An Irish aviation group has confirmed plans to launch a new European airline brand as part of its strategy for continued growth in passenger and cargo operations.
Dublin based ASL Aviation Group will rename it’s four existing European carriers to create a single brand, ASL Airlines, which will operate about 75 aircraft.
Air Contractors, which has an ATR and Boeing 757 maintenance hangar at Shannon, will become ASL Airlines Ireland. The airline won the prestigious ‘Aircraft Operator of the Year’ award at last weeks Irish Aviation Authority sponsored Irish Aviation Awards.
Europe Airpost will be known as ASL Airlines France while the other two carriers within the ASL Group, Farnair Switzerland and Farnair Hungary, will be renamed and operated as ASL Airlines Switzerland and Hungary respectively.
ASL Group Chief Executive Hugh Flynn said: “Our intent is to have a new strong single brand that will play a major role in helping us to achieve our vision and mission and reflect our corporate values in our business.”
“This strong single brand will make it considerably easier to use the aircraft of the European fleet across the individual countries to meet customer demand and this increased fleet flexibility and consequent competitiveness will enable us to grow our business”, Mr Flynn added.
The ASL Group, which employs 1,500 globally, will continue to be based at its Corporate Support Office at Swords in Dublin.
The total ASL fleet is around 100 aircraft, depending on leasing arrangements, of which 75 aircraft are flying in Europe. Some of these aircraft will be painted in airline customer colours while the rest will soon start to become visible in Europe’s airports in the new ASL Airlines livery.
Hugh Flynn added: “ASL’s optimisation potential will include the creation of ‘Centres of Excellence’, reducing cost and improving safety, reliability, quality and profitability, 4 of ASL’s 5 corporate values.”
“In addition, there will be increased security of employment, job satisfaction and challenge for all of the people of ASL, our 5th corporate value, and the most important after safety,” Hugh Flynn said.
ASL’s ‘Platform for Growth’ strategy will see the Group increase the number of aircraft in its combined cargo and passenger fleets.
Aircraft will also be transferred throughout the group to facilitate the airlines and their ‘centres of excellence’ becoming specialists in operating specific aircraft types.
Passenger services are also operated under the airlines own brand from Switzerland and Dublin while the Irish airline, Air Contractors, operates three passenger Boeing 757’s for Aer Lingus on daily transatlantic services from Dublin and Shannon to Canada and the United States.
ASL will also expand its global presence through its interest in Safair in South Africa as well cargo airlines K-Mile in Thailand and QuikJet in India where ASL announced last week that its shareholding is to increase to 72.59%.