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Vietnamese Pop Icon Launches Indochina Airlines

November 26, 2008 at 3:17 PM | 0 Comments

Move over Branson, there's a new celebrity airline exec in town: A pop music composer in Vietnam launched the country's first privately-owned airline this week.

Alongside a group of Vietnamese businessmen, Ha Hung Dung, who's also a judge on "Vietnam Idol," put up the $12 million in cash to buy two planes for Indochina Airlines. The new carrier has four daily flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, as well two flights daily between Ho Chi Minh City and the central coastal city of Danang.

Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific, both with foreign-owned majority stakes, also fly within the country. But even airline execs in Europe agree that the Asian market is the future of flying, and carriers in the region are all one-upping each other with aggressive expansion even in the current business climate.

As more people discover that about half of Vietnam's border is lined by white-sand beach, the carrier plans to add flights to Nha Trang as well as to the ancient capital of Hue. No word on whether Ha Hung Dung plans to blast his catchy tunes aboard the flights, but from what we've heard of Vietnamese pop, we're crossing our fingers that it's a no.

--Claire Duffett

Related Stories:
· Vietnam's First Privately-Owned AIrline Launched [AP]
· Fall The Best Liquor in Vietnam [Jaunted]

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Azul

November 12, 2008 at 3:14 PM | 1 Comment

A Jaunted Exclusive

Is it just us, or does there seem to be next to no information out there about David Neeleman's new airline Azul? You know, the one that could launch next month and shake up the entire South American aviation market?

Turns out, there's plenty of dirt; it's just that it's all in Portuguese. So we decided to dust off our academic caps and--with the help of Google--translate the lengthy FAQ about the new carrier posted on its official website. While we're not sure if these "questions" were posed before or after financial panic gripped the planet, here are the highlights:

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Neeleman's Azul Cleared To Fly In Brazil

November 10, 2008 at 1:04 PM | 0 Comments

A Brazilian aviation official says that David Neeleman's slightly mysterious, potentially awesome airline Azul has been government certified, clearing the way for an on-time first flight in December.

According to the Associated Press:

Azul has yet to inform Brazilian regulators of the routes it intends to fly, [an aviation] agency spokeswoman said, but it is expected to begin with the Rio de Janeiro-Sao Paulo route and expand from there.

The airline hopes to quickly make inroads into Brazil's market with low-price tickets and features such as leather seats and in-flight live satellite television.

The airline already has at least one jet ready to fly, which means we're now obsessively refreshing Azul's website, hoping to get the early word on destinations and prices as soon as tickets are available.

Related Stories:
· Brazil Approves Azul Airlines [AP, via IHT]
· New Airlines: Azul's Livery Revealed [Jaunted]

[Photo: Azul]

Boeing Strike Not Stopping 2009 Launch Of Flydubai

November 6, 2008 at 3:45 PM | 0 Comments

The head of start-up Flydubai says that his low cost carrier will still launch in the first half of 2009--even though delivery of its new planes will be delayed by the just-ended Boeing strike. The extra wait for the first of the 50 new 737s on order direct from the manufacturer could be as short as two weeks, says the airline, but really, who knows how long it might actually take.

Flydubai is starting small with only five aircraft scheduled in the first year, serving destinations within four hours of the United Arab Emirates. That puts India, Pakistan, Eastern Europe and parts of Africa within range, and while the carrier says 70 destinations are possible by 2014, that would require, well, lots more planes being delivered on time.

In the meantime, maybe now's a good time to lock in some low jet fuel prices?

Related Stories:
· Dubai LCC in Talks with Boeing [Arabian Business]
· New Airlines: Flydubai to Be "Efficient" and "No Frills" [Jaunted]

Ryanair CEO Promising $18 Transatlantic Airfare by 2011

October 7, 2008 at 1:10 PM | 1 Comment

The beds-and-blowjobs airline that Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary promised earlier this year may actually happen. We're talking £10 ($18) transatlantic airfares if and when the new flights start in as few as two-and-a-half years.

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Neeleman's Azul May Fly Before '09

September 29, 2008 at 4:30 PM | 0 Comments

Last we heard, the new Brazilian carrier Azul, from JetBlue founder David Neeleman, was planning to start flights in January 2009. But an article we just came across on the Dow Jones Newswire (but sadly can't link to 'cause of a pay wall) says the airline is looking to move that first flight up to December 2008.

The report continues:

"They (Azul) talked to us and managed to bring forward the delivery of three or four planes from January 2009 to December of this year," said Embraer CEO Frederico Fleury Curado.

Azul has ordered 76 Embraer 190 and 195s and it has also agreed to lease two of the mid-sized planes from JetBlue. So far only one has the Azul livery: It's been named "O Rio de Janeiro continua Azul," a line from a Gilberto Gil song.

Oh, and by the way, another news report (linked below) says Azul is interested in building an airport in Sao Paulo. We're not holding our breath on that one!

