosts carriers like JetBlue, they host Ryanair, they have EasyJet as a customer, they have Virgin Blue as a customer."
But Virgin Blue's head of communications David Huttner said Mr Joyce's claims of the success of the Jetstar launch were misleading, referring to the $100 million and fleet of 717s set aside in setting up the airline.
"If you were gifted 14 aircraft that moved out of a mother fleet you would have some success.
"For a rooster that is yet to fly, he (Alan Joyce) is doing a lot of crowing," said Mr Huttner.
"If you were gifted 14 aircraft that moved out of a mother fleet you would have some success"
Or a couple of 733's from EU...or the collapse of one of the incumbents...or the sudden availability of prime terminal space...:rolleyes: ;)
Sydney
May 11, 2004
Qantas subsidiary Jetstar yesterday boasted it had pulled off the most successful launch of a low-cost airline ever, despite the airline still being two weeks away from its first scheduled service.
At the delayed unveiling of the first repainted ex-Impulse Boeing 717 yesterday, chief executive Alan Joyce said: "We had the most successful launch of any low-cost carrier, we believe, in the history of aviation."
Asked how one could measure the success of an airline that was yet to fly, Mr Joyce said it was based on the 98,000 bookings Jetstar's website had on the day of its launch in February, which he said was a world record for any start-up low-cost airline.
"Navitaire, who are people that give us the reservation system, host a whole series of airlines.
"They gave us a plaque to celebrate that we were the most successful launch airline in their history, and they are the reservation system that hosts carriers like JetBlue, they host Ryanair, they have EasyJet as a customer, they have Virgin Blue as a customer."
But Virgin Blue's head of communications David Huttner said Mr Joyce's claims of the success of the Jetstar launch were misleading, referring to the $100 million and fleet of 717s set aside in setting up the airline.
"If you were gifted 14 aircraft that moved out of a mother fleet you would have some success.
"For a rooster that is yet to fly, he (Alan Joyce) is doing a lot of crowing," said Mr Huttner.
"If you were gifted 14 aircraft that moved out of a mother fleet you would have some success"
Or a couple of 733's from EU...or the collapse of one of the incumbents...or the sudden availability of prime terminal space...:rolleyes: ;)