Swiss Skies. New 'budget' airline.

[Capetonian]

Another entrant to compete with Norwegian, Level, and other 'low cost' long haul carriers. Being Swiss, at least it will be properly run and the aircraft will be clean, not like BA's tatty old 'planes.

A part-time Ryanair pilot is looking to launch a new budget airline in Switzerland, offering cheap transatlantic flights by next summer.

The mooted carrier does not yet have a name but its architects are attempting to raise at least $100 million under the working title Swiss Skies.

Alvaro Oliveira, an entrepreneur who does shifts for Ryanair on a self-employed basis, is working with three other industry veterans to launch an airline that would operate out of Basel, serving destinations in the US, Asia, the Middle East and Brazil, from a number of European airports in a “point-to-point” system.
One of the founders of Swiss Skies works part time for Ryanair

The founders, however, do not currently plan any flights to the UK, owing to the uncertainty over Brexit and a competitive industry, according to the Financial Times. Cincinnati has been mentioned as one of the American destinations. Mr Oliveira said flying to the city, which like Basel has a large health sector, was currently “a nightmare”.

“We have a full network prepared but because of the competition we don’t want it in the press right now,” Armin Bovensiepen, one of the founders, with experience at Air Berlin and Austrian Airlines, told the newspaper.

Swiss Skies, the founders have said, could launch in mid-2019 and be nearly a third cheaper than its rival airlines.

The move has raised eyebrows in an increasingly competitive industry that has seen a number of collapses in recent years, including Monarch and Air Berlin. SkyWork, a small, Swiss regional carrier, ceased operations last month due to economic reasons.

Alex Paterson, an analyst at Investec, however, told the paper: “There is undoubtedly potential in this area. The [low-cost, long haul] models are less well tested but would suggest that if you can use new aircraft well and have an efficient cost base, it is possible to start with a niche and then grow.”
Swiss Skies has said Cincinnati could be a destination


It is understood the airline will use just one aircraft model, the Airbus A321neo, also favoured by EasyJet, and has plans to have a fleet of 38 by 2023.

According to anna.aero, the aviation new website, Europe has the highest number of start-up airlines, but also the most failures. It said 79 new airlines began life in 2017, while 25 went out of business.


