The Airline Startups Finding Opportunity In A Crisis
4 minute read
You wouldn’t think in the midst of a pandemic, launching a new airline would be a good idea. But there are a few brave souls out there who believe it’s exactly the right time. Let’s take a look at some of the airline startups we’ve seen in recent months who believe they have what it takes to build success out of a crisis.
For some airline startups, the pandemic was an opportunity wrapped up in a crisis. Photo: Avelo
Breeze
In the making long before COVID was a thing, Breeze was officially announced last year. The low-cost airline is another startup from serial airline entrepreneur David Neeleman, and is targeting secondary cities with point to point routes. Dubbed the ‘nicest’ airline you’ll ever fly, Neeleman is hoping to capture traffic on underserved direct routes.
CEOs of start-up airlines Ava Airways, EGO Airways, PLAY, and Pop join speaker line-up at FTE APEX Virtual Expo
(Nino) Navdip Singh Judge Chief Executive and Founder, Pop, joins the CEOs of Ava Airways, EGO Airways, and PLAY, in the New Airlines C-Suite Summit, taking place at FTE APEX Virtual Expo on 25-26 May 2021.
anna.aero’s sister business unit, Future Travel Experience-APEX, has attracted a stellar line-up of speakers, exhibitors, and attendees for the second FTE APEX Virtual Expo (25-26 May 2021) – a proper digital trade show with a proper virtual exhibition (rather than another dull webinar).
Hear from four start-up airlines at FTE APEX Virtual Expo’s New Airlines C-Suite Summit, moderated by Aaron Heslehurst, News Anchor & Presenter, BBC World News, which will feature:
New low-cost carrier Avelo to begin service on 28 April
A new US-based startup airline, Avelo Airlines, has unveiled plans to begin service on 28 April.
Backed by $125 million in private equity, Avelo will launch with three single-class 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft from its first base at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR). The airline will initially fly 11 non-stop routes between BUR and unserved markets across the Western US.
“We are making flying more affordable and convenient by taking the greatest efficiencies we can find in the industry and sharing the savings with our customers in the form of surprisingly low fares,” said Founder, Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy. “Combine that with operating bases at many of the nation’s most convenient airports, infused with a culture of caring, and you have a different and better kind of airline that our customers will love to fly, our crew members are proud to work for and our shareholders are grateful they invested in.”
A look at the startup airlines entering the market in 2021
While airlines have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, some entrepreneurs in the space are taking the crisis as an opportunity to embark on new ventures. Ahead of the recently announced FTE APEX New Airlines C-Suite Summit, which will take place during Virtual Expo 2021 (25-26 May), we take a look into some of the startup carriers entering the global airline market in 2021.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi took off on 15 January with its first flight to Athens from Abu Dhabi.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the newest national airline of the United Arab Emirates, took off on 15 January with its first flight to Athens from Abu Dhabi. The ultra-low-cost carrier’s (ULCC) second route took place from Abu Dhabi to Thessaloniki on 4 February. The new airline initially announced a route network that also includes Alexandria, Kutaisi, Larnaca, Odesa and Yerevan. Flights to these cities will launch as each destination jo