View Full Version : UKJet
TJ747
10th Apr 2006, 21:22
Hi Guys,
Anyone able to shed any light on a new start up called UKJet. Be interesting to see what they have planned etc etc.
Hope someone can help.
Many Thx
TJ747
irishcc
11th Apr 2006, 09:52
UK Jet is the brand name of the Sky Wings ( Athens based) MD83 being leased to Excel Airways, primarily for the EMA flights.
a bristolian
11th Apr 2006, 18:09
SX-BSW arrived @BRS a few minutes ago from Istanbul.
Smart UK Jet logo down the side.
A/c based @BRS until end of the month b4 going to EMA I think
Call Established
11th Apr 2006, 19:29
Understand this is an ex VIK machine possible SE-RDF or similar. Has been transfered to a "management comany" in Greece and re-registered. (I suspect to get rid of any debt and the bad name it had at EMA last year ?)
Will be EMA based for S06 together with a BMI A320 to make two units flying for Excel.
Ranger 1
11th Apr 2006, 21:30
If I can remember correctly the Debt stays with the Aircraft regardless who owns or operates it even if its re-registered.
TJ747
11th Apr 2006, 23:04
Hi Guys,
Many Thx for all the replies there. Sounds an interesting setup. Anybody got any pictures of the plane at all.
Cheers
TJ747
Call Established
12th Apr 2006, 09:13
Hi Ranger,
You could well be right! I know Excel will provide the cabin crew for this operation. Seems strange why it did not stay with Viking on the SE reg? I know the whole operation was bad last year in NEMA when Scandic was involved...........
Regards
Indeed, Air Scandic caused a major mess at NEMA last year with unpaid debts left both to the airport authority and Servisair. The company whose offices were in Jersey, refused to acknowledge correspondance from passengers and on some occasions simply wouldnīt pick the phone up to anyone from the airport. SCY flights were a running joke up at the airport for their delays, and whilst itīs sad to see an airline go under, Scandic were an absolute joke, taking on more contracts than they could feasibly operate. UKJet has something to do with Excel using one MD-83 leased from Viking. Viking were responsible for the two SCY aircraft at EMA last year, alongside a melange of European airlines bringing in 757s. Shame Excel couldnīt have just brought us a 737!
md80forum
17th Apr 2006, 11:06
It's ex-Viking SE-RDH. Looks like this:
www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5707693
I feel some delays coming on......:bored:
So do UKJet have there own operation staff/base or is it run entirely by XLA
I think they have there own arrangements and are merely operating for XLA, ie I cant imagine they have trained XLA staff for the MD-83 just for the summer
So are they operating on VIK AOC using the name UkJet?
UKJet will be operating this MD-83 on the Viking AOC under the brand name UKJet on behalf of Excel Airways. Not sure if flight crews will call them UKJet or Excel, but we will be announcing flights on the ground as "Excel Airways flight XLA..." and not mentioning the UKJet name. It seems a similar setup to "Greece Airways-Air Scotland" with UK bases but all administration in Greece.
It is to my bewilderment why EMA, where this aircraft will be based, is to be allowed back. Whilst Viking have a clear credit history to the best of my knowledge, this arrangement stinks of the Air Scandic operating for Excel deal that caused the airport a small financial hole last year. Never mind the headaches it caused with ridiculously long delays and poor communication. As nice as it is to see diversity of destinations & airlines, I wish Excel would base their own aircraft or find a well known brand like Air Atlanta or Air Malta to do these flights.
Well after that pessimistic rant we'll see how things go.
If their website is anything to go by- its not very confidence inspiring.
Im always a bit wary of a .net website for some reason.:eek:
"Freedom Flights- I would like to change my booking...."
jmc757
18th Apr 2006, 18:47
UKJet will be operating this MD-83 on the Viking AOC under the brand name UKJet on behalf of Excel Airways. Not sure if flight crews will call them UKJet or Excel, but we will be announcing flights on the ground as "Excel Airways flight XLA..." and not mentioning the UKJet name. It seems a similar setup to "Greece Airways-Air Scotland" with UK bases but all administration in Greece.
