The Sky is the Limit
Voted as Africa’s foremost low cost carrier for two years running, 1time airline has continuously maintained that passengers’ safety and comfort will always be top of its business agenda.
This is why the airline continues to fly its McDonnell Douglas (MD) 80 fleet, says 1time’s Chief Executive Officer, Rodney James. “Since entering into the market seven years ago, our goal with 1time has been to not only get people to their final destination, but to do so in comfort and with their safety at the forefront of everything we do. When we launched in 2004, South Africa’s domestic air travel market carried approximately 7,5 million passengers each year. We realised that the time for a sustainable low fare airline could not have been better.”
After opening its ticket sales in January 2004, the airline has grown from strength to strength, and proven itself to be a dominant force in the market. Not only have they expanded their initial frequency on routes, but have also incorporated more destinations to their flight schedules.
1time proudly carries two million passengers a year, which equates to about 15% of the market. The airline is widely considered the fastest growing low cost airline in the industry over its seven year track record.
“Part of our commitment to our passengers has also been to fly an established fleet, which is not only safe and reliable but also caters to their comfort. We believe that our fleet of MD80s offers all of this, which is why we have such a large market share,” continues James.
Benefits include quiet cabins, larger overhead luggage bins, leather seats, ample legroom due to seat pitch, as well as the two and three seat abreast configuration. Not only is the aircraft a popular choice from a passenger perspective, but international airlines also rate it as a firm favourite.
1time’s 12 MD80s come from a reputable aircraft series and are an improved development on the DC-9s. According to Jim Proulx of Boeing, the MD80 and its variants from the McDonnell Douglas family are considered among the safest airplanes in the sky because it has a mature maintenance program in place. Although the MD80 production line was stopped in the mid 1990s, with a total of 1,200 built, the majority of them still operate daily. American Airlines still fly 310 MD80s and 117 of these aircraft form part of Delta Airlines’ fleet.
“From a pilot’s perspective, it is a real pleasure to be at the controls of an MD80, as I am constantly amazed at the capabilities and power of this real workhorse of an aircraft, which has an unbeatable maintenance pedigree. The performance of these aircraft is evident to even the most casual observer,” explains Captain Johan Steyl, pilot for 1time airlines. Steyl has been flying MD80s and their predecessor the DC-9 since early 2000 and is well versed in the ins and outs of the fleet, having clocked over 20,000 flying hours.
“Some may say that the MD80 isn’t as fuel efficient as its newer counterparts, but we have done the numbers and the MD80 continues to be the most cost effective aircraft to operate. For now, our priority remains delivering quality service and outstanding comfort to all our passengers, and we believe that the MD80 is the perfect aircraft to do so,” concludes James.
