UK charter carrier JMC is launching scheduled services to take on low-fare competitors, starting with a daily London Gatwick-Malaga flight.
Malaga is rapidly becoming the key battleground for UK low fare and charter operators. easyJet and Go both have year round services, while charter carrier Monarch has responded with its scheduled Monarch Crown Service.
JMC will be serving Malaga with a 180-seat Airbus A320 on Monday and Tuesday, with a 235-seat Boeing 757 for the rest of the week. The service will operate during the summer season from May until October this year, and there are plans to extend the idea if it proves successful.
"JMC is bringing real competition to the market which we will be looking to build on in the longer term," says Rob Thompson, general manager of JMC Airfares, the seat-only portion of the airline. George Williams of Cranfield University's college of aeronautics picks out Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife as other destinations offering enough traffic for scheduled services.
The aircraft will have a mix of scheduled and charter passengers, with tickets sold through travel agents. JMC insiders say that an Internet booking service will be available in the near future. Passengers will get meals, pre-bookable seats and in-flight entertainment.
Source: Airline Business
