Want to help get an airline in the skies? Why not participate in crowdsourcing one?
Crowdsourcing has helped make everything from restaurants to apps to charities and films a reality rather than an idea. Now a company is trying to use the method to get an airline off the ground, Relaxnews reports.
Odyssey Airlines Limited is attempting to raise £1 million ($1.7 million USD) by mid-June in order to get started and become the first business class plane to fly non-stop, transatlantic flight from London City Airport.
The airline put up its proposal on Crowdcube, saying "Odyssey Airlines Limited ("Odyssey") is a new business class airline venture that aims to be the first and only airline to operate non-stop transatlantic services from London City Airport. Over 5 million has been invested to date including influential investor Jon Moulton."
The airline is hoping to create more flights to that passengers won't have to deal with airport congestion, long lines and other aggravations that passengers may encounter at a major airport, according to CEO Adam Scott.
The airline plans to use a Bombardier CSEries jet, which is fuel-efficient and more environmentally safe. With this type of plane, the airline will be able to bypass the rules and regulations that keep larger commercial planes from operating out of the busy London airport. The airline claims this can help business travelers and vacationers save up to an hour and a half from their typical airport commute.
London City Airport only services destinations within Europe at this time,
The Bombardier CSEries jet will be designed to transform the typical 110 standard seats into 40 fully lie-flat seats, which will make the trip a comfortable one.
The airline hopes to start with flights to New York in 2016, with a possible addition of routes to Toronto, Washington, Boston, Chicago, the Middle East, and underserviced cities in Europe.
The airline has 34 more days to reach its goal and so far it has made £290,410 (over $489,000) from 101 investors.
While it may be unique for an airline to get its start from crowdfunding, it isn't the first to try it. Spike Aerospace in Boston also tried crowdfunding on Indiegogo, but it couldn't reach its goal of $250,000
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
