FLYi wants to be Ual Express again?

[bluefin]

Just read that independance air is putting in a bid to get United back, any one else hear that? This might be the back door way for UAL express carriers to start flying Airbus 318's. I can see and hear it now, Flyi starts flying the bus for UAL then Skywest starts screaming, "if they can do it, then why can't we", then Mesa, then AWAC, you get the drift...............

 

[GogglesPisano]

There's an article (written by a reporter in a vacuum) in today's USAToday. UAL approached several carriers last month (including FlyI.) FlyI management has a fiduciary responsibility to evaluate all options and they are doing that. If they didn't the board/shareholders would remove them (they had to "consider" the Mesa takeover attempt last year too.)


You'll notice there is no comment from UAL or FlyI in that article.

I'd be surprised if FlyI were able to underbid some of the other regionals out there. But, with the amount of cash we are hemorraghing you never know what was in the bid.

 

[FarginDooshbahg]

Just read that independance air is putting in a bid to get United back, any one else hear that?

Evidently others did hear that...

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=45071

 

[w4mch]

"FLYi is continuing to pursue negotiations with the company's aircraft lenders and lessors to restructure its obligations. During this process, the company also is having discussions with other airlines regarding potential strategic or business opportunities. As a matter of policy FLYi does not comment on or respond to speculation on these matters. The company also is continuing to develop its Independence Air brand and, with the recent delivery of its fourth 132-passenger Airbus A319 aircraft, has announced the introduction of new non-stop service from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) in West Palm Beach, FL to begin on February 1, 2005 and service to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, FL beginning February 17, 2005."

 

[w4mch]

My post above is a copy from the press release issued this evening from FLYi.

It is important to remember that UAL included FLYi in the carriers they sent RFPs to concerning AWAC flying. FLYi has not said they responded at all. The major stockholder released a letter several months ago pressuring FLYi to submit a proposal in response to the RFP.

Again, UAL asked FLYi (as well as others) to throw in a bid, not the other way around.

Personally, I find it curious that everyone is calling the RJ a dead duck in today's marketplace, but UAL is offloading domestic capacity to the RJ as their grand plan. As for FLYi flying RJs, we are just flying what we had at the end of the UAX work. Given a "clean start" we would not be flying them.

Saying this is a way to get regionals flying busses under legacy colors is a stretch. We'd rather fly them under our own colors.

 

[Heavy Set]

UAL wants Independence Air out of the way so that it can regain its price monopoly out of IAD... Independence Air is bleeding cash. Wouldn't surprise me if it happened. However, I am not sure that I would want to be tied to the Titanic in this case...