The latest member of the select group of operators now offering long-haul all business class comfort for corporate flyers is Italy's Eurofly, the Milan-based airline that will launch flights to New York next summer. Eurofly has announced its intention to acquire an A319LR, configured for 48 seats, to start the service in June 2005.
Milan is seen as the business, financial and industry capital of Italy, and Eurofly believes the time is now right to launch its tailored service. Giulio Ottaviani, Eurofly's CFO, notes, "This will allow you to have a full working day in the U.S. At the moment, if you are flying commercial you'll lose that time." Says Andrea Zanetto, Eurofly evp engineering and maintenance, "Italians are already going abroad to make transatlantic connections through places like Zurich or Paris. An excellent service like this will bring these people back. It will also cater to those who are concerned about all-inclusive security for their travel—we know that is an issue for some of our customers."
Eurofly aims to operate its A319LR service six days a week—from Monday to Saturdays. That equates to an annual utilization of some 4,000 flight hours. The company is proud of its cabin configuration, with seats that it rates as the very best available. All are fully electric and lie-flat, with a 58-inch pitch, equipped for services such as video on demand, computer connectivity and inflight e-mail/SMS capability.
Eurofly says there is a definite demand for more trunk route services from Milan. With an option on a second aircraft the airline says it is already considering additional destinations for its all-business service—to the U.S., or perhaps elsewhere.
