Alliance expands horizons with more Fokker 100s
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Alliance expands horizons with more Fokker 100s
Fri "The Australian"
Alliance expands horizons with more Fokker 100s
Steve Creedy
September 17, 2004
ALLIANCE Airlines, the phoenix that emerged from the ashes of Flight West in 2002, is spreading its wings and seeking opportunities in the Asia-Pacific.
The carrier is acquiring four more Rolls Royce-powered Fokker 100 jets as it continues to develop a successful niche market in contract, charter and leasing programs.
It says queries from Australia, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific point to opportunities to provide a range of services to airlines, governments and major corporations.
New services will include a 50 to 70 seat plane configured as all business class to fill a niche created by what it says are concerns by some customers about decreasing seat pitch and falling service standards.
"Eight to 10 Fokker 100s is a very comfortable ... size," says managing director Scott McMillan. "We don't need to be necessarily operating all those aircraft, just as long as we've got an interest in them.
"We do all of our heavy maintenance, all of our own line maintenance and it generally means that whole infrastructure is ticking over at a nice rate and that's what we always wanted."
Alliance signed a memorandum of understanding last year with US-based pension fund Retirement Systems of Alabama to take six former US Airways F100s.
In what McMillan says was an opportunistic move, it agreed pricing earlier this year as the market started to tighten.
Two have already been delivered and the remaining four are expected to arrive by the end of the year.
McMillan says Alliance expects to use two of the new aircraft and allocate the other two "to any project that comes along".
The acquisition comes after the privately held Brisbane company spent two years consolidating it position to arrive at the F100 as its workhorse. "We don't intend to operate any other types," McMillan says. "All of what we do is Fokker 100 related and what the Fokker 100 can't do, we don't do."
The carrier already operates F100 services to Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland for Norfolk Jet Express and runs a limited regular public transport service to Townsville.
It also has contracts with several mining companies, including WMC Resources and Exstrata, to do fly-in, fly-out operations to mines in northern Australia.
From September, it will operate what is believed to be Australia's longest fly-in, fly-out route between Brisbane and Telfer in Western Australia, via Mt Isa.
McMillan says Alliance's charters are also doing well. "(Inbound tour) groups that previously were able to fly on scheduled services are now having difficulty getting seats and we get quite a few groups through," he says.
"We'll pick them up, as an example, in Sydney, take them out to the Rock or to Alice Springs, leave them there for a few days or stay with them, and then take them to Cairns.
"We can do that quite efficiently and generally those groups are between 80 and 100 people out of western Europe.
'And we do a fair bit with the commonwealth Government, various instrumentalities moving troops and the federal police around.
"So we've been a bit busy."
One of the F100s will go to Air Niugini on a dry lease from late September to operate between Cairns, Port Moresby and Lae.
Alliance has been training Air Niugini pilots, flight attendants and engineers since December and will continue to maintain the aircraft.
"That's part of what we're about, we don't necessarily want to be the operator of the aircraft," says McMillan. "We can go in and set up people on their air operator's certificate - very much as we did with Skywest - provide the engineering support, get them up and running and provide ongoing support if it's necessary. Or if it's not, we're more than happy to ... just lease the aircraft."
==========================================
Alliance expands horizons with more Fokker 100s
Steve Creedy
September 17, 2004
ALLIANCE Airlines, the phoenix that emerged from the ashes of Flight West in 2002, is spreading its wings and seeking opportunities in the Asia-Pacific.
The carrier is acquiring four more Rolls Royce-powered Fokker 100 jets as it continues to develop a successful niche market in contract, charter and leasing programs.
It says queries from Australia, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific point to opportunities to provide a range of services to airlines, governments and major corporations.
New services will include a 50 to 70 seat plane configured as all business class to fill a niche created by what it says are concerns by some customers about decreasing seat pitch and falling service standards.
"Eight to 10 Fokker 100s is a very comfortable ... size," says managing director Scott McMillan. "We don't need to be necessarily operating all those aircraft, just as long as we've got an interest in them.
"We do all of our heavy maintenance, all of our own line maintenance and it generally means that whole infrastructure is ticking over at a nice rate and that's what we always wanted."
Alliance signed a memorandum of understanding last year with US-based pension fund Retirement Systems of Alabama to take six former US Airways F100s.
In what McMillan says was an opportunistic move, it agreed pricing earlier this year as the market started to tighten.
Two have already been delivered and the remaining four are expected to arrive by the end of the year.
