DEBONAIR chairman and chief executive Franco Mancassola might be down, along with his grounded airline, but it is good to see he has not lost his sense of humour.
A surprise speaker at the European Regional Airline conference in London last week, he was bemoaning the uphill struggles that start-up airlines face in the unlevel playing field where the might of national carriers rules. “It can be very difficult for someone like me who is not wealthy but ambitious,” he told the conference.
“I am not a Richard [Branson] or a Stelios [EasyJet] or a Barbara [Cassani], with a big brother to put together an airline until she was ready toÉ Go.”
He also took a swipe at airline partnerships which he claimed were strangling competition. He added: “It is a master/slave relationship. Iknow – I have experienced two. It’s like going to bed with an anaconda.” Debonair was flying on behalf of Lufthansa and Swissair before the receivers were called in.