Skywise plans launch August 2013

O

Ockie

Resident Lead Bender
Joined
Feb 16, 2008
Messages
55,083
Reaction score
7,313
Location
Henceforth AKA OckieMoto :-)
SKYWISE, the new low-cost airline set up by the former founders of 1time Airline, expects to begin offering flights next month that are, on average, 25% cheaper than current flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town, the airline said this week.

No official launch date for the airline has been set as the directors are waiting for the Civil Aviation Authority to issue the company an air operator certificate (AOC), which will allow the carrier to commence operations.
Skywise has already paid deposits for the two Boeing 737-300s it will be using to operate five flights a day.
"We expect the AOC to be issued in August, which allows us to operate specific aircraft," said Glenn Orsmond, one of the Skywise directors and a former financial director or 1time.
Mr Orsmond and many of the original founding directors of 1time resigned in 2011. The airline went into provisional liquidation in November last year and it remains in limbo while potential investors are sought.
Domestic traffic in SA has fallen this year, according to the latest statistics published for domestic traffic by the Airports Company SA. Overall domestic passenger traffic in the three months to June fell 2.1% from the same quarter last year. There was a steep drop in domestic travel between May and June — a decrease of more than 5%.

Mr Orsmond said domestic travel in SA had been contracting since 1time’s exit from the market last year.
Other established carriers in the market had not increased their capacity to replace the 2.5-million seats that 1time’s absence had created. "All they have done is to put up the price of tickets significantly," Mr Orsmond said.
Skywise was not planning to take market share away from the likes of Mango, which is the low-cost subsidiary of South African Airways, or Kulula, the no-frills brand operated by Comair.
Rather Skywise would provide seats that were affordable enough to encourage people who had stopped flying when 1time closed to start flying again, said Mr Orsmond.
Click to expand...

http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/tr...to-offer-cheaper-flights-than-those-of-rivals
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I used to fly ORT - KSIA at least 6 times a year. Since 1time stopped, I haven't travelled locally at all.

Last time I checked this year, a plane ticket to KSIA over a long weekend would have cost me thousands :/
 
Even the CFM motors on the 737-300s are struggling to break even with these soaring prices. Best of luck to them, though.
 
bromster said:
Even the CFM motors on the 737-300s are struggling to break even with these soaring prices. Best of luck to them, though.
Click to expand...

Ja....I hope once they are stable and have the service up and running they look at upgrading to more effient planes as quickly as possible. Sure they can find a A320 or A319 for lease somewhere in the world.
 
Skywise to push ticket prices down

Johannesburg - Tickets for Skywise, a new low-cost airline started by the founders of 1time, are expected to cost a quarter less than current tickets for the ever popular Johannesburg-Cape Town route.


Beeld reports that the cheapest return flight currently costs a little more than R1 800 on Mango or Kulula.


Rodney James, executive head of Skywise, said that they were planning on using proper low-cost business models to lower ticket costs by about 25%.


The former head of 1time believes that the South African market is in dire need of more low-cost airlines.


"When 1time was liquidated, the other budget airlines pushed their prices up instead of increasing capacity," he explained.


This tendency has led to a demise in local flights, according to Acsa, which noted a 5% drop in local traffic between May and June this year.


James hopes that by keeping prices as cheap as possible, those people who are currently not flying because it's too expensive will take to the skies again.


Skywise is hoping to receive its operating certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority at the end of August, with the hope of starting flights about a month later.


A deposit has been put down for two Boeing 737-300 aircraft for the Cape Town - Johannesburg route.
Click to expand...

http://www.news24.com/Travel/Flights/Skywise-to-push-ticket-prices-down-20130820

These guys must really get up and running now. Jeez... we have been hearing about them since last year December. :mad: Suppose it is the CAA fault for taking so long with the operating certificate. :mad:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X