Starting up a Airline

   Lets Take Eastern Air lines for example:

How i would run that carrier.

While Eastern Air lines choice for the 737-800NG and MAX aircraft are great i believe that the order is miss applied. For if you want to beat your competition you must be able to operate out of secondary airports that they can't serve. My Aircraft choice would be the 737-700/800SFP.

WHY THE 737-SFP?

SFP=Short Field Performance

The SFP designed by Boeing can land on 4,300Ft runways and takeoff from 4,300Ft Runways making it ideal for non-stop service to secondary airports serving major South American and north American Cities with very short runways not served by the major carriers. This would allow a start-up like Eastern Air Lines to Provide Service from airports like Trenton Mercer, Westchester, Islip, PVD-Providence T.F. Green to San Juan/PR.
                                                            

I would order the following:

(20) 737-700SFP & (10) 737-800SFP

Secondly I of would not pick Miami International as my main hub as any carrier operating of Miami will loose to American. No My Hub Choice would be Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan.

You may ask why i think San Juan's Luis Munoz Marin International Airport is the perfect choice as a first hub for a start-up carrier as there is a lot of competition to San Juan from the United States. And yes I realize that this is Hub to American Airlines!! 

How to Service San Juan as a start up.

There are many destinations with little or no competition from South America.

Lima/Peru, Quito/Ecuador,  Valencia/Venezuela, Bogota/Columbia, Fortaleza/Brazil, Georgetown/Guyana, Cuzco/Peru, Sao Paulo/Brazil on to North American Destinations like Trenton Mercer -- Hanscom/Boston Westchester  --  Buffalo/NY,  Islip --  PVD-Providence T.F. Green, MIA, PBI --  La Guardia 

I would cancel the MRJ-90

I would cancel the MRJ-90 for 40 aircraft. Doing so would allow Eastern the financial ability to Order 78 Regional Turboprops like the Dash8-Q400 & 4 Twin Otter 400 series.

Turboprop Fleet 

Twin Otter-400 & Pontoon

Dash8-Q400 Plus

Wide-body Selection

787-8 & 787-10

And be Launch customer for the Sonic Cruiser

                              
Also I believe that Eastern as American and Delta should continue to press Boeing harder for the 757 replacement aircraft the 737-10MAX.

Changes in Airlines and Industry

ATR is developing a 90 to 100 Seater Turboprop.

Bombardier announced a 90 seater Dash8-Q400 Turboprop

Eastern Air lines CEO has stepped Down for unexplained reasons. 

Eastern Air lines Searches for new CEO to take the airline forward. 

Boeing says it will announce decision on 737-10 MAX this fall to counter A321 NEO Popularity.

The MRJ-90 from Mitsubishi has finally begun tests here in the United States.

Silver Airways which got the most routes to Cuba nine in total was bought.

GLO Airways continues to Expand its fleet and destinations.

Orange Air has announced that it will start to receive 737-800NG.

Eastern Air lines plans a major move into San Juan next month and Los Angeles -- Nassau charters at first moving into scheduled service with interline agreements with Air China and Korean Air.

New Aircraft should start to arrive fresh from Boeing leased from ALC N281EA and N283EA are both do this month.

Next Update will be on October 24th

PA Coastal Airways: TravelSpan is Chartering Eastern Air lines aircraf...

PA Coastal Airways: TravelSpan is Chartering Eastern Air lines aircraf...: TravelSpan is Chartering Eastern Air lines aircraft to Guyana from Miami and JFK. Please Note that they also Charter Caribbean Airlines, Dyn...

TravelSpan is Chartering Eastern Air lines aircraft to Guyana from Miami and JFK. Please Note that they also Charter Caribbean Airlines, Dynamic Air, Jet Blue, American Airlines, and Delta. Here At PA Coastal airways Route planners we believe that if Eastern Air Lines were to lease 4-8 more 737-800NG Aircraft from lets say Air Berlin's fleet they could replace Delta, Jet Blue as charters for TravelSpan. We would also like to suggest that Eastern Air Lines buy a percentage/Stock of Dynamic Air, Pineapple Air, Nature Air and Finally Air Panama.

Pineapple Air

(2) Beechcraft 1900D

(2) Beechcraft 1900C

(1) Embraer 110 Bandeirante

Beechcraft 1900D

 Embraer 110 Bandeirante

Pineapple Air Schedule

Nature Air

Let L-410

De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300

Nature Air Route Map

Air Panama

HUB

Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport

Fleet

737-300

Fokker 100

Fokker 50

Route Map

Eastern Air Lines

Aircraft

Charter Fleet

Boeing 737-700NG & 737-800NG

737-700NG

737-800NG

Currently Eastern Air lines, lead by Ed Wegel, is building a growing charter fleet of Boeing 737-700/800NG aircraft at Miami International Airport. Eastern Air Lines is providing charter service through Charter Companies/Travel Agencies, like Havana Air, to beautiful and exotic cities such as Havana/Cuba, Holquin/Cuba, Camaquay/Cuba, Santa Clara/Cuba, Santiago/Cuba and other  Charter Companies/Travel Agencies like Travelspan that provide service to Georgetown Guyana out of Miami International Airport and out of JFK. As well as to Costa Rica, Hati, The Dominican Republic, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, and coming soon Grenada, Venezuela and many more exotic and fun destinations. 

