Not an auspicious start. The Sydney-Melbourne route carries the third most passengers of any route, anywhere. Most are jaded business types comme moi, who take that route between twenty and fifty times a year. For Ozjet's business model to work, passengers have to have complete confidence in the aircraft.
Yesterday I went to Sydney and on the way up, flew in a brand new A330; wonderful airplane. On the way back I was on a 15 year-old 767-200 and felt that it was showing its age. If Stoddart intends to continue using 737-200s, they have to look and feel immaculate.
Anyhoo, a review from 'The Australian'
Bumps as new airline takes flight
Blair Speedy
November 30, 2005
OZJET'S maiden flight was 40 minutes late leaving Melbourne, half an hour late getting into Sydney, there was no champagne and the exit sign fell off the emergency door when it landed.
But chairman Paul Stoddart said he always expected a few hiccups on the first day of operations for the all-business-class outfit - the first major airline launched in Australia since Virgin Blue in 2000.
And so there were.
The first was with the check-in system, which refused to issue boarding cards for the queue of passengers assembled for the 6.30am Melbourne-Sydney flight.
When this was sorted out, Mr Stoddart rolled a chequered-flag ribbon across the boarding gate to ceremoniously mark the opening of the first flight.
But as scissors aren't allowed past the security checkpoint, he was unable to cut it, instead lifting it above his head and waving passengers down the walkway.
The cabin crew then proceeded to show passengers to the wrong seats.
To be fair, the seat numbers were placed on the overhead compartment in line with the headrests, making it unclear whether the relevant seat was the one in front or the one behind. It turned out to be the one in front, but not before several people had already been told the opposite.
The plane, a 30-year-old Boeing 737-200, was fitted out with 60 new and comfy leather seats, offering generous legroom.
Having just been through a complete rebuild, the plane seemed to fly well enough, and was no noisier or bumpier than the brand-new aircraft flown by Qantas and Virgin Blue.
But there were telltale signs of the craft's age - small chips in the plastic trim, drill-holes in the overhead console and, of course, the self-detaching exit sign.
The cabin crew struggled with the service level of business class, and, inexplicably, champagne was not offered.
The flight eventually touched down in Sydney at 8.25am - 30 minutes late and just five minutes before the plane was scheduled to head back to Melbourne.
Anticipating some teething problems, Ozjet yesterday brought in a "spare" 737 to service some flights, but by lunchtime the airline was running a full hour behind schedule.
Mr Stoddart, who owns 80per cent of Ozjet, said he was confident of ironing out the kinks.
Ozjet isn't the only airline to have a rough debut. Virgin Blue's inaugural flight in September 2000 arrived half an hour late.
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