Morning all,
After the recent closures due to snow in the NE USA and what seems like most of Western Europe, it seems as if a rapid increase in capacity could be used to clear to backlog. My idea, is to start an airline called Emergency Air using 744 and 77W aircraft that can be chartered by airlines like BA or UACO to clear backlogs at EWR and LHR. For example, LHR closes on monday @ 1200UTC and will reopen @ 1200 UTC on WED. BA has stranded PAX at IAH and needs to get them to LHR and due to clogs at LHR, no plane is on the ground in IAH and can be used to bring in pax, my plane once arrived can be used to clear up short-haul backlogs to CDG or wherever. In another example, UACO pax were stranded or needed to be evacuated before a hurricane in CUN, my a/c could be chartered to remove pax early.
What are every-bodies opinions about this idea? Floyd
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
RE: New Airline Idea.
Charter operators like Ryan International and World already do some of this sort of business. But you can't use new aircraft like a 77W -- those planes are *way* too expensive to use for anything other than daily, high-revenue scheduled operations. Older aircraft like MD-11s, older 763s and 744s, and even DC-10 and 747 classics are better suited for these sorts of missions.
There is also the issue of ensuring that your aircraft is meaningfully closer to the stranded pax than the operator's -- enough to make up for the cost of chartering it. Unless you are going to maintain a large fleet strategically scattered around the entire world, a very expensive proposition, you often won't be in the right place either.
There is also the issue of ensuring that your aircraft is meaningfully closer to the stranded pax than the operator's -- enough to make up for the cost of chartering it. Unless you are going to maintain a large fleet strategically scattered around the entire world, a very expensive proposition, you often won't be in the right place either.
RE: New Airline Idea.
Not a new idea, at all.......DL calls them "extra sections".
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- jetblueguy22
- Posts: 3698
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RE: New Airline Idea.
I think in concept it is a great idea but it would be tough to actually do it. You would have to fly empty planes to places where the weather would be poor just to hope you could try and get some business. Plus in non winter months you would have to figure out what to do with the planes because you arent making any money with them just sitting there.
Blue
Blue
RE: New Airline Idea.
I don't think this idea would work. What do you plan on doing with the aircraft during the other 98% of the time when there is no bad weather or other types of "emergencies"?
The main focus of your airline would have to focus on charters. The evacuation / emergency piece of your business plan would only represent a small portion of your total business.
The main focus of your airline would have to focus on charters. The evacuation / emergency piece of your business plan would only represent a small portion of your total business.
RE: New Airline Idea.
http://www.flystrategic.com.au/
They do sub-charter ops in times of need for other airlines. Also fly some of their own routes to keep a bit of revenue coming in.
They do sub-charter ops in times of need for other airlines. Also fly some of their own routes to keep a bit of revenue coming in.
RE: New Airline Idea.
| Quoting iahflyer (Thread starter): an airline called Emergency Air |
Yeah, that'll have people flocking to your door.
In all seriousness, though, the idea is sound in principle, but in practice it would be far too expensive, both to maintain a fleet of suitable aircraft and to have them sitting around when everything is good. You'd be far better off just running a general charter carrier - at least that way you'd be able to fly some routes when crises aren't going on to help with the bottom line.
-Mir
RE: New Airline Idea.
| Quoting EricR (Reply 4): |
Its not a bad idea overall, you could for instance (as EricR) stated have this be a division of your larger charter op's, if you could get in the CRAF (is that what its called?) program you could make money flying the troops around, and in emergencies invoke your plan..
I love these topics, put your thinking caps on and become an armchair CEO
Cheers!
RE: New Airline Idea.
And what would their call sign be?........something that wouldn't panic ATC everytime they called......
Pilot: "LAX center, this is Emergency Air, requesting clearance......"
Center: "Who's having an emergency?"
[Edited 2010-12-28 09:23:15]
Pilot: "LAX center, this is Emergency Air, requesting clearance......"
Center: "Who's having an emergency?"
[Edited 2010-12-28 09:23:15]
RE: New Airline Idea.
eh.. except for those pesky pilot scope clauses...
RE: New Airline Idea.
| Quoting jetblueguy22 (Reply 3): in non winter months you would have to figure out what to do with the planes because you arent making any money with them just sitting there. |
Jetblueguy22 nails it on the head in terms of what I think. There would be so few of these instances that your fleet would do more sitting around than keeping your airline in business.