It is to my bewilderment why EMA, where this aircraft will be based, is to be allowed back. Whilst Viking have a clear credit history to the best of my knowledge, this arrangement stinks of the Air Scandic operating for Excel deal that caused the airport a small financial hole last year. Never mind the headaches it caused with ridiculously long delays and poor communication. As nice as it is to see diversity of destinations & airlines, I wish Excel would base their own aircraft or find a well known brand like Air Atlanta or Air Malta to do these flights.
Well after that pessimistic rant we'll see how things go.
It all seems a quite involved mess - and sadly I think the people who will end up with the raw end of the deal are passengers who have spent hard earned cash on an annual holiday that may well be ruined by a tech fiasco (remember last year).
I'm sorry, but am I the only one who thinks this arrangement just seems dodgy? Why couldn't an operation the size of Excel/Atlanta just lease in an aircraft for the summer to operate alongside the rest of the Excel fleet. A type that is already common to them (737), could either be wet lease or dry, paint Excel Airways on it and hey presto. Atlanta could arrange something like that in their sleep.
Instead we have a lone aircraft type (that already has history), with an operational base in Greece, operating for Excel Airways, with a name down the side of it that seems to bear absolutely no relevance at all (flights are being sold as "Excel Scheduled").
All just seems a bit weird, who is gaining from this?
Banzai Eagle
18th Apr 2006, 21:27
jmc757
Its all down to cost , lease in the aircraft for the summer, make lodsa money and dont worry what time the flights go. Guess aircraft availability a problem these days for 6 months so re reg and bring in under a different name. No real problem because they wont have any repeat pax from last years debacle. Just wonder how the tour operators using excel will cope
TJ747
18th Apr 2006, 22:17
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,
Im not sure how excel are selling the flight to the Tour Ops but if they are selling them as xla flights then i bet the tour ops are thinking they will have an xla a/c, not some leased md83 to viking which is flying for xla but rebranded as UKJet.
Excel must have some confidence in the MD80 operator otherwise they gonna have alot of unhappy Tour Ops, i know i would be if I was a tour op, but then again, commercial are just money hungry buggers, i dont blame them but xla cant afford to p**s tour ops off as they wont come back and xla's repuation will soon spread round as a bad one.
But then again, Scandic went on for quite a few years, look at what ****e they had every year yet they still managed to get the tour ops to take on allocations of seats.
Aviation for you eh, sometimes i do wonder.
Cheers
Call Established
19th Apr 2006, 11:23
Interesting -If you book a flight for winter 06 it shows as it reverting back to VIK flight numbers......not XLA.
HJupiter
26th Apr 2006, 16:45
My first post here, I'm also from the East Midlands.
I have mixed feelings about this set-up myself.
From a spotters/photographers perspective, it is nice news I suppose, I certainly enjoyed seeing SE-RDH (SX-BSW) at EMA last year, aswell as TF-JXC.
I am too suprised how this Aircraft has managed to fly some other place than EMA for the Winter, then get itself a new contract and come back to EMA for Summer 2006. This new UKJet operation seems very similar to Air Scandic from last year, which caused many delays and must have annoyed many passengers. If passengers re-book again after last year, it is quite weird to think they could be on the same Aircraft they were on last year!
SX-BSW arrived @BRS a few minutes ago from Istanbul.
Yep, SE-RDH has been operating for Aero Asia International (http://www.plane-spotters.net/Aviation_Photos/photo.show?id=017593) over the winter it appears.
I am sure there are going to be a few people at EMA who are going to be a little disgruntled by this news. Heres hoping for smoother flights than last year.
Oh, and does anyone have a website for this Airline by any chance?
HJupiter