At a glance | Every airline failure in the last decade

2018 Skywork
2018 JetGo
2018 NextJet
2018 Nature Air
2018 Latin American Wings
2018 Pawa Dominica
2018 Polar Airlines
2018 Fly Viking
2017 Niki Air
2017 Darwin Airlines
2017 Air Berlin
2017 Island Air
2017 Monarch Airlines
2017 GLO Airlines
2017 Rainbow Airlines
2017 Royal Falcon
2017 Mega Maldives Airlines
2017 Wings of Alaska
2017 Citywings
2016 Tiara Air
2016 TransAsia Airways
2016 Seaport Airlines
2016 SAFI Airways
2016 Aero Contractors
2016 Fly Lapland
2016 Air Pegasus
2016 VLM Airlines
2016 Fly Salone
2016 SOL S.A. Líneas Aéreas
2016 Skywise
2015 SkyGreece
2015 Intersky
2015 Estonia Air
2015 Transaero
2015 Supreme Airlines
2015 Korongo Airlines
2015 Syphax Airlines
2015 Air Lituanica
2015 EuroLot
2015 SkyMark Airlines
2015 Hamburg Airways
2015 Cyprus Airways
2015 SkyTrans Pty
2015 TigerAir Mandala
2014 UT Air
2014 Moskovia Airlines
2014 Carpatair
2014 Krohns Air
2013 Haiti Aviation
2013 Link Airs
2013 Danube Wings
2013 Belle Air
2013 Flynonstop A.S
2013 Dagestant Airlines
2013 Dutch Antiles Express
2013 Saha Airlines
2013 Orbest Orizonia Airlines, S.A. (formerly Iberworld Airlines, S.A)
2013 Red Wings
2013 Armavia
2013 Bahrain Air
2013 Batavia Air
2013 OLT Express Germany
2013 Aerosvit Airlines
2012 Kuban Airlines
2012 JetLink Express
2012 Air Malawi
2012 1Time Airlines
2012 SOL Airlines
2012 Air Finland
2012 Skyways Airlines and City Airline
2012 Cimber Sterling Airlines
2012 Gabon Airways
2012 Air Zimbabwe
2012 Air Australia
2012 TAS-Air Pty
2012 Malev Airlines
2012 Czech Connect Airlines
2012 Spanair
2012 Cirrus Airlines
2012 Kentucky Skies
2012 Aeroperlas
2012 OLT Express
2012 Air Tran Airways
2012 Jetlite
2012 Aerosur
2012 Velvet Sky
2012 Norfolk Air
2012 Air Finland (Charter)
2012 Windjet
2012 Varig Logistica
2012 PLUNA
2012 Team Linhas Aereas
2012 Direct Air
2012 USA300 Airlines
2012 Mint Airways
2012 REDJet
2012 Tennessee Skies
2011 Astreaus airlines
2011 Avianova
2011 KMV Airlines
2011 Air Southwest
2011 Robin Hood Airlines
2011 Wataniya Airways
2011 2nd Sverdlovsk Enterprise
2011 Pyrenair
2011 Cargoitalia
2011 Pacific Blue Airlines
2011 Fly Oristano
2011 Comtel Airlines
2011 Prima Aero Tranporti Italiani
2011 Dubrovnik Airlines
2011 Fly Hellas
2011 Sky Express
2011 Moscow Airlines
2011 Albanian Airlines
2011 Lotus Air
2011 Dagestan Airlines
2011 Avial NV
2011 Lufthansa Italia
2011 Yak Service
2011 Gomelavia
2011 Mandala Airlines
2011 Transavia Denmark
2011 Sun d'Or International Airlines
2011 Air Cuenca
2011 Amsterdam Airlines
2011 Novosibirsk Air Enterprise
2011 Pamir Airways
2011 Atlantic Southeast Airlines
2011 Aviaenergo
2011 Tor Air
2011 Airstars
2011 Jade Cargo International
2011 Hewa Bora Airways
2011 Zambezi Airlines
2011 Aviasca
2011 Great Wall Airlines
2011 Coral Blue Airlines
2011 Naturelink Aviation
2011 City Airlines
2011 Continent Airlines
2011 Vildanden Airlines
2011 Air Mat
2010 Hamburg International
2010 Cyprus Turkish Airlines
2010 Iraq Airlines
2010 VIVA Macau
2010 Highland Airways
2010 Varsity Express
2010 Air Slovakia
2010 Quantum Air
2010 Interlink Airlines
2010 Air Jamaica
2010 Eurocypria
2010 Fly Direct
2010 Sun Country Airlines
2010 Region Avia
2010 Aviacsa
2010 Blue Wings
2010 Ghana Airways
2010 Viking Airlines AB (Sweden)
2010 Star1 Airlines
2010 Sky Service
2010 Mexicana
2010 PalmAir
2009 Air Comet
2009 FlyGlobespan
2009 Sky Europe
2009 East Star Airlines
2009 SkyAirWorld
2009 Skystar Airways
2009 Aviacsa
2009 PB Air
2009 Linus Airways
2009 FlyLAL
2009 Air Jamaica
2009 Jet America
2009 Primaris Airlines
2009 Silver Air
2009 CentralWings
2009 MacAir
2009 OzJet
2009 MyAir
2009 Kayala Airlines
2009 Indochina Airways
2009 Blue Wings
2009 Zambian Airways
2009 Bellview Airlines
2009 Caribair
2009 RAK Airways
2009 Air Tahoma
2009 Megantara Air
2009 Qiantang Airways
2009 Air Senegal International
2009 Kras Air
2008 XL Airways
2008 Boston Maine Airways
2008 OK Air
2008 Carib Aviation
2008 Futura
2008 Flightline
2008 Airlines Tonga
2008 Nova Air
2008 Alma de Mexico
2008 Aero Airlines
2008 Aero California
2008 Air Tanzania
2008 Inter Airlines
2008 Kras Air
2008 Community Airlines
2008 Domodedovo Airlines
2008 Air Bee
2008 Kyokushin Air
2008 Flysure
2008 GirJet
2008 Flyyeti Airlines
2008 Avolar
2008 Aladia Airlines
2008 BritishJet.com
2008 Freedom Air
2008 Yeongnam Air
2008 Angkok Airlines
2008 Aebal
2008 Hansung Airlines
2008 Ankair
2008 Aero Tropics
2008 Focus Air
2008 Freedom Air
2008 Jetride (Pinnacle Air)
2008 Sterling European Airways
2008 AIRUnion
2008 Swazi Express Airways
2008 Oasis Hong Kong Airlines
2008 Air Mauritanie
2008 Air Scotland
2008 City Star Airlines
2008 Silverjet
2008 Aeropostale
2008 Prima Charter (Fischer Air Polska)
2008 Club Air
2008 Mihin Lanka
2008 Skybus Airlines
2008 Coast Air
2008 ATA Airlines
2008 EuroManx
2008 Eos Airlines
2008 Alpi Eagles
2008 Cameroon Airlines
2008 Zoom Airlines
2008 Aloha Airlines
2008 Big Sky Air
2008 Pan Am 2
2008 Far Eastern Air Transport
2008 African Safari Airways
2008 Nationwide Airlines
2008 Champion Air
2007 Alexandair
2007 Air Ariatic
2007 LAB Airlines (Lloyd Aereo Boliviano)
2007 Slovak Airlines
2007 European Air Express
2007 Air Wales
2007 Flywoosh
2007 Air Scotland
2007 O'Connor Airlines
2007 JetStream Express
2007 MAX Jet

[Woody]

Can’t see Kingfisher Airlines on the list.

[Capetonian]

Kingfisher wasn't an airline.

It was a brewery that had some aircraft.

[Mrs Ex-Ascot]

Never heard of many of the airlines listed. Flywoosh sounds like it could have been a fun airline, shame they went bust.

[Boac]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingfisher_Airlines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_o ... r_Airlines

[Woody]

Another one not on the list

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swissair

[Capetonian]

Swissair went bust in about 2003 which is further back than that list goes. It was of course a huge shock to learn of their demise. I was at work and a friend phoned me to say : "My niece is waiting at Heathrow for a Swissair flight to Zurich and a connection to Jo'burg and Swissair have gone bust ..."

I thought it was a joke. On the face of it, about the least likely airline in the world to go bust, one would have imagined, but there were a number of reasons for the collapse.

[Sisemen]

Norwegian is doomed. Signed up with the bastards for a trip to New York. They sub-contract everything to some shonky dago loco carrier that has extremely bad reviews and they graciously offer a refund if you don’t want to fly with the dagos and their 100 year old aeroplanes. Rebook with BA and, kerching, another 800 quids flies out of my account.

[Capetonian]

Yep, the shonky dago loco carrier is called Wamos and they are reputedly atrocious. There are reviews on TripAdvisor and articles in the Telegraph travel column.

Spain's 'premium' airline (IB) is a disgrace and part of IAG, so imagine how much worse Wamos must be.