Pluto Airlines
 

I was wondering if anyone from the Sandpit might be able to shed a little light on this new carrier. Apart from a couple of web news stories and a recent article in Flight International, there does not seem to be a lot of info on this new outfit.

Does anyone know if they are looking for crew and I would appreciate it if anyone could share a name and address, fax or e-mail address to write to, with regards to recruitment.

Finally I heard that Pluto wanted to have the word 'Sharjah' as part of its corporate name, however one news article stated that only the State airline of Sharjah has the privilege to include Sharjah as part of its brand name. The article explained that a State carrier was in the pipeline.

Is all this news as encouraging as it sounds?

Cheers

MG

MG,

Check your e-mail

BB

Pluto Airlines is the first private airline (as opposed to state flag carrier) in the United Arab Emirate of Sharjah. Pluto's launch was delayed by the events of Sept 11th, but using a single Boeing 737 it will now begin operating flights from Sharjah to Senegal. The airline plans to expand services to Iran, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

Senegal???? Why Senegal? whats the connection with Sharjah? I would have thought that they would just start "slave" flights across to the sub-continent.

Cheers

Mutt.

[email protected]

Forget it, it's a non event.

Best regards,
A.V.

Does not sound like a non event according to the press (esp when they intend to start 763 ops SHJ-ISB-MAN!!!)? Care to share some info Aerovision?

Cheers

MG

Hi Geezer, how are you today?

Here goes.

First the "big picture"
Every six months or so here in this part of the world a start up being it pax or cargo, pops up. Press conference, interviews in newspapers, articles in FI-ACN and the likes, websites opened etc. The works. Then, it slides into silence and finally dissapears.
Mostly for one of two reasons.
One, the owners /initiaters have no appreciation whatsoever on running an airline, let alone start up one. The misconception is, they think it's an easy money maker. After the initial eufory the reality sets in that money can not buy everything, not even here.
The project dies, and a few millions are written off.
Two, the typical conman comes around,( a lot of them here),and talkes the wealthy local into the airline venture. Aircraft is leased/purchased, but failing any other substance, the project dies, conman dissapears with a million bucks and the sheikh hates aviation ever since.

The factual parameters on Pluto,
There is no AOC
There are no traffic rights
There are no aircraft
There is no crew
Claiming ISB-MAN via SHA is a joke to every aviation insider.
Plan circulated now is OBBI-ORBS with TU154.

Geezer, if you are in the aviation business, you can now take your own conclusions.

With best regards
A.V.

Aerovision - Thanks for taking the time to clarify what is going on with Pluto! :)

Sorry if my tone appeared to be a bit aggressive in my previous post. I could not understand how it was a non - event when FI was painting such a rosy picture. However thanks for putting your side of the story across. It sounds as if it is an airline barely alive!

Rgds

MG

Will it be the usual;Guns,dope,prostitutesand Diamonds in transit??

more news
 

From the UAE "Gulf News"(21/10):

"Pluto Airlines, Sharjah's first private airline, has entered into a joint venture with Hornbill Skyways of Sarawak State in Malaysia to operate charter flights between Europe and Malaysia.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last Monday opens new avenues between Sarawak and Sharjah to promote tourism and trade. The agreement was signed by Mohammed Ramo, commercial manager of Pluto Airlines, and Aidan Wing, general manager of Hornbill Skyways.

Also present on the occasion were Sheikh Fahem bin Mohammed Khalid Al Qasimi, owner of Pluto Airline; Sheikha Sayed bint Saqr Al Qasimi, managing director of the airline; and Abdul Taib bin Moham-med, Chief Minister of Sarawak State.

Sheikha Sayed said the airline would operate scheduled charter flights, one each from Amsterdam, Barcelona and Berlin to Malaysia.

"The joint venture would also facilitate us in our operation within Malaysia. We hope to start this operation from January next year," she said, adding that some European flights to Malaysia would also be operated via Sharjah providing two-night stopovers.

She said the airline would also start four weekly chartered flights from Sharjah to Khar-toum following an agreement with the authorities in Sudan.

In addition,it would launch its operations in the GCC countries (except Saudi Arabia). "We have also got landing rights in Egypt, Beirut, Malaysia, Colombo and Iran," she added.

She said the main objective of starting the airline from Sharjah was to provide convenient travel facilities to residents of the emirate, and to promote the emirate as a tourist destination.

The airline currently has three European aircraft and hopes to get an MD-11 in the near future. "We are growing gradually according to market demand," she said.

Abdul Taib bin Mohammed said the agreement would help promote tourism and business in both states."

Ok, this is all good and well, but the airline has not started any sort of operations out of SHJ yet. First it was going to be March, than July, and now next year. According to different articles around the place the airlines fleet consisted of:

1x A320
1x A310
1x Tu-154!!!!!!!

These are not rumoured articles, but genuine aviation news. Another report in a few news groups, including Flight international indicated that the airline would operate a B767 from Karachi via Sharjah to Manchester.

The anouncement in the Gulf News in March said the airline was going to operate a single B737 on visa run flights to Muscat, and then inaugurate flights to Kartoum.

Now they say they already have 3 western aircraft and are looking to start flights all over the place and aquire MD 11s.

The above information was given from Pluto Airlines itself and everything just seems completely bizzar. I am all for the new carrier out of Sharjah. However it seems to me like it will be another Air Gulf Falcon/Gulf Falcon/ Spirit of Africa job.

Cheers

Well, this all sounds very interesting, but seeing is believing!
I've read the articles in the Gulf news and Flight and have decided to take it as usual, with a pinch of salt! (..whatever happened to that airline AIR ILLIYA or something like that!?)
By the way, how is the construction of the airport at Ajman going?

F-S