Airline Startups Connect and Breeze Share Early Survival Strategies
Skift Take
Top executives at Connect Airlines and Breeze Airways both alluded to the high-risk nature of the aviation business, but they also said that it's a good time to start up a carrier. It seems both companies are doing the early heavy lifting they will need to be successful.
There is a pilot shortage in the airline industry, but that’s no problem for Connect Airlines.
The Massachusetts-based airline startup, which plans to begin services in January, has been able to pay top dollar for all the pilots it needs, according to John Thomas, CEO of Connect Airlines. He shared the information Wednesday at the Skift Aviation Forum, held at the Statler Hotel in downtown Dallas.
Because much of the industry is retiring their Q400 aircrafts — which is what Connect Airlines is using for its service launch — the company’s lease costs are one-third of what they would have been three years ago.
