Flyglobespan boss talks to the Times
08.06.08
Tom Darymple, the founder and owner of Scottish budget airline Flyglobespan, gave a wide ranging interview published in the Times today. We have outlined some of the more interesting comments below. For the full story, click on this link.
Mr Darymple's experience in the travel business is such that he was on the first charter flight out of Scotland in 1965. The veteran tour operator started Flyglobespan in 2002, after suffering a long delay on a cheap flight from London to Scotland.
Despite the problems with the airline's transatlantic flights last summer - engine problems and the loss of its ETOPS licence saw the airline plunge to a £19m loss - he revealled that he is not giving up on the Atlantic. He told the newspaper: ‘I flew on the first charter out of Scotland and built my business on the Atlantic. I have fought these battles all my life and I love it.’
He added that all 21 aircraft in its fleet this year are owned or operated by the airline and, with the peak summer season now upon us, Flyglobespan is ‘optimistic’ about making a profit this year.
Mr Darymple discussed the threat of legal action from the Civil Aviation Authority, saying that the dispute revolves around the airline's CAA-approved minimum equipment list (MEL), which details what must be functioning on the plane before it is allowed to fly. He said: 'There is an interpretation that we made, as far as flying this aircraft, that we say is in accordance with the MEL. The CAA’s view is that some items are not, but we are defending our position aggressively . . . that was an aircraft that flew in compliance with MEL.’
His aim for Flyglobespan has been to build a Scottish-based low-cost carrier competing with rivals such as easyJet and Ryanair, while offering more. Europe remains its bread and butter, but it is one of the first to get Boeing’s new, lighter, more efficient 787 Dreamliners, which will allow it to fly much further. The planes are late and no decision has yet been made on where they will fly.
Fuel remains a worry. Flyglobespan is ‘about three-quarters hedged’ against further rises in oil prices, however 'we burn more fuel because we are so far north. Every flight is three to four hours minimum, not the hour-long hops of the Ryans and Easys. So we got rid of our old gas-guzzling planes and now we have the most fuel-efficient fleet in the land.’
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