Long-haul budget pioneer soars on sense of 'mission'
Monday, 29 October 2007
HONG KONG, Oct 28 (AFP): Despite a disastrous inaugural flight, Oasis Airlines, the world's first long-haul budget operator, is packing in flyers one year later.
And the couple who founded the Hong Kong upstart believe a mix of excellent customer service, a dose of goodwill and maximising efficiency will help their business continue to soar.
Some 350,000 passengers have flown Oasis and flights are more than 80 per cent full on their two routes to Vancouver and London from Hong Kong, said Priscilla and Raymond Lee, who have not released official figures.
In October, they announced a 30 million dollar investment by asset management firm Value Partners, for a stake of five to 10 per cent. The money will buy 14 more second-hand Boeing aircraft to bolster the current fleet of five, whose average age is 10 years old.
The entry of Oasis into the market has also shaken up the industry, with longtime carriers slashing prices aggressively.
And the couple who founded the Hong Kong upstart believe a mix of excellent customer service, a dose of goodwill and maximising efficiency will help their business continue to soar.
Some 350,000 passengers have flown Oasis and flights are more than 80 per cent full on their two routes to Vancouver and London from Hong Kong, said Priscilla and Raymond Lee, who have not released official figures.
In October, they announced a 30 million dollar investment by asset management firm Value Partners, for a stake of five to 10 per cent. The money will buy 14 more second-hand Boeing aircraft to bolster the current fleet of five, whose average age is 10 years old.
The entry of Oasis into the market has also shaken up the industry, with longtime carriers slashing prices aggressively.