All business-class start-up airline Silverjet has said it is on course for its January 25 launch and bookings are exceeding expectations.
In an interim results statement released today the low-cost long-haul premium airline reports it has made significant progress since it became listed on the Alternative Investment Market following an Initial Public Offering of shares in May.
Through its acquisition of Flyjet Limited and Slylease Limited in October Silverjet has one Boeing 767 that will operate the inaugural. Two further 767-200 aircraft currently operated by Thomsonfly will be delivered by March and October next year. All aircraft will be fitted out with 100 flat bed seats.
Distribution deals have been agreed with trade partners including Gold Medal Travel, Trailfinders, Kuoni, Travel Counsellors, TUI Specialist Holidays and Voyana and arrangements are in place for private terminals at Luton and Newark to allow for 30 minute check in.
Chief executive Lawrence Hunt said: “We gave an undertaking to our investors that we would launch operations within nine months of our IPO and we are on track to beat that target.
“We have had fantastic feedback from the travel industry and we look forward to welcoming all our customers on board from January 25, 2007. Our website went live in October and bookings through our reservation system, Videcom, are currently well ahead of our phased ramp-up plan, with yields performing well at this early stage of our development.
“This is extremely encouraging and provides us with a solid foundation for further sustained increases in bookings once we go live with the global distribution systems.”
For more on Silverjet see this week’s Travel Weekly.