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Top Secret Airline Watch: Details Emerging on Project New Horizons

The nascent low cost carrier from Skybus founder John Weikle is one step closer to reality. Investors, including business alliances in Charleston, West Virginia, have cobbled together $3 million in seed money to start Project New Horizons.

There's understandably some skepticism about the project, in light of Independence Air's short-lived service to Charleston's Yeager Airport. Weikle told The Charleston Gazette the new project will be different:

Independence Air made use of the hub-and-spoke system, with its main hub at Washington's Dulles International, and competed with major carriers on nearly all its routes, Weikle said. The low-cost operation envisioned for Charleston, he said, "will offer point-to-point service" with no connecting routes, on routes not served by major carriers.

With the initial money in hand, Weikle is now looking for $40 million from institutional investors. If he can get that cash quickly, we could see a new airline by the end of 2008. As for potential destinations, we probably won't hear anything until next month.

Related Stories:
· $3 Million Airline Seed Is Planted [Gazette]
· Top Secret Airline Watch: Project New Horizons [Jaunted]
· New Airlines coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of CRW: Google Maps]