MAXjet and Eos: Prospects for the all-business class concept

摘要

Competition in the lucrative and presti-gious New York-London market is set to intensify in the coming weeks, as two new cut-price, all-business class carriers enter the JFK-Stansted route. Purchase, NY-based Eos Airlines is launching daily 757-200 flights on October 18, while Washington/Dulles-based MAXjet Airlines is making its debut with six-per-week 767-200ER services on November 1. Are these newcomers likely to be successful? What impact will they have on the market? To keep things in perspective, Eos and MAXjet will be small niche operators in a huge and already fiercely competitive market. They will face many industry heavyweights, including BA, American, United, Virgin and Continental. Their impact in terms of capacity addition will be minimal - there are already at least 25 flights from New York to London each day (mid-October schedules) and most utilise larger aircraft such as 777s and 747-400s.