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Early last year, for example, budget airline
Primera Air took a gamble in expanding
its business out of Scandinavia to include
long-haul routes from London Stansted and
Birmingham to the US. However, by October
it had collapsed entirely, leaving passengers
stranded because it hadn’t secured long-
term financing. Fierce competition in the
transatlantic market proved too tough for
the airline, despite the success it had observed
its low-cost competitor Norwegian having in
this arena.
Other airlines that met their end recently
include Russia’s Saratov Airlines, Cypriot low-
cost start-up Cobalt, regional airline Jet Go
Australia, US regional carrier California Pacific
Airlines and Nigerian flag carrier Nigeria Air, the
last of these after only a few months.
Then, in January, it was announced that, at
just over a year old, Air France’s “millennial-
oriented” subsidiary, Joon, would be shut down.
“The brand was difficult to understand from
the outset for customers, for employees, for
markets and for investors,” Air France stated.
Still, not everyone is being put off. Japan
Airlines ( JAL) is setting up an as-yet-unnamed
low-cost airline for 2020 that will be based
out of Tokyo Narita and will ply medium- and
long-haul routes to Asia, the Americas and
Europe. Two B787-8s are being assigned to the
carrier, which will receive 10-20 billion yen
(£71 million-£141 million) in funding from
JAL. Japan Airlines has also invested US$10
million in a new supersonic airline called
Overture, which is being developed by Boom
Supersonic in the US. (Branson is backing it,
too.) If that gets off the ground, it really will be
something special.
Here are a dozen new and forthcoming
airlines (including one all-business class
endeavour) that are attempting to capture their
own corner of the skies...- BAMBOO AIRWAYS
This Vietnamese airline,
which started operations in
January,wantstobea“five-
star airline operating both
domestic and international
routes”. This year it will have
20 A320s – next year these will be joined by 20 A321 Neos
and 20 B787-9s. Three fare classes – Eco, Plus and Business
- offer varying degrees of generosity in regard to luggage
allowance, seat selection and booking changes. Initially it
is flying domestic routes, connecting Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh
City and Da Nang with other leisure destinations in the
country, but from 2021 Bamboo hopes to add flights to
the US and Europe.bambooairways.com
- AIR ITALY
Founded in February last
year, this private Italian
airline is owned by AQA
Holding, in which Qatar
Airwaysrecentlyboughta
49 per cent stake. Formerly
known as Meridiana, of which
the original Air Italy was a
subsidiary (the two merged in 2013), it was rebranded
as Air Italy last year, debuting new domestic routes from
Milan to Rome and Naples, as well as long-haul services
to New York and Miami. From next month it will serve
Los Angeles and San Francisco, and from May Toronto. Its
fleet features three B737 MAXs, seven B737 NGs and five
A330-200s. Travellers will find 24 angled lie-flat business
class seats on board.airitaly.com - FRENCH BEE
Based at Paris Orly, this low-cost long-haul carrier takes
passengers to Réunion island, Tahiti, San Francisco and
the Dominican Republic. It offers economy and Premium
classes, the latter of which is essentially an economy seat
with lumbar support, two extra inches of width and four
extra inches of legroom. One for holidaymakers rather
than business travellers.frenchbee.com
AVIATION
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