Has anyone heard of a company called Festival Airlines? I tried to do a web search on them and came up empty.
Festival? To Buy North American Airlines?
- Thread starter Legacy
- Start date
The only reason for AWA to buy NAA is for their ETPS and/or 767 operating certificate. Costly either way for them to introduce another type of a/c to the fleet. Just my thoughts.....
I am not thinking of the type-rating, I am thinking of the a/c maintenance end of it. New spare parts, more equipment, pod loaders, pods, carts, etc. I really think that if AWA wants a bigger a/c they should look at trying to acquire Condor's 757-300s. I believe Condor was looking to unload their 757s. IF AWA wants to go bigger, they should really look at ordering brand new 767-400 and get a standardized fleet, rather than mixing and matching planes that can be acquired one or two at a time from various airlines.
HPearlyretiree
Veteran
- Nov 6, 2002
- 1,881
- 1,614
It counts as a new fleet type if it uses different engines! Are there any 767's with RR engines out there?
HP got into a world of hurt last time they took on a new type of AC without enough planes to make it worth the expense.
The 747's were crap, beyond crap, I had a nasty emergency landing on one once, took me 36 hours to get out of HNL, and I was one of the lucky ones.
HP got into a world of hurt last time they took on a new type of AC without enough planes to make it worth the expense.
The 747's were crap, beyond crap, I had a nasty emergency landing on one once, took me 36 hours to get out of HNL, and I was one of the lucky ones.
Sorry, a bit off topic - but that AWA 747 - wow!
I flew on one of the AWA 747s from HNL to LAS. WHAT A FLIGHT. About 15 minutes after takeoff, we all heard the #4 engine spooling down, after a rather loud "thud". About 5 minutes later, it sounded like they tried to start it up, it failed. They tried 2 more times to start it up, both failed. After about 20 minutes after the "thud", the Captain came on and announced the #4 engine had a problem and would be off for the remainder of the flight, so it would take an extra 25 minutes to get to LAS than planned. Almost immediately after the announcement, the inflight call button for row 26 or so started going off. There was no one seated anywhere close to this row. It went off about 5 times and the Inflight finally just left it on so it would stop "dinging". There was maybe a total of 150 pax on the plane and I heard the F/A say that Businesss Class was full of all the non-revs. Most of us in Coach had out own rows to lay out and sleep in since the plane left HNL late and it was about a 11:45pm out of HNL. We landed almost an hour late. Sorry to ramble.
I hope AWA doesn't amke the same mistake again. Just my thoughts.......
I flew on one of the AWA 747s from HNL to LAS. WHAT A FLIGHT. About 15 minutes after takeoff, we all heard the #4 engine spooling down, after a rather loud "thud". About 5 minutes later, it sounded like they tried to start it up, it failed. They tried 2 more times to start it up, both failed. After about 20 minutes after the "thud", the Captain came on and announced the #4 engine had a problem and would be off for the remainder of the flight, so it would take an extra 25 minutes to get to LAS than planned. Almost immediately after the announcement, the inflight call button for row 26 or so started going off. There was no one seated anywhere close to this row. It went off about 5 times and the Inflight finally just left it on so it would stop "dinging". There was maybe a total of 150 pax on the plane and I heard the F/A say that Businesss Class was full of all the non-revs. Most of us in Coach had out own rows to lay out and sleep in since the plane left HNL late and it was about a 11:45pm out of HNL. We landed almost an hour late. Sorry to ramble.
I hope AWA doesn't amke the same mistake again. Just my thoughts.......
The only 767 with RR engines that I could find are run by British Airways.
I remember reading somewhere that BA was looking at least lowering there numbers of 767's.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=5913...NzAy&static=yes
I remember reading somewhere that BA was looking at least lowering there numbers of 767's.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=5913...NzAy&static=yes
HPearlyretiree
Veteran
- Nov 6, 2002
- 1,881
- 1,614
My flight had a problem with the main gear doors, they wouldn't shut, the gear had punctured the fuselage. We landed back at HNL (rough landing, last row!), sat on plane for a while, then got off for a few hours, then back on for an hour or so, then off again, I nonrevved a flight to SFO on Phillipines later that morning, but only employees could do that, no spouses, no buddy passes, ugly weekend. The plane was the only 747 left, it got turned around the next night and ended up being stranded in HNL for about 4 days.
PHX Flyer
Member
<< The AWA rumor sounds bogus to me. >>
There never was an AWA "rumor". It was mere speculation, and I brought it up. Recently, AWA pilots were told that the company was looking into obtaining ETOPS certification for the B757, and they figured there were two ways to go about it: one was to simply apply with the FAA and start the proving runs, or to acquire another "obscure, small....almost overlooked airline" (verbatim quote) with an established ETOPS program (see msg # 70329 and also # 70531 on the Yahoo! board). North American happens to fit that profile, but they are by no means the only one. Personally, I think that for a number of reasons AWA would be much better off buying Hawaiian Airlines.
In any case, this once again indicates that AWA does indeed have draft plans in the drawer to grow through acquisition(s), and they are certainly in a position to do so.
