Skybus is done.

[Alex T]

Skybus Airlines, a Columbus carrier that excited central Ohio travelers with its $10 fares, is calling it quits.

The news came quickly today, with the airline planning to announce at 9:30 p.m. that it will no longer be in business Saturday.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/bu ... ybust.html (http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/04/04/skybust.html)

Four airlines in a week...wow!

Alex

[Iberia A340-600]

Damn, that was fast! The signs were definitely there with all the resigning of higher roles in the airline.

This week will probably go down in airline history. First Aloha, then Champion, and then ATA. Now SkyBus, whose next?

It's a shame that they are gone, they were doing some good at SWF.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k170/swfshots/n511sx.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k170/swfshots/n522vaside2.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k170/swfshots/n553sx-1.jpg

[crj200dispatcher]

Knew it and never made it to CMH for pics

[MarkLawrence]

Thank goodness I got one of them before they shut.....as Gordon says...who next....

[Alex T]

Tho the concept of Skybus wasn't a good airline, it is a bit terrifying to see all these airlines closing down and falling literally like dominos. 4 in a week has got to be a record in any aviation airline history.

Alex

[ngreed]

This one did not come as a surprise to me, I knew one day soon we would be reading about this. From the beginning they never sounded like any of there ideas were good in practice.

[crj200dispatcher]

I agree Skybus was never a good idea.

We just got a our weekly newsletyer from our CEO, and he has hinted at a regional filing soon...I am thinking Xjet for reorg only.

How is Spirit doing?

[nwafan20]

Yes! Skybus is done.. But why couldn't they have lasted another 1.5 months, my prediction would have been spot on!

Too bad I didn't make it out to get some pictures, but Skybus was never going to make it.

[AA 777]

SkyBust

http://www.jaunted.com/files/4912/skybus_shuts_down.jpg

Think we can all agree that hubbing at CMH and flying to "secondary" cities just wasnt going to cut it. Oh, not to mention $130 barrel fuel with $10 fares. :roll: I feel bad for the employees of the company, but definitely not the management.

[Iberia A340-600]

Yes! Skybus is done.. But why couldn't they have lasted another 1.5 months, my prediction would have been spot on!

Too bad I didn't make it out to get some pictures, but Skybus was never going to make it.

While I understand you did not like the airline I think you are taking the whole matter a little too lightly. With the termination of Skybus comes the termination of a lot of dedicated employees and deducts service from smaller airports such as Punta Gorda that benefited from Skybus using their ghostly airports. I for one am sad to see them go because of the effect it will have on SWF. Certainly it helps expansion with the airport because it opens up a gate but employees will be let go and passenger numbers will drop some.

[LGA777]

SkyBust

I feel bad for the employees of the company, but definitely not the management.

Don't feel to bad Matt, the only employees they really had where Pilots and Flt Att's, everything else even DISPATCH was contracted out. These are the same Flt Att's who expected tips onboard which to me really degrades their proffession and btw their flt att ranks where a revolving door. As for the pilots who where in the process of trying to become Teamsters, (what's a matter guys, ALPA too classy for you) and where told by the same ex DL Captain who was their VP of Flt Ops who resigned yesterday that the due to the fragile condition of the company unioinizing now could force the company to shut down but they kept trying to become Teamsters aggressivly anyway.

Anyway I felt bad about ATA and Champion and REAL BAD about Aloha but I am THRILLED with this one, The way they treated their customers and the innocent cities like PGD, St Augustine, GYY, and others that spent major dollars to accomdate them is a DISGRACE to the Industry.

I have never seen a full size jet operator of their size with such a poorly thought out operating plan that if I was an airline consultant and they hired me I would not agree with even ONE pct of their operating strategy. I could easily write a 2000 word essay on all the stupid moves, choices, and way of doing buisness these clowns had but I think I've said enough.

I just hope the DOT, DOJ, FAA, etc never let their founders start another airline in this country.

About the only positive thing I can think of is at least they never killed anybody !

