I was thinking that there is enough airline employees on this forum and if we all chipped in $2000 bucks, why don't we start our own airline.

Airliners.net Airways?  

There would be so much debate as to a/c type, base, etc. it would never get off the ground lol ..

I'll chipp in $4000 but I want to be the cheif pilot.  

http://www.anetairlines.co.uk/

May not be real, but unfortunately a real one would never get off the ground (A v B v C v E v Whatever disputes, Destination disputes, Legacy v LCC disputes, does Johan have enough time to be CEO, etc).

[Edited 2005-03-19 06:27:42]

Ok how about this. The airline charges for employment. If you want to be a ramper you have to chip in $5k, a flight attendant $7k, CEO $100K. And if you want a say in what goes on then the charge is $100. That will make people think before they open their traps. Everyone would get a share in the company.

That would be awesome! I'd fly you guys all the time!  

Quoting OB1504 (Reply 3): http://www.anetairlines.co.uk/

Beat me to it. An awesome virtual airline from what I can tell.

Thanks,

S E 2 1 0 C a r a v e l l e

Count me on.!

Quoting FA4B6 (Reply 1): There would be so much debate as to a/c type, base, etc. it would never get off the ground lol ..

Firstly, we need to decide where we are going to base our Airline. I think best would be to establish an Airline in Africa, probably Tanzania, Mozambique etc, where there is a growing travelling demand and that there are not many competetors to be faced.

The second reason is that we would require much less capital and the operational costs would be much less here in Africa. Eg: Labour etc etc,

Example, if we need US $1M to start of with the airline then we need 500 a.net members if each gives us $ 2000.

Quoting Jambo (Reply 6): I think best would be to establish an Airline in Africa, probably Tanzania, Mozambique etc

Yes, yes, yes. Africa is very underserved and the labor cost are less. And everyone knows that there are plenty of cheap planes sitting whating to fly.

Quoting Jambo (Reply 6): think best would be to establish an Airline in Africa, probably Tanzania, Mozambique etc,

Exactly, that's where the debate begins. Not many people in the U.S. or U.K. would like that idea.

Smart startups take advantage of the underserved market though.

Quoting Jdaniel001 (Reply 9): Smart startups take advantage of the underserved market though.

From the point of view of some members, what good is it to help manage an airline if you can never get to fly on it?

And if every one of A.net's 14,000 members donated $2,000, we'd have $28,000,000, which would probably limit our intial operations.

$28mil will at least get us 2 747's and we find two points that are underserved or not served at all and we're all millionaires or at least thousandaires.

Quoting Jdaniel001 (Reply 11): $28mil will at least get us 2 747's and we find two points that are underserved or not served at all and we're all millionaires or at least thousandaires.

Um, no. Figure out the following:
1) Manual development
2) Headquarter costs
3) Flight attendant training costs
4) Simulator time
5) Safety cards
6) Insurance. (MIA minimum insurance for signatory carriers: $200mil)
7) Fuel
9) Hiring campagin
10) Marketing
11) Salaries
12) Legal fees
14) Computer costs
15) Software costs
16) Website development
17) Ground equipment
18) In-Flight Services equipment
19) Upfront lease costs
20) Painting the aircraft
21) Performing maintainence checks

There are so many more factors. The only way you are going to get two 747s for $28 mil and start up the carrier is if you start some sleazy fly-by-night carrier in Africa using ancient aircraft ready to fall out the sky with crews straight from prison.

AAndrew

Quoting Aa757first (Reply 12): The only way you are going to get two 747s for $28 mil and start up the carrier is if you start some sleazy fly-by-night carrier in Africa using ancient aircraft ready to fall out the sky with crews straight from prison.

And there is a problem with this business model.  

Ok so we need more money. Most of the above can be contracted out.

Well, we could start out in BOS...

Seriously though, Central-Eastern Europe would be perfect place to start an airline. Potential is huge, with 10 new EU members underserved and Russia opening its skies soon... Millions of people who don't make much money yet, but in couple years...

Undercapitalisation will kill your airline faster than you'd ever believe.

If you don't have $10 million (just enough to start a basic 737 operation) then forget it.

But you can start with a "fake" new airline,that basically operates third party aircraft and re-sells the seats under your brandname.
That eliminates initial overhead,you dont have to worry about a operating licence - once you establish the logo and proof of concept,you still can make the big jump. In France there is an airline that uses planes from " Aéropostale" in wet-lease ( the airline is called Westair ) and is growing slowly b ut steadily.

Quoting Beaucaire (Reply 17): But you can start with a "fake" new airline,that basically operates third party aircraft and re-sells the seats under your brandname.

I always wondered if that would work? I think there is a real market here.

http://www.flywest.fr/
that is the web-site ( in french only ) of Flywest ( formerly Westair ) based in Brest . They have access to the french postal services Boeing fleet and sell sheduled flights using their crew and aircraft.
If you visit the page " who are we or "qui sommes nous , "you will find the captal of the company is only 40.000 Euros.
No need to have tens of millions of Euros cash if you have a decent business-plan and at least two banks backing you up.
The risc for the lessor is relatively small.

Also Ryan Air in the U.S. will wet lease. That's what AirTran used for west coast service.