Odyssey Airlines (UK) (London-City Airport) further to our previous reports, is a paper airline that is now planning to use crowdsourcing to raise its operating capital in order to begin operations from London City Airport in 2016 with Bombardier CSeries aircraft. The airline was incorporated in September 2010 and its registered director is Adam Scott, born 1979, who is also listed as a director for Calypso Aviation.
As we previously reported, Bombardier Aerospace (Montreal) disclosed that a previously announced firm order for 10 Bombardier CS100 aircraft was placed by Odyssey Airlines. The firm order was announced on June 24, 2011.
The would-be airline describes itself this way:
Odyssey Airlines will begin offering premium nonstop business class services direct from London City Airport to other major cities worldwide from 2016. Planned destinations include convenient and easy to access city centre airports in North America, the Middle East, and beyond.
Steeped in airline experience, the Odyssey team includes executives from other full-service and premium-only airlines. Odyssey will deliver convenient city centre departures, stress-free on ground experiences, nonstop routes, and exceptional service from door to door. Odyssey has been developed specifically with the time-conscious traveller in mind.
Utilizing an innovative seat configuration, Odyssey will operate the more fuel-efficient and greener Bombardier CSeries jet aircraft. The experience will be more akin to that of a private jet, including an all-new interior configuration, windows that are 40% larger than other aircraft, the longest fully flat beds in the commercial market, and many other features that we can’t wait to tell you about!
The Team: CLICK HERE
According to City A.M.:
“A new airline set up by a Goldman Sachs alumnus, which hopes to bring back business class-only flights to the States, is raising up to £5 million through crowd-funding.
Odyssey Airlines was founded by Adam Scott, a former banker who has assembled a team of start-up veterans including some of the founders of Silverjet, whose closure in 2008 was thought at the time to mark the end of such high-end carriers.
The airline has ordered 10 Bombardier CSeries planes, which will enable Odyssey to operate nonstop flights from London City Airport to New York when it launches in 2016. Scott is also sizing up other destinations up to eight hours from the capital.
Other trans-Atlantic operators at London City must stop at Shannon Airport to refuel, as City’s shorter runway and steep takeoff mean heavier aircraft are unable to leave with a full tank.
The Bombardier CSeries was “designed specifically for London City and difficult airports in mind”, Scott said. “In my own experiences of travelling, there’s nothing more frustrating than all the aggravation of going through big hubs, so I’m trying to find solution to those issues.”
The firm has launched a £5 m fundraising drive on the Crowdcube investing platform, which follows last year’s £2.185 m raising through the ThinCats peer-to-peer lending site.
At the time of writing, Odyssey has attracted investment of more than £252,000, taking it well on the way to its minimum Crowdcube goal of £1m. No word yet on the identities of the 32 early investors.”
