Quote: Dubai's first budget carrier, which will take to the skies in a year's time with Emirates' assistance, has started to put together its act, with Peter Hill joining the team.
Hill, a former Emirates-appointed chief executive of Srilankan Airlines, relocated to Emirates headquarters in Dubai in December itself.
"He is now assisting Emirates in the formation of the new low-cost carrier announced by the Dubai Government," Emirates President, Tim Clark, told Emirates Business.
The new budget carrier is currently going through early formation stages, according to Clark. "We will now be selecting the fleet, the brand, the identity and so on. We will be defining it over the next six weeks to two months," he said.
Meanwhile, Emirates is close to finalising its aircraft for the budget carrier, according to Al Ghaith. "We should be able to decide something in less than two months time. It would be either an all-Airbus A320 fleet or an all-Boeing 737 fleet. We are not likely to go in for a mix fleet option," he told Emirates Business.
According to industry sources, the start-up order for the budget carrier could go up to 50 aircraft.
SeaBosDca From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 4277 posts, RR: 4 Reply 1, posted (5 years 2 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 4009 times:
What kind of airports will they be operating into? If there are a significant number of small or secondary airports with less developed facilities, the 737 could have an advantage.
Most gorgeous aircraft: Tu-204-300, 757-200, A330-200, 777-200LR, 787-8
Flyboysp From Australia, joined Apr 2007, 736 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (5 years 2 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 3932 times:
I would like to think that it would be an order for 737-900ER aircraft, but i think that it will go with theA320 or A321, which, and i am speculating here, will be influenced by compensation for the possible A380 delays.
JoKeR From Serbia, joined Nov 2004, 2152 posts, RR: 9 Reply 5, posted (5 years 2 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 3898 times:
Quoting Flyboysp (Reply 4): but i think that it will go with the A320, which, and i am speculating here, will be impacted by possible compensation for the possible A380 delays.
I agree but bet on the A321 instead. I think that the sardine-machine is exactly what EK are looking at.
Scbriml From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2003, 11358 posts, RR: 50 Reply 8, posted (5 years 2 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 3762 times:
Quoting Flyboysp (Reply 4): i think that it will go with theA320 or A321, which, and i am speculating here, will be influenced by compensation for the possible A380 delays
While EK is helping to set this airline up, it will be run completely separate from EK, so any A380 compensation issue should have zero influence on the decision.
I don't see either the A32x or 737 families having a big advantage one way or the other. I suspect the decision will come down to price, availability, price and price. Either way, I can't see how they can get new, purchased planes in 12 months, so I assume they'll be starting with some leased ones.
DAE has firmed up their Boeing order, but I doubt they can get their 737s in 12 months. Airbus will presumably have slots freed up from Skybus's demise (but other customers might be unhappy to see a new customer jump the queue), so it will be interesting to see where these planes come from.
Scouseflyer From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2006, 3254 posts, RR: 10 Reply 9, posted (5 years 2 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 3762 times:
I wonder if they would be able to get some of either of these planes in short enough timescale to start receiving them next year so I reckon that some of these will be leases or they may pay another airline to "bump" their slots.
Quote: Emirates is assisting the Dubai government to set up its new low cost carrier but says the airline will be an independent operation once it is up and running next year.
“We’re providing technical assistance to the airline,” says Emirates Airline president Tim Clark. “We’re helping it get started and then it’s on its own.”
Clark, who expects the airline will begin operations in the summer of 2009, says it will fit well with Emirates existing network: “There are a number of airlines flying into Dubai using very old equipment that you’d thought had gone out with the end of the Cold War,” he says.
He points to markets such as the former Soviet states where Emirates “would never go with its widebodies, that the new airline could serve efficiently with a fleet of brand new aircraft”.
It will be based at the new Al Maktoum International Airport being developed at Jebel Ali.
Tim Clark for the first time, will now get the opportunity to scrutinize the narrow-bodies. Wonder will he ask for more range, more cargo space blah blah ...
Scouseflyer From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2006, 3254 posts, RR: 10 Reply 11, posted (5 years 2 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 3623 times:
Quoting Aviationbuff (Reply 10): Tim Clark for the first time, will now get the opportunity to scrutinize the narrow-bodies. Wonder will he ask for more range, more cargo space blah blah ...
He's been quiet for a few weeks but now he's off again!
KennyK From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2005, 478 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (5 years 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 2863 times:
As stated the biggest issue might be getting hold of anything with wings these days that can get off the ground and I bet I'm not far from the truth, I guess who ever can actually supply aircraft might get the contract.
KL808 From United States of America, joined exactly 14 years ago today! , 1573 posts, RR: 2 Reply 16, posted (5 years 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 2713 times:
Maybe they will launch the PW GTF on the A32x series.
Burkhard From Germany, joined Nov 2006, 4248 posts, RR: 2 Reply 17, posted (5 years 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 2680 times:
No. Not next year. Even if all goes well, such a change requires three or four years until engine and aircraft are certified, from the current prototyp state.
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