Skyservice Replacements

Tour Operators Replace Skyservice with New Airlines...For this year anyway

The season was winding down to a close as Skyservice Airlines was pulled into bankruptcy.

It was impressive the way tour operators which were using Skyservice Airlines moved to bring their clients back home with hardly a blip beyond the first 24-48 hours.

Signature Vacations, Nolitours and Transat Holidays, and Sunwing Vacations along with the few flights Sunwing was using Skyservice for found new carriers, and now they have announced new airline agreements for the next little while, and I suspect to the end of the sun destination season.

Nolitours and Air Transit will use a combination of their own Air Transat and Sunwing. Signature Vacations will use a combination of Sunwing, their new parent so to speak, and Westjet Airlines. Sunquest, will use a combination of Canjet, EnerJet, Sunwing, and Westjet for the short term but have announced a long term deal with Jazz, the spinoff company of Air Canada.

Next year's carriers remain unclear but predictably Signature Vacations passengers will be flying on Sunwing aircraft for the most part. Similarly Nolitours and Transat Holidays will likely use their own Air Transat more frequently. Sunquest has lined up with Jazz on that long term deal and since it was parent company Thomas Cook that put the final nail in the Skyservice coffin, it is perhaps not surprising that they are the first to announce permanent arrangements.

There still will be some aircraft sharing in smaller markets but I think next year will bring much more of a vertical integration that in the past.