End of Rant

LGA777

[T-Bird76]

I think Matt said it best, bad business plan, to bad for the front line ppl but the managers.....they can go screw.

[cancidas]

This week will probably go down in airline history. First Aloha, then Champion, and then ATA. Now SkyBus, whose next?
you can't really say 4. skybus was more of an expensive puttpe show with airplanes. three airlines died this week, IMO.

[Matt Molnar]

The biggest losers: the taxpayers of Columbus, Ohio, who handed Skybus about $30 million in loans and incentives which they'll never get back.

[stuart schechter]

Cancidas, my thoughts exactly. Skybus was hardly an airline, just a fake name that tried to make flights, and failed.

[crj200dispatcher]

Wrong Dispatch was not contracted out/dispatch was Skybus employees and alot my friends are not out of work

[crj200dispatcher]

I agree Skybus, was not what you call a airline, witnessing their hub in CMH, and even being offered a Dispatch supervisor position, without even interviewing in person, just by reference.

Poor management is what killed this airline.

And CMH could have been a great hub, look back at the days of the old PI hub in DAY, no one expected that to make it, and it became one of PI most profitable hubs, the market and the people are there

[i_mizrahi]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23962964/

Normally, when an airline stops its operation, it's a sad moment. Not in the case of Skybus, which went bankrupt yesterday. From the first moment I thought Skybus' business model is just obscene: selling so called "cheap tickets" while charging the traveller for as little as a glass of water, and not providing any kind of customer service. The end of Skybus will mean, so I hope, an end to all those airline execs who might have thought to operate such a business model.

And another thing: Skybus is telling, of course, that the main reason for its failure is the high price of fuel. Don't buy that. Skybus had the most fuel efficient fleet in the industry, all of it made of brand new A320. If anyone should go bankrupt over fuel prices its American, operating dozens of DC-9s.

_________________
http://aviationblog.wordpress.com

[nwafan20]

Yes! Skybus is done.. But why couldn't they have lasted another 1.5 months, my prediction would have been spot on!

Too bad I didn't make it out to get some pictures, but Skybus was never going to make it.

While I understand you did not like the airline I think you are taking the whole matter a little too lightly. With the termination of Skybus comes the termination of a lot of dedicated employees and deducts service from smaller airports such as Punta Gorda that benefited from Skybus using their ghostly airports. I for one am sad to see them go because of the effect it will have on SWF. Certainly it helps expansion with the airport because it opens up a gate but employees will be let go and passenger numbers will drop some.

I am VERY happy that Skybus is gone! I do feel bad for some of the employees though, but they signed on with a carrier who would never last. The pilots were flying A319's for CRJ wages and that isn't right in my opinion! I don't feel remorse for those people who undercut the rest of the rest of the industry due to shiny jet syndrome.

[G-BOAD]

As always, i feel bad for employees, but great this is airline done. I just feel bad I never had the chance to break the "no eating in flight" rule. :wink:
This proves you cant treat you customers like crap, have a bad business plan, and expect to make it just on advertising and in flight sales.
Anyway, who won our little bet?

[Matt Molnar]

I don't understand all the hatred of Skybus. Clearly, a terrible operation, but they weren't hurting anyone other than those foolish enough to buy a ticket or invest in the company.

[LGA777]

Wrong Dispatch was not contracted out/dispatch was Skybus employees and alot my friends are not out of work


CRJ200 Dispatcher, I apologize for the misinformation, was dispatch always in house or was it possibly contracted out in the beginning?

Anyway I am sorry for your friends not only loosing their jobs but being foolish enough to pursue employment their in the first place. I am guessing it was a Mesa type pay scale and I am guessing CHQ/RPA is higher paying and I am sure a much better place to dispatch airplanes, even if they are smaller?

Again sorry for the error, I am sure and hope your friends will be happier at their next position.

LGA777

[Iberia A340-600]

Here are some examples to what I mentioned earlier regarding the smaller airports solely served by Skybus:


As we all know, Skybus served many airports where they were the only commercial airline, such as Gary, Indiana and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Included here are some links on how these, and other airports, are reacting to Skybus. Please feel free to add additional news links.

