Not sure if this has already been discussed. Looks like he is in the funding stage. What is the proposed aircraft type? CS300s....

Read below:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-18/jetblue-founder-raising-funds-for-new-u-s-airline-report-says

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ne-report-says


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Neeleman is a great starter, but a bad finisher.

So this is Alligiant with jb flare?

 

I thought jetblue was Allegant with jb flair.

 

New airplane, new business model. I hope he's prepared to pay pilots a real premium, otherwise why go to a startup when the legacies will be hiring big-time.

Good luck with that.

 

Watch us merge in 5 years, and all the guys rushing to this startup win the seniority lottery and slide in to the top of our list. That'd be my luck. Interesting timing with our fleet review and contract vote coming soon.

 

I don't think finding pilots, at least not initial guys filling the left seat, will be a problem...plenty of regional guys will jump at the opportunity to get larger-than-regional jet PIC, and it will likely pay more than a regional captain makes. Furthermore, the notion of getting in on the ground floor with the possibility of winning the seniority lottery in organic growth or via an acquisition will attract people. Throw in the fact that they'll likely have regional hiring standards, ie 1500 hour CFIs for the right seat, I doubt they'll have any trouble filling both seats, unfortunately. Guess we will see.

 

According to the article, he wants 100M for start up, the same number raised to bankroll JetBlue 20 years earlier?

 

Nobody is going to take that deal if Big-Six is even a realistic option, no good reason to take a bunch or risks for a stepping stone unless you know the established majors won't be calling... ever. Safer to just sit tight at your regional in most cases. If you just have to GTFO now, the ACMI's probably pay better, with no worse stability.

The FAA will require experienced CA's for the left seat, they will not let a startup hire 2500-hour regional FO's and put them in the left seat of a new-design narrowbody on a new certificate. Startups typically also hire experienced pilots for the right seat initially, on the premise that they will upgrade very quickly.

His B-Plan is going to need plenty of compensation for pilots. Or he's planning on staffing exclusively with pilots who have very significant black marks, ie felons, drunks, or documented incompetents, which would not bode well for safety (reference that learjet at TEB).

 

Won't need near the real estate/gates/landing fees that he needed with JetBlue if he's going point to point in secondary markets. I have to assume their overhead will be significantly lower. Fuel costs (or at least fuel quantity) will be significantly lower than his previous venture with significantly lower CASM. And I have to assume his financing terms for the 60 C series were probably pretty solid. Will be interesting to see how it works out.