Now might not seem to be the best time to launch a new airline, but Canada’s Nolinor aviation won’t let a little thing like a global health crisis derail its plans. Announced today, a new subsidiary of the airline, called OWG, is gearing up ready for launch later in the year. Here’s what you need to know.
Say hello to Canada’s newest airline
You might think that in the middle of a pandemic might not be a great time to launch a new airline. However, Canadian airline Nolinor thinks that actually now could be the perfect opportunity.
Nolinor has today announced the launch of its super-secret subsidiary named OWG. Based in Quebec, the new airline is targeting flights to southern destinations, opening up a new market for Nolinor Aviation.
For over 27 years, Nolinor has flown its fleet of 10 Boeing 737s around the Far North, operating charter transport solutions for a variety of clients. Now, with this new venture, the airline hopes to break into the lucrative leisure market, having invested CA$1 million in a think tank to form the brand and mission of this airline.
OWG President Marco Prud’homme commented,
“The flight portion of your trip should be an integral part of your vacation. Traditional airlines have chosen to cut the quality of their services year after year with no regard for the passenger experience. Our goal is to win the hearts of Quebecers with a new airline whose mission is to get travellers excited again.”
The team have been working quietly on OWG since 2018, and earlier this year they acquired a fleet of Boeing 737-400s. Checking out Planespotters, Nolinor has two 737-400s on the way, and one already in the fleet, all of which could be destined for OWG.
While these 30-year-old planes are by no means cutting edge, OWG sees this as a positive. On the website, under ‘our fleet,’ the type is listed as “Boeing 737-400 / Classic generation (this is the model before the 800, not a MAX).”
What does OWG mean?
In a nutshell, OWG is an acronym standing for ‘off we go’! It’s a phrase regularly heard around airports and on social posts, at the moment of boarding, and represents all that is exciting and wonderful about taking a trip abroad.
OWG says it is putting travelers at its heart. The branding and logo even has a heart in the mix, symbolizing the love of travel and excitement of the journey.
It’s not clear at this point exactly what OWG’s business model will be. While aiming at the leisure market suggests a low-cost or hybrid carrier, the airline’s website says,
Each travel experience must exceed your expectations. Personal satisfaction is directly linked to the perceived gap between the height of our expectations and our lived experience. We are fulfilled only when our experience exceeds our expectations.
That suggests it might be more on the hybrid side than the fully low-cost, no-frills side, but we have a bit of time to wait before we get to check it out in person. Although OWG received the authorization from the Minister of Transport to provide regular international flight service on July 6th, the website is counting down to the date of launch, which is still 55 days away.
That puts the launch date on Monday, August 31st. See you onboard?