In Portsmouth, NH, now without commercial air service, the future of thirty-one jobs at Port City Air, Skybus' local handler, is up in the air, after being told by Skybus last week that Skybus had big plans for PSM. In addition, the airport's Alamo, Budget, and National car rental franchise is now stuck with a bunch of new rental cars that are no longer needed, and will have to be sent elsewhere. A restaurant was also scheduled to open at the airport on Monday, and those plans have been put on hold, and a recently approved $3.9M airport expansion is now up in the air

Skybus shutdown has fallout for passengers, local economy
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/p... ... S/80405013 (http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/p...rticle?AID=/20080405/NEWS/80405013)

In Punta Gorda, FL, now without commercial air service, Skybus' daily landings were supposed to be integrated into the performances of the annual air show. That, of course, will not be happening. The airport had built a $5.5M terminal structure that opened just in time for Skybus in December.

Skybus Airlines collapse ends Charlotte service
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article... ... ewssitemap (http://www.heraldtribune.com/article...0405/NEWS/804050453/-1/newssitemap)

The "curse of Gary" continues. Every airline to have started service to Gary in the past four years has gone out of business not long after serving Gary airport. One local writer writes about how he knew of multiple groups of people who already had office pools running, guessing how long until Skybus would shut-down.

So who had '22 days' in the office pool of Skybus crashing?
http://blogs.post-trib.com/davich/20... ... he-of.html (http://blogs.post-trib.com/davich/20...o-who-had-one-month-in-the-of.html)

In Columbus, Skybus' home base, thousands of people are now stuck, either with vacation plans canceled or scrambling to find a way to get home. A flight left last night for Fort Lauderdale with no notification given to customers that the airline was shutting down (to be fair, we have no idea if the pilots knew at all, and I am willing to bet they did not; although some customers found out mid-flight from an on-board Columbus Dispatch reporter). Passengers checking in for a flight to Newburgh were told they're return flight on Sunday would happen. The pilot of the evening flight to Gulfport, however, did give passengers twenty minutes to decide if they would like to continue with their trip, telling them there would be no flight home.

Passengers stuck on one-way trips
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live... ... ml?sid=101 (http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live...T_04-05-08_A1_S89RB9M.html?sid=101)

Video from WSYX-TV (on main page):
http://www.wsyx6.com/

In Chicopee, Connecticut, a planned $15M in infastrucutre improvements is now in jeopardy:

Discount airline to file for bankruptcy
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.s... ... y=Business (http://www.masslive.com/news/index.s..._file_for_b.html?category=Business)

In St. Augustine, Florida, a $1.4M building built for Skybus is now useless.

Paving the way for Skybus
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-onlin... ... 5201.shtml (http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-onlin...stories/060607/bus_175015201.shtml)

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forum ... n/3920718/ (http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/3920718/)

[Winglets747]

Hello from Melbourne, Australia!

Sorry for my absence from the forums these past few months, but I got swarmed with travel (although for that I have no one to blame but myself!) and during my free time the last thing I really wanted to do was anything aviation related. I know, it's heretical. :wink:

There were times I was really tempted to post, but I knew it would take me ages to catch up on everything so I always pushed it to the back of my mind. But after Aloha, Champion, ATA, and now Skybus calling it quits I just couldn't resist coming back.

In January I finally flew Skybus SWF-CMH-SWF. While my experience was much better than my attempt to fly on them last May, you do get what you pay for. I'll try to put together a trip report in the coming days comparing my January experience to that of last May.

The thing I'm most surprised about is how suddenly their downfall happened. It was just a few weeks ago they were announcing more routes and increased service. With Indy, at least, they had a slow downfall where we all knew ceasing ops was only a matter of time. I can't help but wonder if the Skybus management took advantage of the fact that three other airlines called it quits and decided leaving now would minimize bad PR for their future careers.

Anyway, more later. Hope you're all doing well and the planes, weather, and Port Authority police are treating you well. :borat:

[LGA777]

I don't understand all the hatred of Skybus. Clearly, a terrible operation, but they weren't hurting anyone other than those foolish enough to buy a ticket or invest in the company.


