The airline taxi operators provide promotional offers to attract customers

Airline transport operators under taxi regime increased the number of promotional offers ever since last year, when the demand for these services started to decrease proportionally with the companies’ budget.

Cristina Mitchievici, the representative of Regional Air Services, RAS, stated that the company launched promotions and additional discounts since 2009. For instance, for certain aircrafts, the tariff per hour decreased from EUR 1,800 to 1,300-1,400.

RAS owns a fleet of 16 aircrafts and 3 helicopters with a capacity from one to eight seats and operates every week approximately 4-5 flights. For domestic flights, the departure localities are Bucharest and Constanta towards other big cities in the country, while for external flights, the most frequent destinations are the nearest European capitals.  

Heni Haider, Efly company owner, which intermediates aircraft rental, stated that there were more inquiries in the first quarter of this year ,compared to the similar period last year, but few have turned into real demand.

The package chosen by individuals is overflying Bucharest at a price of EUR 120 per person for 20-25 minutes of flying. In 2009, the company sold 20 tickets on this route, but the offer was launched too late, so there were no flights during winter.

Regarding the orders from companies or businessmen, the demand is low, the company trying to attract customers with different offer packages.

In the first four months of the year, the company operated on average two flights per weekend.

Direct Aero Services company, controlled by Nelu Iordache businessman, owns a fleet of 3 planes and 2 helicopters and reported an increase of clients compared to last years, especially as a result of purchasing Jet type planes, stated Luminita Ivanici, Marketing and Communication Manager of the company.

Within the Direct Aero Taxi division, the company acquired last year a Cessna Citation Mustang aircraft for approximately EUR 3 mil. and two SAAB 340. The company plans to purchase two more Cessna XLS Plus aircrafts with 6 seats and a Cessna Sovereign with 8 seats capacity by the end of this year. 

The tariff per hour for an aircraft Cessna Citation Mustang type is EUR 980, VAT not included, for external flights and VAT included for domestic flights, while for helicopter, the price per hour starts at EUR 590, VAT not included, the same price for external and internal flights.

For the current year, Direct Aero Services estimates that turnover will increase by 40% compared to 2009, when the company posted turnover worth EUR 126.4 mil.

Sursa: Ziarul Financiar [14.06.2010]