Qantas has strengthened its grip on Australian regional services, taking full ownership of Impulse Airlines. Qantas had agreed in May to provide Impulse with working capital and provide cash for its main shareholders Gerry and Sue McGowan to buy out institutional investors for an estimated A$50 million ($25.8 million).
The shareholders have exercised an option to sell the airline as a going concern to Qantas. The Australian carrier has leased Impulse's fleet of eight Boeing 717s and 13 Beechcraft 1900Ds, operating them under the QantasLink brand serving primarily secondary and leisure destinations. Qantas assumed full ownership from 19 November.
Impulse joins four other Qantas branded regional airlines - Qantas Airlink which wet-leases 13 BAe 146s from National Jet Systems; Eastern Australia Airlines; Southern Australia Airlines; and Sunstate Airlines.
Source: Flight International