Gotham, here is my response. Because of the unique nature of Skybus's route structure and serving at least half a dozen airports that previously had (at least recently, some never) scheduled airline service by not even a 19 seat Beech 1900 so multiple frequencies to most on 149 seat Airbus aircraft caused many airports and cities to scamble and spend a TON of Money and Effort to accomodate them.

I assume no one lost their job at FLL because of yesterdays news, except maybe a Station Mgr, which is often a career at carriers that size, that can be at half a dozen or many more carriers. The contract company that handeled their customer service and ramp probably serves multiple carriers. I would not be surprised if the ramp agents who worked their 319's also worked other carriers in the course of their typical work day.

But at places like Punta Gorda, St Augustine, Portsmith, Gary and a few others MANY lost or will loose their non Skybus job as a result and community leaders, city and airport officals really got SCREWED.

Not only did they throw together or reopen an unused terminal but think of all the support people in these terminals significantly effected. For example resturant, newstand, and car rental workers. Taxi and Limo drivers and dispatchers, ground handling companies who probably had Managers and or supervisors relocate, the list goes on and on.

And the sad thing is many of us on this forum and other commercial avaition forums, Industry analists, rank and file airline employees from many airlines that like me, follow the industry for a hobby and there are many of us doing this for many years. Anyway most everyone in the above groups where unified in what a BAD business plan they had and where "Apalled" at how they treated their customers even LAST NIGHT.

So the hatred comes from their polices degrading our beloved industy and we knew well in advance Royally Screwing the communites so starved for commecial airline service that they did and spent so much to accomodate such a failed buisness model, and Skybus fully let them procede at Full Warp Speed.

Everyone feel free to add to my comments.

LGA777

[LGA777]

Most of you have read my Skybus posts from the last few months where I have shared coments from my good friend and MAJOR Airline nut who is a 30 something year AL/US Ramp Agent at CMH and had a front row seat for many of their misteps at CMH. my all time favorite being a Skybus Mgr telling the CMH Port Auth they wanted to DEICE with warm water instead of glycol to save money, CLASSIC. Anyway here is one of his posts from last night, for those of you who have never worked Customer Service at an airport for an airline this will also give you some samples of how DUMB some of the travelling public is !

Anyway here goes Live from CMH last night, ENJOY !

