New carrier to fill XL void?
A proportion of the capacity lost with the collapse of XL Leisure Group and its 21-strong airline fleet is likely to be filled by next summer.
The prospect was raised during a Question Time session at the ABTA Travel Convention by Chris Photi, a senior partner at White Hart Associates which advises travel companies on regulatory, licensing and bonding issues.
“Someone will come and provide the capacity, some are already gearing up to do that,†he told delegates.
His comments came as speculation mounted at the convention that a new seat only company called Kiss Flights was being established by unnamed backers to fill the vacuum left with the failure of XL and its in-house carrier XL Airways.
Fomer managers at XL-owned seat-only arm Freedom Fights were discussing the new start-up at the convention.
Former Freedom Flights managing director Paul Moss has reportedly become a director of Kiss which is working with Gatwick-based aviation broker Meridian Aviation.
While major tour operators have welcomed the capacity reduction resulting from the XL failure, many smaller tour firms with programmes particularly to Greece and the Geek islands have been left without aircraft availability for next summer.
XL Airways provided a large proportion of third party flying for a range of specialist operators, many who are now in a precarious position due to the absence of adequate air lift.
*See Kiss Flights website story
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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