Make way for Captain Mike
Kevin Feddy
A MANCHESTER-based airline is preparing for take-off - with its first holiday flight just days away.
Managing director Michael O'Donovan, 57, has assembled a workforce of 65 for the launch of AV8air, a subsidiary of Sale tour operator CT2, formerly Club Travel 2000.
And he is planning to recruit 20 more cabin crew by the end of January.
The carrier has leased two jets which will take 150,000 holidaymakers to Spain, the Canary Islands and South Africa in its first full year.
Its maiden service in AV8air colours will be flight MNF217 from Manchester to Tenerife next Friday morning.
Michael, a former RAF pilot, was approached by CT2 boss Brian Murfin in early April, while he was director of flight operations at Excel Airways. He said: "I started with a clean sheet of paper. It's been a challenge but very exciting."
He has recruited managers, pilots, cabin crew and support staff for the venture, which represents a £5m-plus investment by CT2.
Michael expects to be the captain on about three flights a month, probably to the Canaries and Cape Town.
The airline's 233-seater Boeing 757 will be used on short-haul routes while its Boeing 767, with 239 economy and 30 premium seats, will operate on long-haul services.
In the winter, these will be to Cape Town but in summer they will switch to Durban and Port Elizabeth. Some flights will go via Dublin, giving travellers the opportunity of a short stay in the Irish capital.
Also next summer, AV8air will fly to Athens, taking sports fans to and from the Olympic Games.
The South African cities will be new destinations to Manchester, but AV8air believes there is great demand, and says bookings are strong.
Michael said: "South Africa is the fastest-growing tourist destination in the world. For years, it was inaccessible because of apartheid. But people have quickly discovered it is a beautiful country where you can live very reasonably. It has excellent quality food is very cheap, and the wine is fantastic."
The airline will carry, on the South African routes, only holidaymakers who have booked package tours with CT2. Those who have booked so far include honeymooners, older couples and families. Popular attractions include safari trips, Cape Town's Table Mountain, beaches and Boer War battlefields near Durban.
Namita Chopra, managing director of CT2 and an AV8air board director, said the carrier expects to take 17,000 tourists to South Africa in its first year. She said: "It's absurd that, to get to a destination that is so popular with British holidaymakers, that they have had to go via Heathrow or Europe.
"It's a niche market for us - but we think it will do very well. The catchment area for Manchester Airport is huge."
On the short-haul routes, AV8air will mostly carry seat-only passengers.
CT2 is moving out of the short-haul package market as more and more people are travelling with low-cost airlines and booking their own accommodation.
For next year, AV8air is looking to start services from Manchester to Dubai, and is considering holiday flights to Newcastle.
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