Max Jet Out of Business Today

Skymess

Veteran
Aug 6, 2004
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One down, one to go.
Looks like it's just EOS and us now.


MAXjet expects to liquidate business
Mon Dec 24, 2007 12:37pm EST


NEW YORK (Reuters) - MAXjet Airways (MAXJ.L: Quote, Profile, Research), faced with high fuel costs and competition, said on Monday it had ceased operations and expected to liquidate all or part of its business.

The company, which operated all business class flights from London to New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, said its board had authorised it to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States, as tough market conditions had precluded any further fund-raising.

MAXjet said the filing for bankruptcy protection will enable it to "conduct an orderly liquidation of assets."

"The board has no choice but to inform that the company cannot continue to operate," it said.

The company said its shareholders were unlikely to realize any value and that its shares would remain suspended.

"Our management team and directors vigorously explored alternative courses but sadly determined that a bankruptcy filing would best protect our customers and creditors," Chief Executive William Stockbridge said.

MAXjet suspended trading of its stock on December 7 as a result of an "inability to clarify its financial position," it said.

At the time it was in advanced talks to get financing and expected to close the deal before year-end, MAXjet said. But the board had determined that the proposed financing was unlikely to succeed in a timely manner, it said.

The company said it had contracted and prepaid Eos Airlines for about 500 seats to accommodate passengers awaiting a return flight between New York and London. Continued...

It said it had also contracted and prepaid for 450 hotel rooms in London, New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles through early January 2008 for those whose travel plans had been disrupted.

(Reporting by Paritosh Bansal; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
 
One down, one to go.
Looks like it's just EOS and us now.
As I wrote on the RDU thread, I wonder how long the Stansted service will continue.
Associated Press:
NEW YORK (AP) -- MAXjet Airways ceased operations on Monday -- leaving jets on tarmacs and stranding passengers on Christmas Eve -- as the all-business class airline filed for bankruptcy protection.

MAXjet took what it called a "drastic measure" because of soaring fuel prices and the deteriorating credit market. But analysts suggested competition from AMR Corp.'s American Airlines on one of MAXjet's key routes also played a big role.

"High fuel prices were a contributing factor, but American's inauguration in October of (service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and London's Stansted Airport) ... was the coup de grace," said Robert Mann, an airline consultant in Port Washington, N.Y.
 
AA intends to stay at STN regardless of what happens with others, assuming the service performs well (and so far, STN is performing surprisingly well.

AA is flying to STN for two reasons. One reason is MaxJet and Eos, but the other one, which is just as important, is that with Heathrow now open to everybody, AA wants to offer the competitive advantage of being the only U.S. airline serving all three major London airports.

Again, if STN starts to perform poorly in the future, it will end, but given how well the flights have been doing early on, especially on top notch cargo yields, STN has a good shot of sticking around.
 
How many times has "all-business-class" or "all-first-class" service been tried now? And, how many times has it succeeded? You would think someone would have spotted a trend here. But, seems like there is always someone with more money than sense who thinks he knows something about the travel industry that no one else has ever known before.
 
Yep. McClains (late 80's) failed, MGM (early 90's) faied, Ultrair (early 90's, tried to reinvent themselves as an all-coach carrier after failing at all F), and of course, Legend (late 90's)...

The only possible success is Midwest Airlines (YX). Even that's dubious, since they caved on single class within the past couple years. But they were successful for at least 14 years. Being owned by Kimberly-Clark didn't hurt -- YX was born out of K-C's corporate aviation division, and was a wholly owned subsidiary up until 1995. KC spun it off in an IPO in Sept 95, and sold their majority interest by 1996.

Dunno if AA will stay at STN... When the belt tightening comes, I'd expect both STN and LGW to close.
 
Given AA's current massive portfolio to the UK I would expect STN to be served for a long time. EOS and Maxjet fly to STN because they got incentives from the BAA for Longhaul from there or the cheaper airport costs. LHR and LGW are crowded compared tp ST. STN is primarily and EasyJET and Ryanair operation. Will EOS continue to operate from STN or try to move to LHR, we shall see.

LHR's BIG THREE, AA, BA and Virgin, will really make its life miserable if they invade their space, no matter how great those 48 seat 757's are.
 

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