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| Founded | 2005 (2005) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 2012 (2012) | ||||||
| Hubs | Perth Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 4 | ||||||
| Destinations | 2 | ||||||
| Parent company | Strategic Group | ||||||
| Headquarters | Melbourne,Victoria,Australia | ||||||
| Key people | Michael James (Executive Director) | ||||||
| Website | www.ozjet.com.au | ||||||
Ozjet Airlines Pty Ltd was ascheduled andcharter airline with its head office inTullamarine,Melbourne, Australia operating withinAustralasia fromMelbourne Airport,Sydney Airport andPerth Airport. In 2008 the airline was sold toHeavyLift Cargo Airlines, and on 20 May 2009 it suspended its last remaining operations from Perth. In June 2009, OzJet was purchased by theStrategic Group. With the insolvency of Strategic Airlines on 17 February 2012 also OzJet ceased all operations.
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Ozjet was first registered as a trademark to Peter Schott, aMetroliner pilot from New South Wales studying for hisMaster of Business Administration atSwinburne University inMelbourne in 2002. When thePaul Stoddart announced the idea of alow-cost domestic regional airline, Ausjet Airlines Pty Ltd was formed. Schott and Stoddart realised the potential of adopting the Ozjet name and did so. In 2004 the original Ozjet Airlines Pty Ltd was deregistered and Ausjet Airlines Pty Ltd became Ozjet Airlines Pty Ltd. Peter Schott was initially thechief operating officer, then replaced by David Blake in late 2005.[1]
Following its pre-application meeting on 10 June 2005, Ozjet was granted anairworthiness certificate for its first jet on 28 October 2005. After a number of delays Ozjet was granted an Air Operator's Certificate by theCivil Aviation Safety Authority on 11 November 2005.[2][3] On 29 November 2005 OzJet commenced operations, flying eight scheduled return services per day betweenMelbourne andSydney usingBoeing 737-200 aircraft transferred from Paul Stoddart'sEuropean Aviation inbusiness class configuration of 60 seats.[3][4][5][6] OzJet intended to expand its fleet with up to seven further Boeing 737s[3] and fourBritish Aerospace 146s to expand its network to includeBrisbane,Canberra,Adelaide andPerth.[3] Ozjet's motto was "You're in Business", reflecting itsmarketing and product focus on business travellers. OzJet wanted to attain a market share of no more than 10% of the business market from competitorsQantas,Virgin Blue andJetstar.[7]
Initially the airline offered its business class seats in its three aircraft at fares similar to those of fully flexibleeconomy class seats of its competitors. Faced with poor loads on its services (due in part to not commencing operations until just before the start of the Christmas holiday period in Australia), it had to soon resort to discounting, including "two seats-for-the-price-of-one" offers.[3] On many of the carrier's flights, there were more flight attendants than actual passengers.[8] The low patronage problems continued and in December 2005 the airline commenced offering charter flights.[9]
In March 2006, OzJet chairman Paul Stoddart announced that OzJet would cease all scheduled operations. All stranded passengers were given flights withQantas (economy) and all other booked fares were given full refunds, and an opportunity to book a matching flight with Qantas at the same price.[10][11]
_Boeing_737-229_landing_at_Sydney_Airport.jpg)
On 16 May 2006, OzJet was announced as taking over operating the regular service from Australia toNorfolk Island, replacingAir Nauru from 24 May 2006. The main aircraft used on this service was configured for 108 seats (8 of which were "Bounty Class") and ticketed by Qantas andNorfolk Air. The services operated several days a week operating from the Norfolk Island base to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane andNewcastle for Norfolk Air.[12]
On 21 August 2006 the airline began scheduled operations on behalf ofAirlines PNG between Brisbane andPort Moresby. As of November 2007 these services were operating three times a week, originating in Brisbane each operating day.[13]
In February 2007 OzJet recommenced scheduled flights, operating between Perth andDerby, Western Australia[14] three times each week.[15][16] In September the same year Ozjet commenced charter flights from Perth toBali,Indonesia, operating on behalf of travel agency IndoJet, initially twice each week, subsequently increasing to four times per week.[17][18] In October 2007 Ozjet announced that subject to regulatory approval it would commence regular services connectingPalmerston North inNew Zealand with the Australian ports of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane;[19] but decided in March 2008, just four days before the first scheduled flights, that the service would not go ahead, leaving hundreds of travellers in limbo without any information or official contact from OzJet.[20][21]
In May 2008, Paul Stoddart sold his 97.4% stake in OzJet toHeavyLift Cargo Airlines.[22][23] The new chairman of OzJet, HeavyLift's Nick Leach, was reported as saying that the Boeing 737-200s would be replaced with newer and more fuel efficient737-300 and737-400s.[24]
In October 2008 the Manawatu Standard reported that Ozjet was in talks withPalmerston North Airport; to discuss Ozjet commencing the services from Australia to Palmerston North that had been abandoned at the time of the HeavyLift sale.[25] In late 2008 Ozjet's services to Port Moresby on behalf of Airlines PNG ceased whenPacific Blue Airlines commencedcode-share flights on 3 November.[26]
On 29 April 2009 Norfolk Air CEO Jeff Murdoch announced that, following a decision by Ozjet to immediately end charter services to the island,Our Airline would be taking over all charter services on behalf ofNorfolk Air.[27][28] Following the grounding of OzJet's fleet, air services between Perth and Derby were restored withFokker 100 aircraftchartered fromAlliance Airlines. On 21 May 2009 OzJet was placed inadministration and sold to Strategic Airlines.[29][30][31] With the insolvency of Strategic Airlines on 17 February 2012 also OzJet ceased all operations.
From 3 February 2011 to 7 February 2011, flights on Strategic Airlines' website for Townsville to Denpasar (Bali) from 9 April 2011 showed as flight number O7 228. This used Ozjet AirlinesIATA airline designator prefix of O7 instead of Strategic Airlines' own VC.[32]
In November 2009, Ozjet's services reduced to just one route, with services flown byAlliance Airlines:
Notes: 3 were never used by Ozjet.
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Media related toOzJet at Wikimedia Commons