Newair ready to go!

[tincanflyer]

New airline getting set to jet
UPDATED: 2008-08-22 03:40:18 MST


Oilsands hub is 737-ready

By MARKUS ERMISCH, SUN MEDIA

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Fledgling Calgary airline NewAir just received tentative permission for takeoff but is still waiting to ink a key contract with an unspecified Canadian company to fly workers to job sites.

Spokesman Dean McKenzie said the airline, led by a number of former WestJet executives, will start service this fall but is still finalizing a deal with "a major business in Canada to fly their employees to specific destinations."

Pending finalization of that contract, McKenzie said NewAir and Tours will decide which regular passenger markets to serve.

Although McKenzie wouldn't reveal who their contract partner is and where the carrier plans to operate, Alberta's oilsands are a likely destination.

Ft. McMurray Airport executive Sally Beaven said a number of the scheduled carriers fly workers to the oilsands hub. Further, about five oilsands mines in the area operate airstrips large enough for a Boeing 737, the aircraft NewAir will use, to land and take off.




NewAir will start with a single, new-generation Boeing 737 but plans to negotiate "almost immediately for a second and third aircraft once we determine the contract and the go-forward plan," McKenzie said, noting a deciding factor in selecting that type of aircraft was its fuel efficiency.

Depending on the terms of the contract, NewAir may serve cities underserved by Canada's main carriers and fly to a single destination down south, McKenzie said.

Aviation analyst Rick Erickson said NewAir's tentative business plan makes sense and is good news for Calgary, already home to WestJet.

NewAir, he said, "could easily grow into a significant operation" that will be "adding to the richness of the Calgary aviation community."

Flying as a contract carrier, he said, is "very robust business" and could leave room, even with one aircraft, to make three to four weekly flights to a destination such as Las Vegas.

To date, NewAir is entirely Canadian-financed, but the company is still looking for additional investment.

[linecrew]

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[square]

Raw Sugar Simpy Squidoo Spurl Blink Bits Rojo

I thought I was the only one!!

[oldtimer]

First obstacle they will face is gate positions at the various terminals. It is rumored that Canadian North may be required to stop at the main terminal in YXE for secuity processing instead of going to an FBO. That will cost big dollars.

[The Mole]

oil companies have big dollars. That's why they built there own air strips. Its easier to contract out services. That way if the don't like something or things slow down. Its very easy to say bye bye.

[Troubleshot]

Personally I think this company has nailed it...I mean they are going after a very wealthy customer(s) that are crying for a dedicated company to run workers to their refinery's. The oil workers have named Flair Airlines "Scare Airlines"...which is probably not fair to Flair but that is the flying public for you.

I think you will see fairly big things from this company if they can line up some decent start-up cash for expansion.

[square]

There's already a lot of people doing crew changes into the YMM mines, Suncor has 3 RJs, Jazz does some, Mikisew's Regional1 dash-8, Flair, that FSCO Dornier, whosever that is, the "Empress" (don't know which company this is, but the callsign is empress anyway) 737s are in and out of CNRL/Horizon everyday, First Air now and then, Bar XH. Everyone does em, so there's a lot of competition to squeeze out, and who's to say the mines aren't happy with who they have already?

[B-rad]

.

[tincanflyer]

Speednews.com reports they just acquired a new 737-700 that was suppose to go to AirTran on the USA.

[matrix]

that FSCO Dornier

Shell

the "Empress"

Canadian North


Speculation is that New Air is getting the Suncor contract with their new Firebag airstrip.

[amraam]

Suncor is getting at least one more RJ of their own and have been using all kinds of other people to help them with uplift to their Firebag strip. An additional B737 isn't going to make a huge amount of difference, might just prevent Suncor from having to get Nolinor or Flair to provide theirs.

NewAir is definitely safely entering the market if their main focus is going to be doing these kind of charters, but it doesn't sound like they'll be doing what they've been promising the public (and their investors) for months, and providing charter service to southern locations for cities that are currently under-served by the 'big boys'.

WestJet served locations like CYBR on behalf of Air Transat and pulled out shortly after due to lack of loads and difficulty serving these markets during the winter months when the weather is crap and the airports don't have the facilities (or nav aids) in place to help accommodate them.

It will be interesting to see what market NewAir really does carve out for themselves with the rising fuel prices. I'm sure their business market has continued to change immensely due to this factor.

amraam

[rd1331]

Well there getting 737NGs.....thats a big step over the competition....they should really be able to price out the competition that is still using -200s. Maybe the other guys will have to go to NGs soon because of them. Just a thought, who knows....

