News

Who will be next to go?

22 Sep 2008 by Mark Caswell

Last week BA’s chief Willie Walsh declared that the aviation industry is facing a “deeper, more protracted and fundamental crisis” than 9/11 or the Gulf War. As more and more airlines feel the pinch, bookies are taking bets on which carrier will be next to go.

A look at paddypower.com shows that, unsurprisingly, bets have been suspended on troubled Italian airline Alitalia. This leaves Flyglobespan as favourites at 9-4, with Spanish carrier Spanair trading at 4-1, Air Berlin at 8-1, Finnair at 10-1, and SkyEurope at 12-1.

Further down the list you can get 33-1 on United Airlines, which was recently hit by false rumours that it had again gone into Chapter 11 (the rumour turned out to be an old newspaper report from 2002 that had been republished in error). Bmi and its low-cost subsidiary Bmibaby can be had at 66-1 and 40-1 repectively, while Easyjet and Ryanair are looking relatively safe at 100-1, as are the big boys of BA, Air France and Lufthansa.

For those who like to take a punt, paddypower.com is offering odds of 500-1 on Vatican Airlines going under, while for an unlikely 1000-1 you can pin your hopes on the President’s Air Force One going bust.

Odds were taken at 1500 on Tuesday September 23, and apply to the next airline to go into official administration and cease operating (ground all its fleet). It does not include Alitalia, and does not include service/flights being 'phased out' before merging with another airline.

For more information visit paddypower.com.

Report by Mark Caswell

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