If you can make it now, you can make it anytime seems to be the mantra of a new “secret” airline set to launch flights to sun destinations from Quebec during the most troubling time in aviation history.
OWG (an acronym for ‘off we go’) is the new airline established by Quebec-based Nolinor Aviation, based outside of Montreal, Quebec. Nolinor is a charter airline with 200 employees, operating charter and cargo services, mainly in the US and Canada, “including remote regions where gravel and ice runways are the norm” since 1992, and which expects to be airborne in 54 days according to a countdown clock on its web site.
OWG received authorization from the Canadian minister of transport to provide regular international flight service on July 6, according to Nolinor, which says its new division is part of an initiative to expand into new markets.
Beyond its intent to serve “tropical destinations,” specifics have not yet been released, but will announced “shortly,” says the airline.
What is known is that OWG has been in development since 2018, with Nolinar “secretly working” on the project, including studying “the best airlines in the world,” and investing more than $1 million in a think tank “to reinvent the way things are done in this industry.”
Earlier this year, the carrier acquired a fleet of Boeing 737-400s, which received a multi-million renovation, including technological innovations like real-time tracking and lighter and sturdier seats to accommodate 158 passengers.
The use of 737-400s meets the company’s service and safety standards, but will also allow it to offer competitive rates, says OWG, which adds that, with respect to in-flight protection standards against COVID-19, “the OWG crew will benefit from the expertise developed by Nolinor Aviation during the crisis, which continued to serve certain northern destinations.”
OWG president Marco Prud’homme promises that airline is dedicated to “re-inventing the travel experience” by placing passengers at “the heart of its actions,” which is symbolized in the airline’s logo.
“The flight portion of your trip should be an integral part of your vacation,” says Prud’homme.
“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.”
In September 2020?