July 2, 2008
OpenSkies to buy L’Avion, will fly Orly to JFK, Newark
British Airways today agreed to buy L’Avion, the low-fare business-class airline that flies between New York and Paris, in order to combine the French airline with BA’s two-week-old premium-class spinoff, OpenSkies.
BA values the acquisition at Euro 68 million, including cash of Euro 33 million.
OpenSkies currently has only one plane, and flies seven days a week between JFK and Orly. L’Avion has two planes, travelling five days a week between Orly and Newark. Those routes would be maintained “as is” after the companies merge, though in theory at least one of the planes could peel off for use to another city as OpenSkies gets permission for new routes out of New York.
An OpenSkies spokesman today told NewYorkology he couldn’t comment on new routes, but
in June the company said Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Milan are popssible next destinations.
L’Avion, the last survivor of the recent all-business class airline trend, has been flying since January 2007. SilverJet folded in May, Eos went bust in April and MaxJet pulled the plug on Christmas Eve.
Earlier: Inside upscale OpenSkies after first landing at JFK
July 2, 2008 8:59 AM in Arrivology
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