newstodate.aero
Oct 29, 2012 (newstodate): In a surprising move, Iceland's latecomer to the LCC business, WOW Air last week took over its long-established competitor Iceland Express.
The deal is an outright acquisition, meaning the the Iceland Express-brand will disappear from the market with immediate effect while WOW Air takes over its customer data base and European route network.
WOW Air will thus increase frequency on a number of key routes, including flights to Copenhagen and London, and new routes and flights will be introduced from next summer's schedule.
Launching its first flight on June 1, 2012, WOW Air was established by by Skuli Mogensen and Matthias Imsland, former Iceland Express CEO.
WOW Air's flights have been performed with two Airbus A320-200 aircraft, operated by the Icelandic-owned Lithuanian ACMI provider Avion Express, and flying on an Lithuanian AOC as Avion Express' other aircraft.
WOW Air now intends to add a further two Airbus A320 aircraft from the next summer's schedule on a network comprising London, Copenhagen, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Milan, Zurich, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Berlin, Lyon, Alicante, Frankfurt, Vilnius and Warsaw.
Iceland Express was set up in 2012, with first flight on February 27, 2003, using two Boeing Boeing 737-300 aircraft wet leased from Astraeus.
After serious problems with Astreus, Iceland Express changed to two lease of Airbus A320 aircraft provided by Holidays CSA.
The deal is an outright acquisition, meaning the the Iceland Express-brand will disappear from the market with immediate effect while WOW Air takes over its customer data base and European route network.
WOW Air will thus increase frequency on a number of key routes, including flights to Copenhagen and London, and new routes and flights will be introduced from next summer's schedule.
Launching its first flight on June 1, 2012, WOW Air was established by by Skuli Mogensen and Matthias Imsland, former Iceland Express CEO.
WOW Air's flights have been performed with two Airbus A320-200 aircraft, operated by the Icelandic-owned Lithuanian ACMI provider Avion Express, and flying on an Lithuanian AOC as Avion Express' other aircraft.
WOW Air now intends to add a further two Airbus A320 aircraft from the next summer's schedule on a network comprising London, Copenhagen, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Milan, Zurich, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Berlin, Lyon, Alicante, Frankfurt, Vilnius and Warsaw.
Iceland Express was set up in 2012, with first flight on February 27, 2003, using two Boeing Boeing 737-300 aircraft wet leased from Astraeus.
After serious problems with Astreus, Iceland Express changed to two lease of Airbus A320 aircraft provided by Holidays CSA.