McMillan says Alliance expects to use two of the new aircraft and allocate the other two "to any project that comes along".
The acquisition comes after the privately held Brisbane company spent two years consolidating it position to arrive at the F100 as its workhorse. "We don't intend to operate any other types," McMillan says. "All of what we do is Fokker 100 related and what the Fokker 100 can't do, we don't do."
The carrier already operates F100 services to Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland for Norfolk Jet Express and runs a limited regular public transport service to Townsville.
It also has contracts with several mining companies, including WMC Resources and Exstrata, to do fly-in, fly-out operations to mines in northern Australia.
From September, it will operate what is believed to be Australia's longest fly-in, fly-out route between Brisbane and Telfer in Western Australia, via Mt Isa.
McMillan says Alliance's charters are also doing well. "(Inbound tour) groups that previously were able to fly on scheduled services are now having difficulty getting seats and we get quite a few groups through," he says.
"We'll pick them up, as an example, in Sydney, take them out to the Rock or to Alice Springs, leave them there for a few days or stay with them, and then take them to Cairns.
"We can do that quite efficiently and generally those groups are between 80 and 100 people out of western Europe.
'And we do a fair bit with the commonwealth Government, various instrumentalities moving troops and the federal police around.
"So we've been a bit busy."
One of the F100s will go to Air Niugini on a dry lease from late September to operate between Cairns, Port Moresby and Lae.
Alliance has been training Air Niugini pilots, flight attendants and engineers since December and will continue to maintain the aircraft.
"That's part of what we're about, we don't necessarily want to be the operator of the aircraft," says McMillan. "We can go in and set up people on their air operator's certificate - very much as we did with Skywest - provide the engineering support, get them up and running and provide ongoing support if it's necessary. Or if it's not, we're more than happy to ... just lease the aircraft."
==========================================
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Could there be a little Singapore money behind this expansion, and an impending dive into a head to head with DJ and QF on trunk routes with full service?
I hope so.
The last remaining remnant of the East West empire would be the absolutely perfect vehicle.
Just remember Skywest management, the loco still has all the East coast schedules that worked locked inside his head, and would be more than glad to share. 1800 067207 during business hours. 0419 323989 after hours. Hell - I built some of the schedules.
I do not think Skywest have a vague clue how many Agents would very quickly climb aboard given fair levels of remuneration, a full service airline and a viable schedule.
It aint that hard guys.
Go for it.
Best all
EWL
I hope so.
The last remaining remnant of the East West empire would be the absolutely perfect vehicle.
Just remember Skywest management, the loco still has all the East coast schedules that worked locked inside his head, and would be more than glad to share. 1800 067207 during business hours. 0419 323989 after hours. Hell - I built some of the schedules.
I do not think Skywest have a vague clue how many Agents would very quickly climb aboard given fair levels of remuneration, a full service airline and a viable schedule.
It aint that hard guys.
Go for it.
Best all
EWL
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East west Loco,
What are you smoking dude!
It says-
"ALLIANCE Airlines, the phoenix that emerged from the ashes of Flight West in 2002, is spreading its wings and seeking opportunities in the Asia-Pacific."
Flight West
Not Skywest, boofhead.
" says he in his politest manner."
Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey
What are you smoking dude!
It says-
"ALLIANCE Airlines, the phoenix that emerged from the ashes of Flight West in 2002, is spreading its wings and seeking opportunities in the Asia-Pacific."
Flight West
Not Skywest, boofhead.
" says he in his politest manner."Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey
Last edited by dirtylittlefokker; 20th Sep 2004 at 13:24.
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Fokker - I may well have been beer challenged when I typed that.
Most probably indeed.
Bottom line is give me an up and coming airline providing full service and support for Travel Agents ( a route agency would be nice too) and I will throw every kilo of my not inconsiderable weight behind them in a second, and will drag bucketloads of support in my wake.
BRING IT AWN!!!!!!!!!!
I think it is actually "softly softly catchee monkee" but the sentiment is exactly the same - and very very Singapeuran too!
EWL
Most probably indeed.
Bottom line is give me an up and coming airline providing full service and support for Travel Agents ( a route agency would be nice too) and I will throw every kilo of my not inconsiderable weight behind them in a second, and will drag bucketloads of support in my wake.
BRING IT AWN!!!!!!!!!!
I think it is actually "softly softly catchee monkee" but the sentiment is exactly the same - and very very Singapeuran too!
EWL
