The return of WOW Air

[Plane.Silly]

Interesting development from Iceland, where Former WOW air management are look to re-establish a LCC to replace WOW.

Already applying for an AOC and hoping to start before the end of 2019.
Ironic that they have called it WAB (meaning We Are Back), albeit temporary

https://simpleflying.com/wow-air-replacement/

[Meester proach]

WOW, indeed.

Have another go, why not ? It went so well last time.

[MCDU2]

Sounds like another undercapitalised LCC ready to go just in time for winter. Good luck when MOL dumps 5 buck tickets for a month to see them off.

[racedo]

Sounds like another undercapitalised LCC ready to go just in time for winter. Good luck when MOL dumps 5 buck tickets for a month to see them off.

WOW not a Ryanair competitor so why bother.

[Maoraigh1]

From the Icelandic Review Online
" The Irish investment fund Avianta Capital has committed 5 billion ISK (35m €, 39.2m $) towards new shares. Avianta receives a 75% share in WAB air in return. The investment fund is owned by Aislinn Whittley-Ryan, the daughter of one of the owners of low-fare airline Ryanair. "

[RudderTrimZero]

IN-TER-ESTING....

[oceancrosser]

This is already history. There is a whole new lot of bs going on.
https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2019/07/12/will_americans_resurrect_wow_air/

[Falcon666]

This is already history. There is a whole new lot of bs going on.
https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2019/07/12/will_americans_resurrect_wow_air/



Reading that report the first name that came to mind was Indigo

[Maoraigh1]

Iceland Review Online, today 16/7/2019:
"WAB may be well prepared for take off, but it appears the company will face competition. An anonymous American investor has purchased WOW air’s former property, including the now-bankrupt airline’s equipment, trademark, and logo. The unknown buyer is reported to have decades of experience in airline operation in the US and elsewhere."

[Hotel Tango]

But it may not be competition at all. He might want to form an airline called WOW based in the USA and have nothing to do with Iceland.

[booze]

The only reasonable revival of WOW within Indigo can only happen with the complete exclusion of Icelandic regulations, labour law, unions, etc. Now the only way to that is transferring pax between Wizz and Frontier flights in KEF. Having an airline based in Iceland, run by Icelanders and employing Icelandic labour would be too expensive, thus not competitive.

[FO.Airbus]

Maybe those who bought the leftovers of WOW did it as a complete deal. WOW’s stock of sparepart were getting quite big and maybe they bought the rest for “pocketmoney” to stop others (The new WAB air) from buying it and getting a headstart?

Maybe Indigo have plans to launch longhaul from Luton? At Luton Wizzair UK have a 40% marketshare.

Everything on Iceland is too expensive to be operating an airline as lowcost.

[Jack D]

Maybe those who bought the leftovers of WOW did it as a complete deal. WOW’s stock of sparepart were getting quite big and maybe they bought the rest for “pocketmoney” to stop others (The new WAB air) from buying it and getting a headstart?

Maybe Indigo have plans to launch longhaul from Luton? At Luton Wizzair UK have a 40% marketshare.

Everything on Iceland is too expensive to be operating an airline as lowcost.

Latest word on the street is that a Chinese investor has splashed out and invested in the company .. a Mr.
Tan apparently ?0

[standbykid]

Cardiff City's Mr Tan...?
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/460x750/tumblr_inline_pk95icivwv1ryfaxj_540_8924f12225d3c9fb437370b3 f7a5a01b9381eda3.jpg

[oceancrosser]

Hardly, Mr.Tan just bought 75% of Icelandair Hotels.

[Jack D]

Hardly, Mr.Tan just bought 75% of Icelandair Hotels.

Icelandic papers reporting he’s also one of the investors behind purchase of Wow ... some dodgy bank associations also mentioned .. I guess nothing really changes ...

[booze]

Regardless whether the news about WOW coming back are true or not, is there really a future for these stopover flights via Iceland? Air Transat and TAP are already flying across the Atlantic with their Neo LR-s. JetBlue is about to start and many more to follow, I'm sure. Setting up a new company based on this model is unwise, IMHO. However, making a buck on the model while it can last (see my post above about WZZ/Frontier) would make sense if it's done by established operator(s).

[PilotRoger]

When Indigo was considering WOW, it really seemed a nice plan to have WOW for the transatlantics and WIZZ for Europe.

For what is true, there is a clear hole in that market, Iceland Air can't cover it, in fact they are suffering to maintain their own ops., so i guess is matter of time until a new operator shows up.

[Plane.Silly]

Regardless whether the news about WOW coming back are true or not, is there really a future for these stopover flights via Iceland? Air Transat and TAP are already flying across the Atlantic with their Neo LR-s. JetBlue is about to start and many more to follow, I'm sure. Setting up a new company based on this model is unwise, IMHO. However, making a buck on the model while it can last (see my post above about WZZ/Frontier) would make sense if it's done by established operator(s).

I'd definately agree with you on this. The only benefit to the new operator at the moment is the lack of the obsoleting aircraft. While the A321LR and Max's (assuming they come back) can just about make the stopover redundent, it's the next level aircraft that would seal Icelands fate:
The A321XLR is still 2/3 years away, and the Boeing 797 still hasn't been announced, which would be in service no earlier than 2026,

Therefore you could make hay while the sun shines and get a good few years of operation in before interest starts to wean off.

[bafanguy]

FYI:

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/80162-us-businesswoman-outlines-plans-to-resurrect-wow-air

[booze]

Deal is delayed until further notice, according to Icelandic media.

[Plane.Silly]

Deal is delayed until further notice, according to Icelandic media.

there are 2 potential deals in play, the first, dubbed WAB air is still in with a chance on an asset sale, but the other, led by the US Oasis Aviation Group hasn't been paying the required fees and the sale has been cancelled

https://simpleflying.com/wow-air-revival-cancelled/

[Maoraigh1]

https://www.icelandreview.com/news/new-wow-air-to-transport-cargo-before-passengers/