Eastern Air lines also is the official Airline of:

• The University of Miami's Athletic department. 
• The Florida Panthers
• The San Francisco Giants

Eastern Air lines has also placed firm orders for 10 Boeing 737-800MAX Aircraft with 10 Options. Plus 20 Mitsubishi MRJ-90 Aircraft and 20 Options. 

Eastern Airlines

737-800 MAX

10 Ordered 10 Options

Eastern Air lines 

20 MRJ-90 on Order

Commercial Service

Eastern Air lines plans to go Commercial October 2016 offering service to Cuba and points and beyond. It also plans to begin construction of it's maintenance and Simulator facility at Miami international Airport this fall. Eastern air Lines current plans are to serve the international markets in the Caribbean, Central, and South America to Points in the United States and Canada. Miami, JFK, Orlando, and Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada will be the first U.S. cities served. For Continued updates on please check out their twitter page Eastern Air Lines.

Which engine is more efficient: 

turboprop vs jet?

Are turboprops really more efficient than jets?

If yes, does that mean that airlines who use jets sacrifice fuel for faster flights?

The short answer to both your questions are Yes. The long answer is, it's not so simple.

Turboprop Aircraft Making a Comeback

 It’s much more economical to operate a turboprop than a jet. Any day.

Three turboprop operators in the United States such as Burlington, Vermont-based CommutAir, Salisbury, Maryland-based Piedmont Airlines and Fort Lauderdale, Florida based Silver Airways have all found operational success using solely turboprops,

as opposed to regional jets. 

While Some airlines have always operated with a mix of turboprops and regional jets, there are exceptions. For example, Silver Airways went with turboprops from its beginning. Silver Airways was established in May 2011, with the assets from the former Gulfstream International Airlines, and started operating a fleet of Beechcraft 1900s and  began adding Saab 340B turboprops in January 2012. Today, Silver operates a fleet of 27 Saab 340Bs.

So why are regional airlines starting to favor turboprops over the once popular 50-seat jet? 

The main reason is economics, even with petrol prices low as they currently are, a airline can not take a chance that they will stay low forever. Plus the fact that leasing or buying 737/A320 is far more expensive that leasing or buying Turboprops not to mention operating costs. Then fuel costs for example on Silver Airways Saab 340B aircraft burn 60% less fuel per hour than a 70 Seat regional jet. Now if a market can support a 70 Seater jet it is more economical than a Saab.

Today's Ultra Modern Turboprops

Having Said that we must look at the more modern Bombardier Dash8-Q400 and ATR-600. These two aircraft companies are a world apart. The Economics of the ATR is second to none do to many factors, speed being one. While the Dash8-Q400 is not quite as fuel efficient as the ATR, it is much faster offering turboprop economics with jet like performance. Allowing more frequencies in a day. It also can hold much more cargo than the ATR. And the Dash8-Q400 carries many more passengers than the ATR, up to 90 where as the ATR only carries 70.

Dash8-Q400

With Extra Seating

             Bombardier Dash 8 Q-400 Vs ATR 72-600

Listen how quiet the Dash8-Q400 is.

The ATR also very quiet

Silver Airway Route Map using Saab340B Aircraft

Credits to Airways Magazine, The Flying Engineer, Saab Corp, ATR, Bombardier of Canada.

Starting up  an Airline

How to Beat the Competition

Choosing the right Airports

First it is very Important when starting up a new Airline that one think out of the box, so as to have a clear strategy on how one can beat the competition.

1) Choose an airport Currently not being served by most majors if you can. 

IE: Secondary Airports Like

Domestic Airports

A) Long Island Mac Arthur Airport ( American & Southwest & National Airlines)

B) Orlando Sanford International Airport (National Airlines & Allegiant Airlines)

C) Trenton Mercer Airport (Frontier Airlines)

D) Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (Allegiant Airlines)

Are Just a Few Examples of Secondary Airports.

                             Choosing the right Aircraft

2) Secondly Choosing the right aircraft is very important for a start-up if it wants to beat its competition!!

Most Airlines have Boeing or Airbus Aircraft, of these aircraft there are a few exceptions.

Boeing Developed in Conjunction with GOL the 737SFP, this aircraft can land on very small runways of 4,300 Feet. Airbus is also developing a SFP type aircraft. 

The 737-700/800/900 allows a airline to land in the heart of many major cities using secondary airports not served by major airlines. Very few airlines have this type of aircraft.

There are many Secondary Airports  located in some o f the finest cities in the world 

ie. Secondary International Airports

Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport Panama City Panama ( Served only by Air Panama)

São Paulo/Congonhas Airport (Served By Avianca Brazil, GOL, Azul, Tam)

Jorge Newbery Airfield Buenos Aires Served By  Aerolíneas Argentinas, GOL, TAM, LAN, LADE.

Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport Anguilla Served by Liat, Air SunShine, Seaborne, Winair 

Ponce/Puerto Rico, and many many more: Served by jet Blue out of JFK

And many Many more

The Money Maker

Another aircraft one must have in ones fleet is the Twin Otter. The Twin otter is very economical and can provide service where no major airline can. The Twin Otter can land on runways as short as 400 meters and also has the capabilities to land on the water. Thus taking your passengers to exotic destinations that the Major Airlines can not.

While these choices sound simple and easy, many start-ups fail due to the fact that they either chose the wrong Airport or wrong aircraft or both.  Here at PA Coastal; Airway we feel that this simple plan is vital for ones survival.