Business-class airline applies to take flight from Bermuda
A boutique airline catering to Bermuda’s business-class travellers has gone public with ambitious plans to shuttle high-end travellers between the island and the United States.
Bermudair Limited filed a request for a foreign air carrier permit with the United States Department of Transportation on Friday.
It is reported to be aiming to serve Boston, Fort Lauderdale and White Plains, New York.
If approved, the company would run scheduled and chartered flights between the US and Bermuda, with 30 premium seats on board, using two leased Embraer E175 aircraft.
One of the aircraft was added to the Bermuda register last month. The aircraft were formerly run by Flybe, a British airline that went out of business in January.
Chief executive Adam D Scott, also chief executive at Odyssey Airlines Limited, a start-up yet to commence flights, is the CEO, while Martin Amick, the former CEO of Bermudian-based Longtail Aviation, is chief operating officer, according to his LinkedIn page.
Mr Scott, a Canadian who previously worked at Goldman Sachs, is named as the only director of the company on the Bermuda Registrar of Companies website.
John Bavister, who was also behind Odyssey, is CFO, according to the aviation website One Mile At A Time.
Sandy Burns, a flight attendant from Canada, has posted on her LinkedIn page that she has been appointed head of cabin crew.
BermudAir would fly six days a week, twice daily from Bermuda to Westchester County Airport, 30 miles north of Manhattan.
It aims to serve Boston and Fort Lauderdale once daily, six days a week, but “may further expand the proposed services and aircraft in the future”, the online site FlightGlobal reported.
Mr Scott applied in December to incorporate the company in Bermuda via Conyers Corporate Services.
It follows the announcement in March that Lawrence Scott, a government MP and former minister of transport, announced a charter service, TXKF Direct, that would start out serving the Caribbean.
The news comes amid flagging airlift for Bermuda to gateway US cities such as Boston and Miami.
On the aviation job website JSfirm.com, BermudAir states: “Everything we do reflects the island’s unique characteristics and vibrant culture.
“We exist to help elevate our island’s global position as a tourism destination and business hub and to ensure our community continues to thrive.
“As the only airline offering an all-aisle class experience to Bermuda, we’re taking comfort to new heights with our short, twice-daily service from Bermuda to the New York area, and other soon-to-be-announced East Coast cities in the USA.”
The carrier is also advertising for flight attendants on the site Jobsora.
BermudAir awaits certification from the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority as well as clearance by the US Government, and would be based out of LF Wade International Airport if given the green light.
It has been posting on Facebook and Instagram under the handle Fly BermudAir, with a typical post featuring a Bermuda scene and saying: “Soon you'll be able to arrive in style by flying with the newest boutique airline, BermudAir! Our all-business class flights will link the East Coast with the island’s hidden treasures. Stay tuned for more information!”
The travel news site One Mile at a Time notes that the substantial reduction in the number of seats, down to 30 from usual aircraft capacity, would yield exceptionally spacious seating.
But, citing high fares and the volume of service proposed, the site also cast doubt on the viability of its business plan.
White Plains could be popular for many reinsurance executives as many Bermuda re/insurers have offices in the Westchester County area or in southern Connecticut.