Oasis Hong Kong Airlines intends to grow its fleet from five to 15 aircraft by 2009, at which point it will launch an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Chairman Reverend Raymond C Lee says: “Once we have 15 planes in the air, we will go to the bank and tell them we want to go public.”

Oasis is targeting further growth to between 20 and 25 aircraft by 2010-11, and while these are likely to be mainly Boeing 747s, in the longer term Oasis may also consider other types, such as the Boeing 777.

Commercial director Ken Chad says: “We are also looking at leasing aircraft. We have pretty strong cargo loads outbound and inbound to London and Vancouver. Our bellies are full, which has exceeded our expectations.” The carrier’s fifth 747-400, a former All Nippon Airways (ANA) aircraft, will be placed into service in March. Oasis is now looking for more aircraft, which Chad says may be used to add a second flight to Gatwick as well as launch new routes.

The airline has now dropped its previously announced plans to serve Oakland but is instead planning to launch services to nearby San Francisco. The carrier identified Oakland as its first US destination and already has the route authority and slots for a Hong Kong-Oakland service. But Chad says Oasis has applied to the Hong Kong Government to shift its Oakland route authority to San Francisco, as San Francisco has become a low-cost hub.

The airline is shooting for 11 eventual destinations. According to the company’s website, routes are planned for the following: Cologne and Berlin in Germany; Milan, Italy; Toronto, Canada; Chicago and San Francisco, US; Melbourne and Sydney, Australia; Denpasar, Indonesia; Singapore, Bangkok, Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Oasis has also been looking at codeshare deals with short-haul low-fare carriers. Chad says 26% of its passengers are already “self-connecting” to other low-cost carriers at Hong Kong and at its two destinations, London Gatwick and Vancouver. “Part of our business plan is to join dots with like-minded carriers,” Chad said in an interview with Flight’s sister publication Airline Business. “In that regards we fly to low-cost carrier hubs.”

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Source: Flight Daily News

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