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| Ibiza Airways a Fun way to Fly! |
England has British Airways, Ireland has Ryanair and Lufthansa, flies the flag for Germany. Even the small Island of The Isle Of Man once had Manx Airlines based on its grounds. It has always perplexed me, that an Island like Ibiza, that relies so heavily on Tourism, should not have its own national carrier, or one that is based in Ibiza. Well, that situation may be about to change, as there are tentative plans to launch a new Ibiza Airline based on the Island. The President of the Ibiza Council, Vincent Serra, has stated that a group of Ibiza Entrepreneurs are seeking capital investment to launch a new airline. Speaking at the Prestigious, Internationale Tourismus Borse, (ITB) fair in Berlin, which was opened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, Mr Serra, highlighted the need for Winter flights into Ibiza.
Serra’s comments were in response to German Tour Operators, who said that while they expect the German market to grow by 12% in Ibiza this year, they are worried about connectivity issues to Ibiza for the months before and after the high season. The Spanish Minister for Tourism and Commerce, Jose Manuel Soria, echoed the connectivity problems, stating that he would like to see Airports charge lower fees to attract Airlines to operate out of season. On the issue of a dedicated Ibiza Airline, Vincent Serra stated that it would be a small operation flying into low cost bases. The unnamed Entrepreneurs behind the project, are keen to launch the Airline, but are having difficulties raising the capital required, due to the economic recession. The Daddy Warbucks of Ibiza, Abel Matutes, would be a prime investor for an Ibiza Airline, but for his already substantial transport investments, in shipping and ferry lines.
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| Ryanairs First Aircraft Embracer EMB 110 |
Winter flights to Ibiza have been a hot topic within the local tourism Industry for many years. Self Interest groups have campaigned with limited success to highlight the issue and coerce the local Government into taking action. One thing I have found in Ibiza, is that elected officials do not like been told what to do by certain people, in fact, they will do the opposite. Ryanair did operate a Winter Service but this was cancelled when Serra’s government cut the subsidies to Ryaniar. British Airways, are contemplating a Winter service but seat prices are high. With a proper business and marketing plan in place and supported by the Local Tourism body, a small indigenous fleet should be able to operate profitably on the Island. Ryanair started life as a small regional Airline in Ireland with one plane, a 14 seat turboprop aircraft. With the large marketing and advertising opportunities that Ibiza presents, a local Airline, supported by a combined effort of all vested groups in Ibiza, should be a viable proposition that would benefit the Island as a whole.
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