newstodate.aero
Jan 24, 2013 (newstodate): Greenland may see the launch of a new privately-owned airline from summer 2013, offering cheap flights between Greenland, Denmark and Iceland.
Behind the project is an international group of investors from the UK, Holland and Dubai, and with preparations already well advanced the project will move ahead once traffic rights have been granted by Greenland's government that is currently handling the application by Greenland Express.
-We were earlier told that a decision would be made today, January 24, but this has now been postponed till January 31, 2013, says Gert Brask, heading the project and future Greenland Express CEO.
Existing plans include flights from Copenhagen and Aalborg in Denmark and Keflavik at Iceland to Narsarsuak and Kangerlussuaq in Greenland, using an A320 Family aircraft on a six-month leasing contract with a Dutch provider.
-To save time from the start, we will launch operations on the basis of the Dutch partner's AOC, but once we get airborne we will apply for a Danish AOC - a process that requires a significant amount of time, says Mr Brask.
-From the start we will operate with a mix of Dutch, Danish and Greenlandic crew, gradually moving towards pure Danish/Greenlandic crews as hiring and training gains momentum. Eventually, we expect to employ about 60 people at Greenland Express, he says.
-Matters of interlining and onward travel options are already being negotiated with partners, slots at Danish and Icelandic airports have been secured, so it all now hinges on the political decision in Greenland where the state is co-owner of Air Greenland, which may of course constitute an issue in itself.
-It is, however, our plan to expand the market for air travel to and from Greenland through low fares aiming at the tourist sector and generating new business, rather than merely snatching a bite of the existing market, says Mr Brask.
Included in the business plan is also air cargo, where preparations for opening up for cargo sales are also well advanced.
Behind the project is an international group of investors from the UK, Holland and Dubai, and with preparations already well advanced the project will move ahead once traffic rights have been granted by Greenland's government that is currently handling the application by Greenland Express.
-We were earlier told that a decision would be made today, January 24, but this has now been postponed till January 31, 2013, says Gert Brask, heading the project and future Greenland Express CEO.
Existing plans include flights from Copenhagen and Aalborg in Denmark and Keflavik at Iceland to Narsarsuak and Kangerlussuaq in Greenland, using an A320 Family aircraft on a six-month leasing contract with a Dutch provider.
-To save time from the start, we will launch operations on the basis of the Dutch partner's AOC, but once we get airborne we will apply for a Danish AOC - a process that requires a significant amount of time, says Mr Brask.
-From the start we will operate with a mix of Dutch, Danish and Greenlandic crew, gradually moving towards pure Danish/Greenlandic crews as hiring and training gains momentum. Eventually, we expect to employ about 60 people at Greenland Express, he says.
-Matters of interlining and onward travel options are already being negotiated with partners, slots at Danish and Icelandic airports have been secured, so it all now hinges on the political decision in Greenland where the state is co-owner of Air Greenland, which may of course constitute an issue in itself.
-It is, however, our plan to expand the market for air travel to and from Greenland through low fares aiming at the tourist sector and generating new business, rather than merely snatching a bite of the existing market, says Mr Brask.
Included in the business plan is also air cargo, where preparations for opening up for cargo sales are also well advanced.