German start-up flyv aims to connect underserved markets globally using a joint venture model that will see airlines pool their capacity with flights marketed under a single brand and mobile application, according to the company's website.
Munich-based Chief Executive Officer Anton Lutz was not immediately available for further information.
According to the website, flyv aims to distinguish itself from other existing virtual airlines by having a global focus, offering a global fleet pool and an artificial intelligence solution (app) usable on a global scale. "We essentially offer an airline to rent," it explains.
The flyvirtual.global app will be available before the first flight, targeted for launch in Europe in 2023, with a heavy focus on business travellers, Lutz told Routes Online.
“Our business model is not to come to an airport and bring the airport as many passengers as possible, but [to] provide airports with connectivity to as many other decentralised regional locations as possible,” he explained.
The virtual carrier will provide travellers with flight options within a three-hour timeframe at the point of booking, using algorithms to calculate fleet availability and best cost. Passengers will receive their exact itinerary details three days before departure.
“We are aware this is a product that is absolutely not competitive in a market like Munich to London Heathrow or Munich to Frankfurt International, because Lufthansa or British Airways offer a much better product,” Lutz said. “Our product makes sense and is competitive if this three-hour timeframe is significantly faster than the next best alternative. We will really add value where you cannot set up a scheduled service, but where you need a model that can react in a very agile way to a high-volatility level of demand.”
A focus on smaller airports with little connectivity will help overcome slot availability obstacles.
The airline is expecting “relatively slow growth” at the outset. “Our plan is to start in a small, isolated environment with a small set of airports,” Lutz said.
flyv appears to be a similar concept as the Current Aviation virtual airline project that plans to exploit a regional market gap to underserved cities in the US by outsourcing operations to third party carriers which will fly their own aircraft with their own employees but under the Current Aviation brand.
