Official Odyssey Airways Press Releases.

After being in operation for only five months (sim months), Odyssey Airways is already showing many signs of positive growth. Based out of Paris Orly Airport (ORY), Odyssey Airways serves three destinations from its Paris base: Amsterdam-Schipol (AMS), Montpellier-Mediterrannee (MPL), and Nice-Cote d’Azur (NCE).

Odyssey Airways is the brainchild of its founder and CEO, OBird. When asked about what he thought of Odyssey Airways’ performance in its first months, he had this to say: “I am very pleased with our performance. We have produced strong profits every single month. Our figures aren’t phenomenal --we’re not some super airline-- but money has been coming in at a steadily increasing rate. We still have a long way to go. I’m sure once we buy newer and faster plane our profits are going to skyrocket. I have no doubt.”

Odyssey Airways started its operations with 2 British Aerospace Jetstream 31s (J-31). The airline bought a third J-31 at the beginning of last October (sim month) from KL airline to cope with the airline’s growing network. “The third J-31 really helped us increase frequencies on our three routes. We weren’t really looking to start any new routes, but rather to strengthen our current ones,” says OBird. “I can tell you now that we have been conducting aircraft studies, and we hope to purchase newer, faster aircraft sometime this year (sim year). We are looking at a few aircraft in particular. What need from our aircraft is speed and capacity. We need speed to allow us to increase frequencies, and we need capacity to allow us to carry more passengers. Range is not an issue. There are so many airports that fall within a 1,000 mile radius of Orly, that a longer range aircraft would be obsolete,” OBird continued.

Up until the January 2 of Year1 (sim time) Odyssey Airways has risen in value to $16,729,747 with a stock price of $33.46. This places Odyssey Airways at a rank of 662 out of 807 airlines. As OBird stated above, Odyssey Airways still has a ways to go before becoming a major European airline, but OBird is sure that the airline is well on its way.

“I wanted to start an airline out of Paris because Paris has always been my home. Odyssey Airways is going to serve its city and country the best it can. We are going to take on the competition and make sure Paris is well served with an airline like Odyssey Airways,” OBird tells us.

For more information about Odyssey Airways’ fleet, destinations, and financial information go to airline ID# 7385.

---Odyssey Airways PR Department – 18 August 2006, 22.15 GMT (real time).

After extensive studies of all aircraft on the market, Odyssey Airways has decided to order an Embraer EMB-120 to help ease the strain on its current network.

“This Embraer is going to help us increase frequencies on all of our current routes. It will help us cut down on flying time and increase passenger capacity. It had been a toss up between the EMB-120 and the EMB-130ER. The reason we went with the EMB-120 was because we did not need a jet quite yet. The extra speed that a jet gives us hardly cuts down on the flight time since most of our routes are under 500 miles,” says Odyssey Airways’ CEO, OBird.

According to the airline, they chose Embraer based on past track records with other airlines. They also chose the manufacturer because the order backlog was less than one month (sim month). “Since we don’t have to wait six months for our plane --we only have to wait a single month-- can get started right away and be making more money right now. I don’t understand why more airlines haven’t chosen Embraer. In my personal opinion, I think they are as good if not better then the other manufacturers such as Bombardier and Saab,” OBird tells us.

OBird continued by telling us about when he expected his airline to order more aircraft, “The reason we didn’t order more than one aircraft is that this plane is only here to help increase frequencies in our current network. I said this before when we bought our third J-31. We didn’t just buy another J-31 this time around because we thought we needed a newer and faster plane with a greater passenger capacity like the EMB-120. Next time we order some aircraft, I expect we will be ordering several jets and starting several new routes. But I won’t tell you about that until next time.”

For more information about Odyssey Airways’ fleet, destinations, and financial information go to airline ID# 7385.

---Odyssey Airways PR Department – 21 August 2006, 16.20 GMT (real time).

“I am pleased to announce that Odyssey Airways will be purchasing one more gate at both Montpellier-Mediterrannee (MPL) and Nice-Cote d’Azur (NCE) airports. We will then be initiating our new route between these cities,” Odyssey Airways’ CEO OBird told the world on April 15 (sim date).

After purchasing an Embraer EMB-120 at the beginning of April (sim month), Odyssey Airways has doubled its frequencies to its three destinations from its Paris Orly base. Despite the increased frequencies, many of the airline’s aircraft were left with several extra hours at the end of each day.

