Skybus Airlines
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- For the European airline by the same name, see Isles of Scilly Skybus
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| Skybus Airlines | ||
|---|---|---|
| IATA N/A |
ICAO N/A |
Callsign Skybus |
| Founded | 2006 | |
| Hubs | Port Columbus International Airport | |
| Fleet size | 65 (On Order) | |
| Destinations | In Planning Stage | |
| Parent company | Skybus Airlines LLC. | |
| Headquarters | Columbus, Ohio | |
| Key people | Bill Diffenderffer (CEO), Kenneth L. Gile (President & COO), Charlie Clifton (Board of Managers) | |
| Website: http://www.skybus.com | ||
Skybus Airlines, not to be confused with Airbus, an aircraft manufacturer, is a Columbus-based Ultra-Low-cost carrier, modeled after the European Ryanair.
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[edit] History
What was to become Skybus was initially founded in the late 1990's, by John Weikle and Ken Gile. This early venture went by the name of Heartland Airlines, and planned to operate Boeing 717s out of Dayton, Ohio. Working with JP Morgan, the airline almost reached startup, but failed to raise the necessary capital and was eventually abandoned. Years later, the concept was resurrected, this time under the name of "Skybus Airlines". Taking advantage of the America West Airlines pullout of Columbus, they started gathering capital to start the airline at that city. In January of 2005, SkyBus filed a proposal to the DOT[1] to start operations from Columbus. That application is still pending.
[edit] Airline Information
Operations are scheduled to begin in spring 2007, but no specific information has been yet disclosed. plans to operate a fleet of 65 Airbus A319 aircraft. It has placed an order, and will begin receiving in late 2008. Skybus will begin operation using 3 leased Airbus 319s, and plans to expand the fleet with leased aircraft until they begin accepting delivery of the new aircraft. [2] Attempting to emmulate Ryanair's success in Europe, Skybus has comitted itself to be the least expensive airline in the industry. Though few details have been released, some of the cost-cutting methods include not using the jetway to save turnaround time and charging extra for everything other than a seat on the plane. Early reports also claim Skybus plans to only fly direct routes so no baggage transfer is necessary.
[edit] Startup Incentives
In an effort to attract the airline to the city, as well as support its growth early on, the city of Columbus, along with the Columbus Regional Airport Authority has offered incentives totalling over $41 million. [3] These incentives include a twelve-year tax credit, promised airport improvements, business loans, and marketing support. Most of the incenives are performance-based, which requires Skybus to create 1000 jobs and complete other milestones to receive the incentives.
[edit] Fleet
On October 26 2006, Skybus announced a deal with the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus to buy 65 of their A319 aircraft. Skybus plans to lease aircraft of the same type before these aircraft are delivered. On an early webpage, Skybus's colors appeared on a Boeing 737 aircraft, even though they have decided on a competing aircraft type.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
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