A new French airline? The ad is pretty weird. Happy Airways was presented this Monday August 22 as a new operator based in Strasbourg with the ambition to serve 14 destinations in France and Europe (Brussels, Geneva, London, Berlin, Turin, Venice, Milan…) from the capital alsatian . An ambitious announcement since Happy Airways announces 4,400 flights each year with prices starting at 59.99 euros.
“Happy Airways will have a network that will connect most (sic) of the cities and capitals of the European Union from its inception. With an advantageous commercial policy, greater comfort and optimized connections, Happy Airways wants to be the company that opens Strasbourg and the European center around the world!” can be read on his website.
And to continue: “in addition, Happy Airways intends to make Strasbourg a multimodal hub, with optimized connections. Happy Airways will make the European Union accessible, at the best price, for the best of services through this European capital of fame”.
The company intends to fly 78-seat ATR 72-600 aircraft, to “ensure a broad and diversified network while limiting its operating costs, as well as its environmental impact.” A project broadcast by the specialized international press or regional sites.
Promising. Except, Happy Airways is nothing more than a babbling project and mostly unfunded. On its website, the possible future company says it is “open to the financing opportunities that will be offered” and invites “all those interested to contact the founders of the project. This in an effort to raise the sum required”. and thus get this magnificent urbanization project off the ground” with two devices to start with.
Call for investors and crowdfunding
The company specifies that it needs 4.75 million euros but only 1.8 million to take off its first plane. A fairly limited budget given the colossal costs of air travel (planes, kerosene, salaries, logistics, etc.). In addition to investors, the company solicits donations from individuals through a crowdfunding campaign and also organizes a lottery.
A search of the public company databases turns up no company named Happy Airways. We managed to return to the bearer of this project: a young entrepreneur, Cléo Boberda, passionate about aviation, who claims to have drawn up a precise business plan. He also adds that he received a warm welcome from the managers of the European airports that his company targets. It is his communication company, Agencia Azula, specialized in advising influencers on social networks, which is behind this airline project.
A project stalled for 3 years
As for the economic model, it evokes a merger for a few months with the Danish airline Air Alsie that operates ATR 42/72. The latter would operate the technical side (aircraft and maintenance, staff training) turning Happy Airways into a virtual airline.
Like virtual telecommunications operators that lease capacity to operators that own networks. This model does exist in the air sector, such as Luebeck Air in Germany, actually operated by Air Alsie, which offers this type of service to other companies.
In a company statement dated August 25, the company confirms this approach: “Happy Airways will prove to be a ‘virtual’ airline. This means that the company will have a key player operating our flights on our behalf. In this Happy Airways will will concentrate on the development and commercial side, while Air Alsie will handle the technical side of operations.”
On the financing side, on its site, Happy Airways indicates that it has raised 218,000 euros out of a total of 4.7 million euros. Actually, it is heritage from the previous activity of this businessman.
No flight certificate
On the touchy subject of crowdfunding and the lottery, Happy Airways tells BFM Business that it “provides assurance to contributors that in the event a sum is not collected, a full refund will be made.”
Finally, remember that all airlines must have a CTA, the certificate issued by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC), a precious sesame that Happy Airways does not have.
In short, the project seems to be far from being advanced and the company’s latest press release acknowledges: “Because the project is in the process of being financed, Happy Airways is still in the project and growing step by step.” Crazy dream of an enthusiastic or believable project? The future will tell…
Source: BFM TV
