bluWave Begins the 2012 Holiday Season with a “Thank You”
Henderson, CO — bluWave Airlines today announced their first ever “Thank You” sale in light of the upcoming 2012 holiday season, featuring one-way airfares starting at $49 on select flights throughout the airline’s market segment. The sale will kickoff tonight at 11:59 pm PT and will be valid for any flight through Friday, January 11, 2013. The sale will end on Tuesday, November 20 at 12am PT. Market restrictions apply.
“The idea of the sale is to deliver a fond, sincere thanks to our loyal customers who have chosen to fly bluWave again and again across the regions we fly,” President and CEO Connor Levens said at the press conference earlier this morning. “Without these people, there would be no one spreading the word that our services have abundant value to them and their families. And without that, our brand would not be as successful as we are today.”
Examples of these one-way, low airfares include (see fare rules below):
- A $49 one-way, non-stop flight between Las Vegas and Denver
- A $64 one-way, non-stop flight between Denver and Phoenix
- A $69 one-way, non-stop flight between Seattle and Oakland, Calif.
- A $71 one-way, non-stop flight between Sacramento, Calif. and Seattle
- A $78 one-way, non-stop flight between Salt Lake City and Denver
COO Johnathon Neilsen wasn’t hesitant in chiming in on the press conference either, even though he was running a few minutes late. “This sale gives us the opportunity to reward the people who have helped us take to the skies in 2010,” the number two Continue reading
bluWave Airlines to Outsource Maintenance; Layoff Mechanics
Denver, CO — Later this afternoon, executives from bluWave Airlines and ST Aerospace are expected to give a press release on the outsourcing of the low-cost carrier’s maintenance, repairs, and overhauls (MRO) with the Singapore-based firm [ST Aerospace] in San Antonio, TX. The airline hasn’t kept quiet the fact that its service agreements with Boeing are set to expire near the end of 2013, and it doesn’t come as a surprise that a company like ST Aerospace would jump on this opportunity.
Although it is unclear which specific product the airline is interested in, sources say that the airline will be laying off a “decent chunk” of mechanics by the end of the year, eluding to a classic labor-management “fire-pit” scenario in Henderson, NV–the airline’s headquarters.
“We never know what [the executives] are up to,” Hank Finley, chief mechanic at the airline’s maintenance facility in Las Vegas told reporters. “But they earned our loyalty when they managed to bring us out of bankruptcy without laying off any of my guys here at McCarran [in 2011].”
bluWave filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada in January 2011 and managed to get back into the market within a year. However, despite a short turnaround, promising earnings, and steadily increasing performance, the company has failed to show any signs of significant expansion post the addition of San Antonio and Austin to the firm’s route structure in July. A source close to the airline’s management team in Henderson told us Continue reading
EXCLUSIVE: bluWave Airlines COO Interviewed on Half-Year Report
According to bluWave Airlines COO Johnathon Neilsen, the company’s half-year results for 2012 are enroute to climb above past earnings records set by the firm since its inception in 2010. This interview comes after the airline released its Q2 results on July 26, demonstrating stabilization and a positive outlook for the rest of the year. However, the company was hit hard by high fuel cost as it entered its second year of operations, triggering Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada in January 2011.
Although Neilsen joined the airline earlier this year after it resumed normal operations, he says that the firm has a lot to offer its market and that the management is steering the company clear of any obstacles that get in their way. The COO was formerly the Vice President of Operations at Qantas Virtual, which has since closed.
Late last week, we were able to speak with Neilsen on the phone where he was excited to talk about the airline’s progress and his prospects for the rest of the year.
VAFlash: We’ll get to the results in a moment, but earlier last month you and Connor Levens [President and CEO of bluWave] visited Embraer’s facilities in São Paulo, Brazil. Did anything come out of that trip? Or was it “just for show.”
Neilsen: Connor’s “Celebrating the Fourth of July in São Paulo?” blog post was “just for show” as we didn’t really spend the holiday in Brazil, but in terms of anything that came out of it, I can’t really say too much. We took a tour of their facilities with some of Embraer’s executives, exchanged a few business cards, and walked through the cabin of a few of their aircraft. But, honestly, the trip was only to get a feel of what they had to offer. We don’t intend on buying any regional aircraft any time soon, and we don’t expect to have anything come out of this except for a few occasional calls from Continue reading
bluWave Breaks Ground on First-Ever Crew Facility at Las Vegas McCarran Airport
Las Vegas, NV — Joined by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn E. Goodman, community leaders, local residents, and proud bluWave Airlines employees, the new low-cost carrier today officially broke ground on its first-ever crew facility to be built along East Diablo Avenue. The construction of the facility is said to be the airline’s first sole-investment in two (2) years, such that it will not depend on external funds from the company’s half-dozen investors.
According to the carrier’s website, improved quarterly reports have played a key factor in the firm’s recent operational tactics which seem to justify the management’s decision to build the facility. However, analysts remain skeptical.