Related Stories:
· Azul Wants to Build an Airport [El Mundo, in Spanish]
· Azul coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Azul]

Chameleon Airline Travel: What Is GeorgiaSkies?

September 24, 2008 at 1:00 PM | 0 Comments

Less than a week after one air taxi company cancelled all future flights, another is expanding service. Pacific Wings, which already operates commuter flights on Cessna 208s in Hawaii, will start flying from Atlanta to Macon and Athens on September 29 with a subsidiary called GeorgiaSkies.

But airfare watcher Rick Seaney is skeptical that the service will, ahem, take off:

The distance between Atlanta and Macon is 87 miles, while the distance between Atlanta and Athens is 73 miles. There are some who would call that driving distance.

But GeorgiaSkies isn't aimed at people headed out of Atlanta: It's designed as an air taxi service to Hartsfield-Jackson, where the daily parking rate starts at $9 a day. If you can fly there and back for $103 all-in, why not save the gas and leave the car at home in Athens?

Related Stories:
· GeorgiaSkies [Official Site]
· New Airline Enters the Fray [Rick Seaney]
· Very Light Jet Magazine Caters to the Ratplane Crowd [Jaunted]
· Chameleon Airline Travel: What Is Porter Airlines Exactly? [Jaunted]

Low Ratings Travel: CelebAir Soldiers On

September 23, 2008 at 3:00 PM | 0 Comments


Sorry, England! Our CelebAir updates have been quite paltry as of late. But the show goes on--even if we don't get ITV2.

Three boldfaced names have already been tossed off the CelebAir crew. Mica Paris was the first to go, followed by "Big Brother" alum Kenzie. Tamara Beckwith was the third to go--after she realized she was pregnant. Only eight more pseudo-celebs to go!

There are five flights left on the CelebAir schedule, and there are still a few tickets left. Maybe it's for the better if you watch at home, though--they could use the ratings.

Related Stories:
· CelebAir Catch Up [CoH]
· Tonight: "The World's Celebritiest Airline" [Jaunted]
· Reality TV Travel: CelebAir Crew Revealed [Jaunted]
· CelebAir coverage [Jaunted]

New Routes: Porter Airlines Headed to Chicago

September 23, 2008 at 2:15 PM | 0 Comments

After Porter Airlines vaguely announced earlier this month that it would start service to an unnamed airport in Chicago, TheAirDB reports that the Candian airline will start service to Midway soon.

It'll be the second destination in the US for Porter, which flies seven times a day between Toronto City Centre Airport and Newark. There's still no official word on when trips to Chicago might start.

Porter has also recently added service to Quebec City, and in the past it's made seasonal trips to Mont Tremblant--something to keep in mind as winter creeps up on Canada.

Related Stories:
· Porter Airlines [Official Site]
· Porter Airlines: MDW to YTZ [TheAirDB]
· Porter Airlines coverage [Jaunted]

New Airlines: Flydubai to Be "Efficient" and "No Frills"

September 10, 2008 at 5:10 PM | 0 Comments

Flydubai, the new LCC from the government of the emirate, says it'll start service by the second quarter of 2009, serving 12 destinations within a year.

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John Weikle, Jet America Still Scouting a Hub

September 9, 2008 at 3:20 PM | 1 Comment

Officials at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International--one of America's most expensive airports--have confirmed that Skybus founder John Weikle toured CVG's Terminal 1 and is considering rebuilding his ultra-LCC Jet America in Southwest Ohio. The Cincinnati Enquirer had the news this morning, along with a money quote from an airport spokesman:

It was a feeling-out process to see how interested we were in him and how interested he would be with us. We think that what he's looking for is venture capital--and that wouldn't come from us at the airport, but rather from the community at large.

We all remember how well that worked out last time! Maybe they could get a little seed money from California?

Related Stories:
· New Airline for CVG? [Enquirer]
· Jet America coverage [Jaunted]

Tonight: "The World's Celebritiest Airline"

September 2, 2008 at 12:55 PM | 0 Comments

Alright, England. You have about three hours before the debut of CelebAir, the new show that will put a bunch of reality has-beens in Monarch Air planes headed for Ibiza, Tenerife and other sunny spots.

As much as we want to love this train wreck, an early review from a CelebAir passenger isn't too promising:

Before long, the captain took to the loudspeaker to introduce our "celebrity" crew. And nothing happened. No gasps, or mad fans fainting. The looks of utter incomprehension on the passengers' faces can't have done much for Kenzie and Lisa's egos.

No matter, by this time, Lisa was performing the safety demonstration--"I always get this bit wrong," she giggled, worryingly, while explaining how to do up the lifejacket--and we were off.... They were just like real cabin crew, only much, much less competent.

At least we can expect lots of drama!

Related Stories:
· I'm on CelebAir... Get Me Out of Here! [The Independent]
· CelebAir Starts Tonight [Celebs on Holiday]
· CelebAir coverage [Jaunted]

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