There never was an AWA "rumor". It was mere speculation, and I brought it up. Recently, AWA pilots were told that the company was looking into obtaining ETOPS certification for the B757, and they figured there were two ways to go about it: one was to simply apply with the FAA and start the proving runs, or to acquire another "obscure, small....almost overlooked airline" (verbatim quote) with an established ETOPS program (see msg # 70329 and also # 70531 on the Yahoo! board). North American happens to fit that profile, but they are by no means the only one. Personally, I think that for a number of reasons AWA would be much better off buying Hawaiian Airlines.
In any case, this once again indicates that AWA does indeed have draft plans in the drawer to grow through acquisition(s), and they are certainly in a position to do so.
AWA should be considering to buy nobody. They have huge debt obligations and are only operating today because of a gov't bail-out (ATSB). They seemed to have turn the corner, but please don't start down the same old road again. Otherwise it will be vintage America West in Bankruptcy, again...
I just came up with the webpage! It is under construction, but I'll give you the webpage anyway. It is www.festivalairlines.com! 
I just came up with the webpage! It is under construction, but I'll give you the webpage anyway. It is www.festivalairlines.com!
Business: Economy
Startup Festival Airlines to base operations in Rockford
By Heath Hixson
ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
ROCKFORD — A combination of factors lifted Chicago/Rockford International Airport over about a dozen other airports to become the operations center for Festival Airlines, a Chicago-based startup that announced Thursday it expects to begin passenger service this year from Rockford and other Midwest airports.
Executives from the low-fare, vacation-only airline announced the company’s plans in front of a packed waiting area on the first floor of the Rockford airport terminal. Festival Airlines expects to fly a fleet of Boeing 757-200 airplanes that hold around 200 passengers each and eventually plans to offer flights from 35 airports across the country.
More than two years in the making, the company that includes executives and board members with extensive backgrounds in the aviation and technology industries expects to potentially add up to 100 employees in Rockford over the next few years. Those employees would staff the operations center, the behind-the-scenes operation that handles the administrative end of the airline.
“We chose Rockford because Rockford is an extraordinary resource,†said Festival Airlines Chairman and CEO Carl George. “The infrastructure is here. You have had some great successes: the expansion of the (DaimlerChrysler) Belvidere plant, the landing of Lowe’s, the community is on a roll. We want to be part of this. And we want to learn how we could be a better part of it as time goes by.â€
DaimlerChrysler is nearing completion of its $419 million retooling of the Belvidere plant to allow for the production of Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass models, as well as others. Lowe’s Cos., the second-largest chain of home improvement stores in nation, is building a $100 million, 1.4-million-square-foot regional distribution center in southwest Rockford.
George said the airport’s infrastructure, specifically its 10,000- and 8,200-foot runways, also helped propel it over competing sites. He said the airport’s easy access for customers and employees, as well as the region’s available pool of workers with aviation experience, helped secure the operations center. Festival expects to eventually construct a building to house the center.
“They want to be in proximity to their operations, so that almost certainly means on (the northwest) side of the airport,†said Bob O’Brien, airport executive director. “We have the beautiful Rock River as one of our boundaries, and a beautiful office complex adjacent to the terminal here, overlooking the Rock River, providing a business atmosphere to both conduct work as well as to have a good quality of life associated with fine offices.â€
While Festival officials did not say when ticket sales would begin, when the first flight would launch or exactly what destinations would be featured, they did say the inaugural flight will depart from Chicago/Rockford, with flights to follow at Chicago’s Midway International Airport. Initially, the airline expects to offer two flights a day to up to eight destinations a week at each airport it serves.
Destinations will depend upon demand and seasonality and will include international vacation spots in Mexico and the Caribbean, George said.
“We are a vacation-only airline. What’s that mean? We fly airplanes to leisure destinations. What are leisure destinations? There are about 60 leisure destinations in the Western Hemisphere: Fort Lauderdale, San Diego, places like Hilton Head, places like Anchorage,†George said. “We will service all these and others. We will change our flights throughout the year to match up with what the public’s needs are.â€
Round-trip flights would range from $150 to $350.
George said backers of the privately funded airline would spend at least $140 million over three phases, but he declined to release details on the phases.
Airports in Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis and St. Louis would be added after those in the Chicago region, he said.
But flights could be months away, as the company has not yet filed the paperwork with the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation required to gain certification.
“They have to become certificated before they become an airline,†said Elizabeth Isham Cory, a Chicago-based spokeswoman for the FAA. She said the process could take several months, if not years.
George said that the company intends to gain certification as a regularly scheduled airline, similar to such big-name carriers as United Airlines or Northwest Airlines, rather than a public charter operation like the now-defunct TransMeridian Airlines. He said Festival Airlines will submit the paperwork soon.
In the meantime, the company will likely sell vacation packages and contract with other air carriers to enter the marketplace and attract customers, he said.
The evolution of the company and whether it lives up to the hype remain to be seen. Already, some industry analysts are saying Festival Airlines doesn’t have a chance to succeed, but others point out that niche airlines have been succeeding in recent years.
“Ten years ago, these startup airlines were written off as dead. Now they are coming out of the woodwork,†said Joseph Schwieterman, a DePaul University professor and aviation expert. “JetBlue has proven that there is room for niche carriers. ... Southwest Airlines and JetBlue have both shown little interest in small markets. There is plenty of room for lost-cost airlines in markets such as Rockford.â€
Similar threads
