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US Helicopter Surrenders FAA Certificate

LAXintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22219 posts, RR: 51
Posted (3 years 3 months 4 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 5538 times:

Not much of a surprise, but US Helicopter Corporation which suspended operations in September with intentions of restarting operations pending the completion of a refinancing, has now informed the DOT that it voluntarily surrendering its FAA-issued Air Carrier Certificate and Operations Specifications. Subsequently the DOT has also cancelled the carriers interstate air transportation certificate authority.

OST-2005-20405

From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California

9 replies: All unread, jump to last

beeweel15 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 1693 posts, RR: 0
Reply 1, posted (3 years 3 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 5400 times:

Wow that bad like to see them coming in to JFK and especially when parked next to the JFK Train up can see it from the top. Will miss them. They should get a bigger copter that holds about 20 - 25 pax at least .

star_world From Ireland, joined Jun 2001, 1234 posts, RR: 0
Reply 2, posted (3 years 3 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 5253 times:

Quoting beeweel15 (Reply 1):
Wow that bad like to see them coming in to JFK and especially when parked next to the JFK Train up can see it from the top. Will miss them. They should get a bigger copter that holds about 20 - 25 pax at least .

They ceased service many months ago. Why on earth would they need a bigger helicopter? They couldn't fill the ones they were operating. I flew on them several times where I was the only passenger.

It was a good idea but (strangely) just not enough demand for this service.

dw747400 From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 1245 posts, RR: 1
Reply 3, posted (3 years 3 months 4 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 4890 times:

Quoting star_world (Reply 2):
Why on earth would they need a bigger helicopter?

I don't know what their pricing was, but perhaps a larger chopper could have lowered CASM enough to make the service more attractive? It is hard to do a low cost helicopter operation, and today more than ever business is cost conscious. If someone really wants to save time and has cash, they charter a GIV out of TEB.

CFI--Certfied Freakin Idiot

LAXintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22219 posts, RR: 51
Reply 4, posted (3 years 3 months 4 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 4780 times:

Towards the end they were offering fares as cheap as $45 which can be cheaper then a town car even, but they were simply not generating the business volume needed and had very negative operating margins quarter after quarter.

From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California

Byrdluvs747 From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 2152 posts, RR: 1
Reply 5, posted (3 years 3 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 4564 times:

They used to fly out of AA's terminal in JFK then switched over to DL's terminal which was supposed to generate more premium pax. Guess that didnt work.

The 747: The hands who designed it were guided by god.

BMI727 From United States of America, joined Feb 2009, 14408 posts, RR: 26
Reply 6, posted (3 years 3 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 4559 times:

Quoting Byrdluvs747 (Reply 5):
then switched over to DL's terminal which was supposed to generate more premium pax.

Didn't they have some sort of codeshare type deal with DL?

Why do Aerospace Engineering students have to turn things in on time?

star_world From Ireland, joined Jun 2001, 1234 posts, RR: 0
Reply 7, posted (3 years 3 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 4524 times:

Quoting BMI727 (Reply 6):
Didn't they have some sort of codeshare type deal with DL?

Yes - and with CO out of EWR.

Quoting dw747400 (Reply 3):
I don't know what their pricing was, but perhaps a larger chopper could have lowered CASM enough to make the service more attractive? It is hard to do a low cost helicopter operation, and today more than ever business is cost conscious. If someone really wants to save time and has cash, they charter a GIV out of TEB.

This would make sense if they were filling the aircraft when the prices were low. As stated above, they were offering ridiculously cheap fares and the aircraft were still going out empty.

dw747400 From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 1245 posts, RR: 1
Reply 8, posted (3 years 3 months 4 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 4386 times:

Quoting star_world (Reply 7):

This would make sense if they were filling the aircraft when the prices were low. As stated above, they were offering ridiculously cheap fares and the aircraft were still going out empty.

Very true.. I did not realize the pricing was so competitive with ground options. If they couldn't fill a helicopter at $45/seat, either the market doesn't exist or their marketing efforts were very poor.

I wonder why they surrendered their certificate. I would have thought investors would have demanded it be sold.

CFI--Certfied Freakin Idiot

DeltAirlines From United States of America, joined May 1999, 8774 posts, RR: 12
Reply 9, posted (3 years 3 months 4 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 3499 times:

Shame they're gone - I used them out of JFK and it was very enjoyable...though each time it was a private chopper (which can't be good for margins).

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