News
WOW Air launches Delhi flights
December 14th 2018
Icelandic low-cost carrier (LCC), WOW Air, has launched its first route to Asia, a three times a week Keflavik-New Delhi service using its sole remaining 345-seater Airbus A330-300. Read More »
The route is not only the first direct flight linking Iceland with Asia, it is also the only LCC option for passengers traveling between North America and India, via Keflavik.
WOW Air is facing severe financial troubles and it is unclear at this stage whether the airline will manage to survive. Having bitten off more than it could chew, WOW recently returned two A320s and two A330s to their owners, leaving the fleet with a single A330-300 and 15 A320 Family aircraft.
WOW is seeking an equity investment from Indigo Partners, a U.S. private equity firm which specializes in LCCs, after an acquisition attempt by Icelandair Group fell through.
The LCC has built an extensive network from its Reykjavik hub to North America and Europe, although it has cut destinations and frequencies over the past two months. The carrier hopes to siphon off some of the lucrative U.S.-India traffic, dominated by the ‘Big Three’ European heavyweights – Air France-KLM, Lufthansa Group and IAG – and the Middle Eastern airlines.
WOW Air is offering US$199 one-way fares between the U.S. East Coast and New Delhi, although these fares are without luggage allowance, seat assignment, in-flight entertainment and/or onboard catering. After adding those ancillaries, the real one-way cost is much closer to US$300, rendering the offering significantly less competitive.