Well I just watched several of the 11 p.m. news reports on the Skybus shutdown. From what they are reporting, they say that Skybus' final zinger to their passengers is not telling them there will be no more flights tomorrow. If they are just beginning their trip tonight, there is no return flight for them.
WBNS-10 TV a major financial supporter of Skybus, had the longest report on the shutdown and appeared to be at the airport within 30 minutes of the shutdown announcement. Their reporter was interviewing a number of their passengers just after they had checked in at the ticket counter/kiosks. They told the passengers that the airline was shutting down, which came as a total surprise to everyone they showed. A number of them asked, "Why didn't they tell us that when we checked in?" One man when told, replied, "I hope they don't shut down before I get to take my next trip", at which time the reported told him tonight was the end of the line to which he couldn't believe it. Another woman when told they were shutting down replied, "Ok where's the hidden camera (She was talking directly into the huge TV camera)?" The reporter told her there was no hidden camera, & it was true and she still didn't believe him and asked him who he REALLY worked for?" I'm sure the camera had a huge WBNS-TV on the side of it, I've seen them. Another defiant woman when told of the shut down replied, "I've got tickets purchased for the next 3 month!" in a tone that said, they better not shut down. The reporter told her again & she didn't believe him.
WCMH-TV 4 Reported the Board of Directors decided to shut it down tonight since they'd basically run out of money. They also interviewed several passengers who were upset no one from the airline told them. The news media reported that Skybus sent out e-mails to everyone, but if you're already enroute to the airport you may not be checking for e-mails from them. Channel 4 reported they would be at Port Columbus ALL NIGHT LONG to report on the story. Well there won't be much to report on after the final late night arrivals come in around 1:30 or 2 a.m. The people getting off will either be local people who will be darn glad to find out they got home on the last flights in, or visitors who will be very unhappy to find out they have no return tickets to get back home and it will cost them a lot of money to get back. The news media said to contact your credit card company to see about getting a refund on your tickets.
WBNS-10 TV had the longest report, that appeared to me to be one they had been working on for quite some time. They outlined the history and demise of the airline that took some time to put together, at least it looked to me like it would have taken more than the 1 1/2 hours they had before the 11 p.m. news. At the end of the report it was the 1st time since the airline got going that they didn't say, "The parent company of Channel 10 is a financial supporter of Skybus." I guess the Wolfe Family didn't want to publicly say they'd just lost a ton of money in that investment. They did report that someone from the city Government was quite shocked and that they had read it on the internet.
The Port Authority is probably crying in their beer over this one. They just lost out on claiming to be a hub airport. Plus the fact they just dumped millions into remodeling the 3 gates in the "B" concourse to fit the Skybus operation and REMOVED 3 JETWAYS! Now in order to attract any other new airlines, they'll have to spend millions MORE to remodel it BACK to the way it was & rehang 3 Jetways. I can't wait to hear the discussion on this subject at the next Port Authority Board Meeting. I'll have to get my source to tell me how that goes. So much for the new parking lot they just built to handle the anticipated throngs of Skybus passengers. I hope Gary, IN didn't spend too much getting ready to be a new Skybus city. So much for GSO being another Skybus hub. Maybe now too, Midwest Connect will NOT drop their CMH-MCI flts like they said they would since they didn't want to compete against Skybus. Same goes for Delta/Chautauqua on the CMH-FLL flts.
The only thing I'm hacked about is that I didn't get to fly them into St. Augustine & Punta Gorda. Who knows if anyone will ever fly back into those airports. Their remaining "White Elephant (Black Tail)" aircraft was in the hangar today for Mtc. I wonder if it's flyable? That's if from the former home and hub of Skybus, "The hub that's not a hub cause you can't connect". Kind of wish I was working tonight to see the things going on out there.


LGA777 is back to add that several flights out of CMH arrived at their destination airport before the mostly CMH area resident passengers found out they had no way home even though the shut down was announced before their flights even boarded. NICE !

At least the Captain of the last CMH-GPT (Gulfport, Mississipi) flight told his passengers in the boarding area they had 20 minutes to decide if they wanted to go or stay because of the news that he had to share with them as the Gate Agents did not have the BALLS to do the right thing and inform them.

Goodnight

LGA777

[FlyingColors]

Skybus Airlines, a Columbus carrier that excited central Ohio travelers with its $10 fares, is calling it quits.

The news came quickly today, with the airline planning to announce at 9:30 p.m. that it will no longer be in business Saturday.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/bu ... ybust.html (http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/04/04/skybust.html)

Four airlines in a week...wow!

Alex

Unreal! What a week! I saw one in FLL this January...

[crj200dispatcher]

Skybus dispatch was always in house and it is my understanding that they made in the mid 30's to start..pretty good pay.

Watched the Dayton Ohio news, and what is sad, this closure is not only affecting passengers from CMH, alot of people from DAY and IND.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Skybus employees were showing to work Saturday, not knowing of the closure..SAD

[mirrodie]

I have to ask again, is Skybus's shortlived history setting a record for how quickly an airline folded?

[LGA777]

I have to ask again, is Skybus's shortlived history setting a record for how quickly an airline folded?

Mario, Skybus lasted 10 months, I am sure there are probably a dozen or more with shorter lifes, can't think of a specfic carrier off the top of my head, but I think a few may have been 2 or 3 months, but smaller scale carriers than Skybus.

LGA777

[ahazzard1289]

All Skybus Employees including Ticket Agents, baggage handlers, and ramp agents based at Stewart and the smaller locale's were employed by "Quick Flight" They will still have jobs through Quick Flight so there should be no problem. I do miss my friend Bill though :-(