Zoom UK expansion

http://www.flyzoom.com has additional info…

Zoom Air To Offer Transatlantic Flights

Copyright © 2003, Dow Jones Newswires
TORONTO, Oct. 23 /CNW/ – Ottawa-based Zoom Airlines today announced it will offer scheduled transatlantic flights to both Glasgow and London Gatwick airports in the United Kingdom (UK) from six Canadian cities beginning May 2004 with fares lower than the charter options available today.

Zoom Airlines will fly year-round, direct from Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver to Gatwick and Glasgow using its fleet of Boeing 767-300 aircraft with 268 seats – the same type of aircraft that Air Canada flies on these transatlantic routes.

Zoom Airlines is the first airline in Canada to offer an alternative to existing airline service to these UK destinations. This marks the first scheduled service Halifax travelers flying direct to Scotland and the first scheduled service for Edmontonians flying direct to London.

Zoom Airlines was founded in May 2002 by Scottish-born entrepreneur Hugh Boyle, now of Ottawa, and a team of travel and aviation experts. Boyle has a proven record in developing travel businesses which feature low fares and direct-to-consumer selling. His Direct Holidays was a brand leader in the UK, capturing ten per cent of the British holiday market, before Boyle sold it to Airtours (Sunquest’s parent company). Boyle has hired Kristopher Dolinki, a former executive with Boyle’s travel company to become Zoom’s chief executive officer.

“There is tremendous opportunity for Zoom to penetrate a market that saw over 720,000 Canadians visit Britain in 2002 alone,” said Dolinki. “Zoom Airlines will provide Canadian customers with the lowest scheduled fares and booking flexibility and convenience without sacrificing service, quality or comfort.”

All flights will include full meal service and in-flight entertainment as well as a cabin configuration with increased seat pitch for economy passengers and a premium economy section with larger seats and even greater pitch for a superior in-cabin experience.

Additionally, Zoom’s airfares are one-way enabling customers to fly into one destination and fly out of another at no additional cost, with no Saturday night stopovers or minimum/maximum stay.

“Zoom’s business model could revolutionize the way airline tickets are sold in Canada,” said Boyle, Chairman, Zoom Airlines. “Our approach to ticket sales is to sell direct to consumer — skipping the travel agent – resulting in a more streamlined and cheaper product.”

Furthermore, Zoom’s approach to airfares is consistent with the model employed by the low cost carriers in Europe. The earlier a passenger books their flight with Zoom, the lower their fare will be.

“Canadians expect a quality scheduled service from their airlines,” continued Dolinki. “Zoom Airlines delivers that quality at a reduced ‘charter-type’ price which makes us competitive in today’s over-priced airline industry.”

Travellers can book flights on the Web at http://www.flyzoom.com or by calling 1-866-FLY-ZOOM (359-9666).

About Zoom Airlines

Zoom Airlines is a privately held Canadian Airline focused on providing superior air service to the leisure travel market. It was incorporated in May 2002 by a team of travel industry veterans and is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. More information is available online at http://www.flyzoom.com.