[FICU]

Not quite as far as NG's but replacing the -200's will probably happen.

[Full Ins]

There's been an Air Tran 700 at YLW for a while, maybe that's their new bird??

[amraam]

I believe Speed News had reported that the Air Tran bird had gone to them, anyone have any idea what the temporary American (or Canadian) registration is? Will be interesting to see when it heads to the paint shop for its livery...

Canadian North et all have been shopping for replacements for their -200s for a long time. NGs aren't all that well suited for the gravel strips that most of those northern operators are flying into though...there are going to be an awful lot of -300 and -400s coming on the market soon though...

I doubt Suncor 'nickels and dimes' many of those charters...I expect they pay high dollar to get the aircraft available for when and where they want them.

amraam

[FICU]

-200's are the only 737 that can operate in and out of gravel and probably will be in our lifetime.

[Lowjack]

The name was revealed today, and their updated plans:

Former WestJet execs plan new charter airline

Scott Deveau
Canwest News Service


Monday, October 20, 2008


TORONTO - The latest charter airline venture by a group of former WestJet executives will fly under the moniker, Enerjet, management said Monday.

The new airline spearheaded by Tim Morgan, the former founder and head operations for WestJet Airlines Ltd., had been tentatively known as New Air and Tours.

But the Calgary-based airline, with its fleet of two Boeing 737-700s, says it now plans to begin offering charter operations throughout Canada at the beginning of next year under the Enerjet name and will launch a second tour operator brand in the third quarter of 2009, a full year later than originally anticipated.

Enerjet has already been in discussions to begin flying charter flights to Alberta's oilsands and other major industrial projects, but no contracts have been awarded yet, management said.

Names like Canadiana have already been patented by the group for the tour operation side, but Morgan said that name is no longer in the running.

While Enerjet only has an exemption right now from Transport Canada to fly, they expect their full licensing to be in place by the end of next month.

"Going forward, our new name, Enerjet, symbolizes Canada's strength and the entrepreneurial and dynamic drive of Canadians," Morgan said.

Originally, New Air had planned to launch as a travel tour operator flying between smaller "middle Canada" markets, such as Kelowna, B.C., and Fort McMurray, Alta., to sun destinations such as Las Vegas in winter. In the summer, it intended to fly from those secondary markets to tourist destinations within Canada. That plan is still intact, but won't launch until the second half of 2009.

Bill Lamberton, the head of marketing and sales for the airline, said Enerjet's charter service to move workers to these industrial projects will become the primary focus for the airline in the near term.

"The platform has changed," Lamberton said. "The initial platform now will be a charter operation, which is something that made it a little easier for us to get the operation flying and then roll out the second platform (the tour operator)."

© National Post 2008
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/new ... f962037b9b

[whipline]

To recap. They don't have an OC but they have two 737NG's and no signed contracts. Wow!!

[mattedfred]

NewAir & Tours
October 20th, 2008
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NewAir & Tours announces new name

Calgary, Alberta - NewAir & Tours announces its new name and unveils its corporate identity and logo. Enerjet is now the name of Canada’s newest airline venture.

“For the past 18 months NewAir & Tours has been the business planning brand for our project,” stated Tim Morgan, Enerjet’s President and CEO, “Going forward our new name, Enerjet, symbolizes Canada’s strength and the entrepreneurial and dynamic drive of Canadians.”

Enerjet will begin offering air charter operations throughout Canada in quarter one of 2009. The tour arm of the company will be launched in quarter three of 2009.
About Enerjet

Enerjet is a privately held Canadian Corporation based in Calgary, Alberta. We are an equal opportunity employer and adhere to Canada’s labor code and standards. We fly Boeing 737-700 Next-Generation Aircraft. For information regarding employment opportunities, charters or further background information, please visit our website at www.Enerjet.ca or contact:

Bill Lamberton, VP Marketing & Sales
Enerjet
Email: bill.lamberton [at] naatgroup.com
Telephone: (403) 648-2800

[Zapp Brannigan]

Is it just me or is Alberta obsessed with plays on the word "energy"?

Do these guys have any contracts or work at all yet?

[CYOX]

They should be consistent though, they state B737-700 and they have a picture of a B767 on there website.

[sideslip]

deleted

[gulfan]

Here's what the jet looks like. It's in Atlanta.

[bob sacamano]

Yellow ribbon for the troops?

Who does not want to wear the ribbon!?

[Conquest Driver]

Nice paint scheme.