RE: New Airline Idea.
How about an airline that utilizes gate space in the middle of the night that is vacant from other airlines. I call it FlyBy Night Air Lease unused gates from AA/DL/UA in hub cities like JFK/ORD/LAX from 8pm-6am and shuttle pax around the country in the same way FedEx/UPS run their cargo schedules. Have some sort of random hub in say... Knoxville TN to use for "sorting the pax." East coast flights come into Knoxville around 10pm-midnight and a wave of westbound departures leaves 2am-4am.
Use an A320 series aircraft and configure half the airplane with a sleeper section with lie-flat seats. The back half of the plane can be cattle car style for those who want the serious cheap seats. Who wouldnt pay the extra cash for a lie flat seat for a midnight flight?? Cha-Ching$$! Onboard sales of Energy Drinks, Coffee drinks, Sleep Masks, Ear plugs, Bose Headsets, etc.
Practically no competition, and it would do some serious business on heavy traffic days when everyone gets bumped at the end of the regular airline day. Instead of paying $100-200 for a hotel in JFK they can buy a ticket to their destination and catch some sleep along the way.
Maybe??
(My next idea involves a Goodyear Blimp style service from JFK-LGA-Manhattan-EWR and back. Beat the morning rush hour!)
Lease unused gates from AA/DL/UA in hub cities like JFK/ORD/LAX from 8pm-6am and shuttle pax around the country in the same way FedEx/UPS run their cargo schedules. Have some sort of random hub in say... Knoxville TN to use for "sorting the pax." East coast flights come into Knoxville around 10pm-midnight and a wave of westbound departures leaves 2am-4am.
Use an A320 series aircraft and configure half the airplane with a sleeper section with lie-flat seats. The back half of the plane can be cattle car style for those who want the serious cheap seats. Who wouldnt pay the extra cash for a lie flat seat for a midnight flight?? Cha-Ching$$! Onboard sales of Energy Drinks, Coffee drinks, Sleep Masks, Ear plugs, Bose Headsets, etc.
Practically no competition, and it would do some serious business on heavy traffic days when everyone gets bumped at the end of the regular airline day. Instead of paying $100-200 for a hotel in JFK they can buy a ticket to their destination and catch some sleep along the way.
Maybe??
(My next idea involves a Goodyear Blimp style service from JFK-LGA-Manhattan-EWR and back. Beat the morning rush hour!)
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- planesailing
- Posts: 564
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RE: New Airline Idea.
TOM recently used Iberworld and Arkefly aircraft to clear their backlog of flights. It is more common for charter airlines to sub in aircraf to clear backlogs due to the nature of their business.
RE: New Airline Idea.
White Airways was chartered by TP to help with the backlog of people last week.
They operated a A310- LIS-LHR-LIS
They operated a A310- LIS-LHR-LIS
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- airportugal310
- Posts: 3954
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RE: New Airline Idea.
Such airlines already exist. They are the ACMI operators such as CC, who the airlines call in when they have a huge backlog to clear. Also remember at this time of year there is a lot of availability for charter aircraft that can be called in within hours should they need to.
I give an example. A few years ago, EZY cancelled our flight from AMS-LTN as we were about to board, and put us on the later flight. Of course there were far too many passengers to fit onto the 737 scheduled, so they chartered in a JMC B757 to operate the flight instead. This all took place within a couple of hours.
Of course in the summer this availability is reduced somewhat, but there are still aircraft out there that can be called in at short notice.
I give an example. A few years ago, EZY cancelled our flight from AMS-LTN as we were about to board, and put us on the later flight. Of course there were far too many passengers to fit onto the 737 scheduled, so they chartered in a JMC B757 to operate the flight instead. This all took place within a couple of hours.
Of course in the summer this availability is reduced somewhat, but there are still aircraft out there that can be called in at short notice.
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- wexfordflyer
- Posts: 222
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RE: New Airline Idea.
Nice idea but just not enough to make a viable business out of it!
The problems you have talked about do already get solved by charters. Essentially what you are suggesting is a kind of charter airline that has very limited uses and quite a high cost of start-up and operating.
Also, Emergency Air? Not the best name, methinks!!
The problems you have talked about do already get solved by charters. Essentially what you are suggesting is a kind of charter airline that has very limited uses and quite a high cost of start-up and operating.
Also, Emergency Air? Not the best name, methinks!!