“Due to the lack of gates at Orly, we could not start any routes from our home base. However, we wanted to utilize our aircraft because otherwise they would be sitting around wasting money, and that could not happen,” OBird said in an interview with French news magazine: Le Monde. “We found that both MPL and NCE had plenty of gates available at a very reasonable price. We also found that the route between the two airports was relatively underserved with only two other airlines. Therefore, buying gates and starting a new route seemed like the perfect option to keep our planes in the air and making us money. It saves us from having to try and negotiate gates at Orly with other airlines.”

Odyssey Airways hopes to continue its growth out of its two southern French airports. OBirds tells us growth out of these two airports is essential as Paris’s two major airports are “full to the brim.”

For more information about Odyssey Airways’ fleet, destinations, and financial information go to airline ID# 7385.

---Odyssey Airways PR Department – 22 August 2006, 14.15 GMT (real time).

If you dont mind me saying, MPL to NCE is a very short route, are you able to get high load factors on that?

Try doing some longer routes from NCE as its bigger, and aim for the biugger cities as they draw the most profit.

If you dont mind me saying, MPL to NCE is a very short route, are you able to get high load factors on that?

Try doing some longer routes from NCE as its bigger, and aim for the biugger cities as they draw the most profit.

The NCE-MPL route is 165 miles; so, no there is no limitation on load factor. I realize the route is short and doesn't have much traffic, but our aircraft only had a few extra hours on them. I did not want spend more money buying gates at another airport. Both MPL and NCE are extremely cheap airports to rent from (MPL is only $69,300!). This route seemed like a logical option to keep the planes in air with out racking up expenses at gates. Also the route was relatively under served when Odyssey Airways started it. So far the route is producing good profit, which is all that matters to me.

I have every intention of expanding to bigger airports, but for the time being the airline is currently collecting some money to buy several new jets in the future. I would hate to enter a big airport with just three J-31s and an EMB-120.

Regards,
OBird

If your going for bigger aircraft, jets at the moment are too high on fuel charges. Saab 2000s and ATRs are chea enough, big enough and dont have a long order backlog.

As long as we dont compete on the Stansted routes were fine

Thanks for advise. I was actually considering the ATRs; they looked fairly good.

As long as we dont compete on the Stansted routes were fine

I'll try my best.

Odyssey Airways has dropped its prices on its NCE-MPL route to a record low price of $44. This comes after competitor ANA-All Nippon Airways introduces 1,678 seats onto the route at $70 each.

Odyssey Airways started on the NCE-MPL route on April 15 of Year2 (sim time). See the airline’s previous press release for more info. At that time the route had only two other airlines serving it. Now with two new airlines (EuropeAir.com and ANA-All Nippon Airways) and 1,776 seats, Cote d’Azur (NCE) to Montpellier-Mediterrannee (MPL) is one of the most over-saturated routes in the world.

“That’s no reason to give up,” says Odyssey Airways’ CEO, OBird. “I agree that it is absolutely ridiculous. No route --particularly one this small-- needs 1,776 seats to serve it. I admit we are not making much money on this route, but we are making a profit still. That’s all that counts. Sure we could move to another route that offers more money, but we’re not going to do that. We were here first, and as a French airline we are not pulling out.”

Odyssey Airways says they will not give in to the pressure from ANA-All Nippon Airways. The airline says NCE-MPL will remain as one of Odyssey Airways’ routes for a while to come.

“The bottom-line is: we’re not budging. As we grow and acquire more aircraft, our aircraft with extra hours will be put on this route. After all, that is what ANA has done with there aircraft. We can carry on this price war as long as anybody wants. And don’t get me wrong; I don’t mind competition. This can only help those customers who want to fly between NCE and MPL. I mean, think about about: over 1,700 seats to chose from and a price of $44!!! What more could you want?! Your flight would probably be half empty too! There is no doubt that it is the customer who is benefiting from this,” OBird told us.

For more information about Odyssey Airways’ fleet, destinations, and financial information go to airline ID# 7385.

---Odyssey Airways PR Department – 28 August 2006, 00.15 GMT (real time).

LOL...SWEET...!

But seriously....I plan to get off...for the most part...after I can use up my NCE slots for other cities...no worries. Id figure id anger you from the start...but there were just no gates at Genoa available at the time...so i had to go to MPL to reserve my NCE gates. Although what I still find so funny is the route/market share chart....
http://sim.airlineem...1=NCE&city2=MPL

Just chill and ill get off...thats all im sayin.

Just chill and ill get off...thats all im sayin.

No worries.

I don't really mind any more; I've moved on to bigger and better routes now, but I would still like to fly the route without losing money.

Regards,
OBird