Mon, Jan 12, 2009
No Planes + No Air Operator Certificate = No Flights
A
new South African airline sporting a new pay-as-you-fly twist on
airfares has run into problems getting off the ground.
Airtime Airlines' plan is similar to the concept of
pay-as-you-go cellphones. Passengers purchase tickets in blocks of
minutes -- called iFLY Airtime -- which can be "topped-up" at any
time. The value of the minutes can be maximized by purchasing a
top-up when rates are lower.
Flights are therefore charged in minutes, with a set number of
minutes between cities. For instance, a flight from Durban to
Johannesburg is rated at 75 minutes. If you bought minutes at R5
each (five Rand, about 51 cents US), the flight ends up costing
R375 (about $38 US).
"You can top-up with iFLY Airtime, then make a booking within 90
days and fly within 365 days of your top-up. If you don't book a
flight with your iFLY Airtime, you will get a cellphone airtime
top-up voucher for the full value of your purchase," the airline's
website explains.
Ticket sales for Airtime were to commence January 4, with route
flights slated to begin January 18. However, the startup has
encountered a couple of hitches - Airtime's deal to lease a fleet
of airliners fell through, and it doesn't have government
certification to operate.
South African Civil Aviation Authority spokeswoman Phindiwe
Gwebu said, "We have not received a formal application from the
airline. We have therefore not issued them with their air operator
certificate."
Johannesburg's The Times reports that negotiations between
Blackbird Aerospace Corporation, the owner of Airtime Airlines, and
Air Aquarius for the lease of three Boeing 737-200's have run
aground. The deal also would have allowed Airtime to operate
legally under Air Aquarius' license and operator certificate.
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