Could Skybus Return?
After its catastrophic implosion, it’s hard to imagine Skybus actually returning to the skies. But industry watcher Nawal Taneja tells the Columbus Dispatch there’s a chance it could happen: I know there are people interested in the certificate. They just think the management team and the business model weren’t right. He’s talking about the “air carrier operating certificate,” a document issued by the FAA that lets airlines fly. That, among a bunch of other Skybus assets, are up for grabs now that the company has shut down. Among those shopping is likely the carrier’s founder, John Weikle. (He left the company shortly after it started flying.) Because of a bunch of federal rules, Weikle wouldn’t be able to snatch up the certificate and launch Jet America with it, but he could try to revive Skybus, keeping its base of operations in Columbus. It’s too early to say whether any of this will actually happen, of course. But maybe those $10 tickets will be back sooner than we imagine.