“It’s one thing if an airline shows increased performance quarter after quarter,” Michele Ryan told VAFlash reporters. “It’s another thing if an airline shows increased performance quarter after quarter and spends their resources wisely. What is not something is if a startup airline shows increased performance quarter after quarter and spends their resources benefiting their pilots.”
Alex Barnes, senior analyst at Jefferies & Company, specializes on the West coast market of the airline industry and mentioned at the celebratory convention that although Ryan’s statement was generally true for most of the legacy carriers, he believes that it doesn’t hold water.
“You’re talking about an airline that, yes–is new to the market–but at the same time repeatedly gains market share every six (6) months,” Barnes told VAFlash. “I agree with Ryan that their move to build a crew facility this soon in the process is rare for most companies in this industry, but I think the firm can ‘carry the wave through to shore.’”
bluWave currently leases the two (2) of its buildings that will be neighboring its to-be crew facility along East Diablo Avenue and Continue reading
bluWave Adds Texas to Route Structure in Light of Independence Day
Henderson, NV — Earlier this morning, bluWave Airlines executives announced plans to launch daily, nonstop service to two (2) new destinations in Texas linking Phoenix, AZ and Denver, CO to Austin, TX and San Antonio, TX, respectively. In addition, the airline plans to increase capacity between Phoenix and Denver year-round.
These plans come after bluWave expanded its presence in the Bay Area earlier this month thanks to a push from industry analysts hired by the firm in light of its purchase of four (4) Boeing 737s from the now defunct SnapJet Airlines, LCC in January.
“It’s been clear to us for some time now that our customers have been looking for us to establish a presence in the east,” said Johnathon Neilsen, bluWave’s recently hired COO. “We’re committed to fulfilling their wishes and we look forward to bringing the airline in this direction.”
President and CEO Connor Levens added that although they aimed to launch service to Texas once the official start of summer had passed, it was ironic that they were beginning operations in Texas during Independence week. “It’s funny how some things just fall into the woodwork like that,” he told reporters in Henderson. “Nonetheless, it’ll only help drive up revenue in the third quarter.”
From Phoenix to Austin:
Flight 620 Departs: 6:00 a.m. Arrives: 8:30 a.m.
From Austin to Phoenix:
Flight 625 Departs: 9:15 a.m. Arrives: Continue reading
bluWave Airlines Names Johnathan Neilsen COO
Henderson, NV — bluWave Airlines, Inc. is pleased to announce that Johnathon Neilsen of Southern Australia, formerly with Qantas Virtual Airlines until 2011, is now the Chief Operating Officer for the company. As of Monday, Neilsen began overseeing bluWave’s expansion into high revenue destinations, such as the Bay Area, and is soon-to-debut further plans as part of his strategy for 2012.
Expansion plans for 2012, along with Neilsen’s hiring, came ahead of a remarkable first quarter (Q1 2012) that the airline supposedly disclosed to its investors late last month. According to Mike Dovi of Matrix Advisors, the airline’s largest investor, the company increased their overall revenue by 15% compared to quarterly earnings in Q1 2011.
“Johnathon’s expertise in this industry will allow us to explore new avenues of business and will improve the way we currently conduct our operation,” President and CEO Connor Levens said. “He has the insight that can provide us with what we need to offer even more services to our passengers and our pilots.”
While a part of Qantas Virtual’s management team in New South Wales, Australia, Neilsen served the airline as their Vice President of Scheduling. Throughout his career at the company, he was responsible for maintaining the validity of Qantas Virtual’s operation as it compared to the way the airline operated from a realistic sense. Neilsen’s background and experience at his previous place of employment, combined with over 2,500 hours on the VATSIM network, positions him uniquely as bluWave’s latest addition to their staff.
“I’m excited to join bluWave. This is going to be a pivotal year for this airline and I hope my involvement with its expansion can bring a slew of resources to both Connor and the Continue reading
bluWave Strengthens Balance Sheet with Purchase of HQ; CEO Slams MetroAir’s Overseas Expansion Plans
Las Vegas, NV — Reporters and media outlets erupted in firestorm Tuesday when bluWave Airlines CEO Connor Levens lashed into MetroAir Virtual’s recent decision to increase capacity on their Beijing-Ontario, CA and Beijing-Baltimore routes with the seven-year-old airline’s purchase of four (4) Airbus A380s. This occurred during a press conference in Henderson, NV in relation to bluWave’s newly announced acquisition of their current headquarters from Regus PLC along Horizon Ridge Parkway.
What sparked the discussion was a question a reporter asked the bluWave Airlines management team about what they thought about their competitor’s plans to utilize the jumbo jet on a route “so empty” while promising a shocking “average 98.6% load factor” on both flights. Levens, who seemed eager to answer the reporter’s question, replied without delay.
“I cannot see why any airline would want to launch service to Beijing out of two airports which are not, by any means, ‘primary international hubs’ for passengers,” Levens exclaimed. He continued to state that MetroAir, which has been operating out of Baltimore and Ontario, CA for the better part of five (5) years, has been operating international service out of these two hubs which are low in volume and that they cannot attain the crowds needed to sustain service between them and Beijing.
“I think what Connor is trying to say is Continue reading
