The demand is not large enough for Air Gotland to be able to continue flying between Visby and Gothenburg. Therefore, the line is paused during the winter while the competitor BRA operates the line all year round.
The future of the Air Leap brand Air Gotland seems uncertain. One of the founders of Air Gotland, the entrepreneur Pigge Werkelin, went out in October with a Facebook post where he urges more people to fly with Air Gotland so that the competition between two companies will be on flights between Visby and Stockholm Bromma. Werkelin states that Air Gotland has approximately 25 percent of the market between Visby and Bromma, while BRA has the remaining part and writes that the market shares need to be approximately 50 percent each for both airlines to be able to continue flying.
In addition to flying to Bromma from Visby, Air Gotland also flies to Gothenburg twice a week. This route has been operated throughout the summer and autumn, but the second week in November there is a stop, Swedish Radio reports. According to the company’s regional manager Michael Enlund, the reason why Air Gotland is stopping its flights on Visby-Gothenburg is a lack of demand.
Air Gotland is instead investing in resuming flights between Visby and Gothenburg this spring, while competitor BRA, which has also flown Visby-Gothenburg since the summer, will operate the route throughout the winter. Air Gotland’s decision on Visby-Gothenburg looks like another consequence of the tough competition it faces from BRA on many of the Air Leap Group’s airlines.
(Photo: Erik Glimvik)
Credit: Simon Ericson & Flyg24Nyheter
Original article (SE): https://flyg24nyheter.com/2021/10/18/air-gotland-pausar-visby-goteborg/
