FLYPOP / A330-300 / 9H-PTP

Rui Silva - LPPT
 

flypop teams-up with HiFly and launches cargo-flights

As starting passenger flights between London-Stansted and India is still impossible due to the pandemic, start-up flypop has subleased its A330-300 to HiFly, which will market and use the aircraft as a "phreighter". As a result, the A330-300 (1445) was registered as 9H-POP by HiFly Malta instead of the intended G-FPOP on 10 November at Malta. Since 18 November, HiFly and flypop are deploying the aircraft in Canada to support in hauling cargo to relieve the impact from large floodings in the country.

flypop plans to launch its passenger flights to secondary Indian cities like Amritsar, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kochi and Chandigarh, once the situation and regulations with the pandemic become more clear. In total, the new airline wants to operate up to four A330-300s. A second A330-300, currently still registered as RP-C3341 (1420), is already painted and awaiting delivery at Guangzhou.

Photo by flypop.

Scramble

Eight cities in India identified by budget airline start-up

Eight destinations in India have been identified for possible flights from Stansted by start-up long-haul carrier Flypop.

The cities under consideration have been listed on the airline’s website as being Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Goa, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Kocki.

Flypop, which set up its first UK base at Stansted in the summer, is awaiting regulatory approval to start low fare flights to secondary cities in India.

A lease deal for “multiple” Airbus A330-300 wide-body aircraft was signed in April, enabling the airline to submit its air operator’s certificate application to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Flypop hopes to start with a passenger feed agreement with one of the major low cost carriers that operate from Stansted to Europe.

The company announced a “significant investment” from the government’s Future Fund in February.

travelweekly.co.uk

Photos:Tiago Ribeiro 

Zurich

A330-300 - 9H-POP

Flypop Airlines - A330-343 - VP-CUF - The first A330 of Flypop airlines G-FPOP has been painted in Guangzhou., ex Cebu Pacific Air

songxiuming

Guangzhou Baiyun Airport - ZGGG, China

1st A330 for flypop in paintshop

The first aircraft for UK-based start-up flypop has entered the paintshop in preparation for its delivery. The aircraft involved is A330-300 with MSN 1445, which was previously in use with Cebu Pacific as RP-C3342 and has been at Guangzhou since 24 May 2021 for maintenance and the paintjob.

The new airline is planning to connect the UK with India and will open its first base at London-Stansted. From there it plans to fly to Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Goa and Kolkata once it has received its AOC.

Photo by flypop.

flyPOP eyes 2H21 launch

flyPOP (London Stansted) is planning to launch low-cost long-haul services between the United Kingdom and India later this year but has not yet decided whether to begin as a virtual carrier in July or await full certification and commence flights around October, founder Nino Singh Judge told the Financial Mail on Sunday.



"As soon as restrictions are lifted, there is an opportunity to go. Right now my cash burn is so minimal I can time my launch exactly when the demand is there and when I can fill my planes," Judge said.

Initially, flyPOP will operate just two routes from an as-of-yet undisclosed airport in the United Kingdom to Amritsar and Ahmedabad, with more Indian cities to be added to the network in later stages, including Kolkata Int'l, Goa Dabolim, and Pune. Judge said the start-up was negotiating with London Stansted, Birmingham Int'l, East Midlands, and London Gatwick, but ruled out London Heathrow due to its steep charges.

flyPOP plans to launch with two aircraft and add one more every six months. Although its renderings feature A330-300 aircraft, it has yet to formally confirm its fleet plans. It is currently in talks with both Airbus and Boeing about the lease of ten widebody aircraft in the first stage.

flyPOP has been trying to raise capital since 2014. Its preparations accelerated last year after it secured a GBP5 million pound (USD6.9 million) convertible loan from the UK's Future Fund. Previously, Indian investors injected GBP7 million (USD9.6 million) into flyPOP.

Judge underlined that the raised funds will stretch much further in the post-COVID environment, mostly due to much lower lease rates. Going forward, he hopes to list the carrier on the London Stock Exchange in 2022.

In its medium-to-long-term plans, flyPOP intends to expand beyond its core UK-India market with services to North America, the Caribbean, and Africa. South-East Asia is also on the start-up's radar, Judge added.

ch aviation

Start-up flypop plans UK-India routes in 2021

 By Victoria Moores


A project to create a long-haul start-up carrier that will operate flights between the UK and India has been revived following several years' silence after securing UK government funding.

On Nov. 2, flypop said it had secured £250 million ($324 million) from the UK government’s Future Fund loan scheme, which aims to support UK-based companies affected by COVID-19. Under the terms, flypop will also need to find £250 million in private funding.

"Flypop, the UK’s only international long-haul low-cost airline, plans to launch in 2021 with scheduled flights to India. It will cater not only to the UK’s Indian/South Asian diaspora (and their visiting friends and relatives), but will also serve those keen to explore the Indian sub-continent and region with very low-priced flights,” flypop said in a statement.



Founder and CEO Nino Singh Judge said the startup initially plans to operate between the UK and India, before branching out to offer connections to “all of South Asia.”

“Flypop, now completing its final funding round, will begin negotiating low-cost airport deals in both the UK and India. In addition, it will continue discussions with aircraft manufacturers to secure the best deals which will enable the company to offer the lowest possible fares to the public,” flypop said.

The project was first mooted in 2016, under the name "People Over Profit" (POP). This branding was linked with the airline’s ambition of donating at least 51% of its profits to passenger-nominated social projects in the UK and India.

Photo credit: flypop