DAMN!! The new no-frills (and they mean NO frills) airline to be know as Skybus has placed an order for 65 A319s. (Is Boeing too busy building real aircraft to bargain with them?)
Maybe I didn’t major in Economics in college, but how does an airline that by its own figures raised “over $100 Million” from investors and received about $57 Million in regional incentives think it can afford a $3 Billion aircraft order, all before they’ve even gotten off the ground, literally? They’d better sell a lot of those $30 tickets to pay for these new jets. Oh, I want an airline to succeed w/ a CMH hub really badly; just not THIS ONE.
The fact that Airbus is crowing over this order just shows how hard-up they are for some positive P.R. I hope for their sake they aren’t investing that $3B into the A350 program just yet.
Still didn’t stop me from sending a resume. What the hey, I can get a 2 year LOA from work and hang out at Skybus, if they make it I’m flying a new Airbus (would like Boeing better) and near the top of the seniority list. If they don’t make it I still have a great job. It’s the best of both worlds.
Good luck to you, leardvr. I don’t mean to sound too pessimistic, but there are a few factors that make me leery.
The name. Skybus? Makes me think of a ripped seats, a soot-coated fuselage, and a loud woman with 4 or 5 even louder kids sitting around me. A trendier name would certainly add some attractive zing.
The lack of details. I know, no company is going to show their entire hand of cards, but the website has been around for several months (years?), and there’s been no real details on how the company will be financed, and (until this week) there was very little public talk about what or where they will fly, or how they’ll get the $$ to do it. To me, it has just seemed like a bunch of “buddies” sitting around going “Hey, man, let’s start an airline!” I know there has been much more going on below the surface, but not knowing much about it makes me think of Independence, or worse, one of those airline startups that never even made a maiden voyage before going under.
I hope it does well, I guess. I’ve just always heard jokes and bad experiences about Ryanair (ultra low fare carrier) in Ireland, and I don’t want CMH or Columbus in general to be dragged into a stereotype if this airline either fails or becomes a “duck-tape” maintenance joke.
Go to the Docket Management System of the DOT. Enter OST in the Agency box and Skybus in the Docket Title Box.
You’ll find the documents related to the “(a0pplication of Skybus Airlines, LLC, requesting a certificate of Public convenience and necessity to engage in interstate scheduled air transportation of person, property, and mail between Port Columbus International Airport, and other points in the U.S.”
I’m just interested where they fly…we go to Cincinnati a lot but end up flying SW to CMH or AirTran to DAY all the time.
A little more competition into CMH from BWI would be nice, even MDT would be better…
In fact I’m only doing it for fun. I’m fortunate that I’m in a postion that I can take a LOA from my current job, and that we have enough in savings to live on for awhile (plus my wife can work as a nurse). I’m not about to do something that’s not above board or not safe but getting in on the bottom floor of anything has risk and rewards. Also I live in CMH, so why not.
One quick thread hijack…
Speaking of Independence, there were two RJs sitting on the GA ramp at MHT today. They’re in the process of being sold, but no one I spoke to knew who was buying them.
That is all…Carry on.
Skybus? I’d fly 'em. New planes? Cheap tickets? Sure…Except I have no reason to fly to Columbus or Cleveland or Cinncinnatti or Dayton.
Since you’ve already hijacked the thread, I’ll take it a little further and give you a reason to fly to Ohio. If you like a good party every so often (If you’re like me, you enjoy one once in a while, but not everyday), you MUST come tailgate before a home football game at OSU. I can guarantee you two things:
No matter where you went to college, no matter what other schools you have visited, you have NEVER seen anything like Lane Avenue on the morning of a game. And the funny part is that there are as many “old-time” alumni out partaking as there are students!
No matter how long you live and where all you visit, you will NEVER see anything like it in ANY sport at ANY level again. It may or may not be your ultimate idea of a fun time, but the fact will remain that you will NEVER see anything like it again. EVER. My friend who is a cough Michigan fan who worked in C-bus for 10 years even agrees to this, and he hates OSU as much as I hate that school up north. There’s lots of upscale shopping in Columbus as well, if you or the wife are into that sort of thing.
Cleveland: Bring your 'ballin gear! [inside joke]
Dayton: Wright Patterson AF Museum. Lots of a/c on display, including a few former AF1s and the only remaining Valkerie (I know I butchered the spelling on that one–sorry.)
I’m going to the OSU game today and I love their campus. We park at the Columbus police station. $4 is pretty good for game day. If your on campus try “Tony’s Subs.” Best subs in the world.
I’ve been to the USAF museum many times and it has gotta be one of the best ever.
Every now and then a C-130 will come to DAY from Wright Pat to practice touch and go’s. It’s an amazing sight to see one of those things fly. They used the call sign “Rhino 27.”
And how do you expect to find parking at the university with the biggest student population in the entire United States.
Is emery still in KDAY? I know that FedEx is but UPS left a couple of months ago…
I’ve tailgated Beaver Stadium with my SIL who played for JoePa and was a member of the '95 Rose Bowl team.
The partying was pretty righteous and I enjoyed the Letterman Suite, but I’ve experienced better at the homes of both the Crimson Tide and Aggies!
One of these years we’re going to have to accompany my other SIL (a Sooner) to the Red River Shootout to experience what many refer to as the ultimate party venue.
The airplanes are not bought by the airlines. A couple leasing companies own all the airplanes in name. The airlines lease them. That’s where Mr. Udvar-Hazy got the money to donate to the Smithsonian for the new airplane museum - he collects rent whether the airlines make money or not.
Looks better than the original mock-up on the older webpage, but not the BEST color scheme.
I’d post the image here, but it comes up HUGE on here, and I’m not savvy enough to shrink it down to size, so here’s a “linkie,” with respect to James the Junior.
(Is Boeing too busy building real aircraft to bargain with them?)
