Editing Go Fly (section)

==History==
[[File:Go Fly Boeing 737-33A; G-IGOI@AGP, June 1999 BXY (5066998338).jpg|thumb|right|Boeing 737-300, landing at [[Málaga Airport]]]] 
[[File:Go Fly Boeing 737-300 G-IGOB departing Bristol Airport in 2004.jpg|thumb|right|Boeing 737-300, taking off from [[Bristol Airport]]]]
[[Bob Ayling]], [[CEO]] of [[British Airways]], approached [[EasyJet]] founder [[Stelios Haji-Ioannou]] to ask whether they could meet, claiming that he was fascinated by how the Greek entrepreneur had made the budget airline formula work. Haji-Ioannou not only agreed, but allegedly showed Ayling his business plan.<ref>{{cite news | first=James | last=Curtis | title=Behind enemy lines | work=Marketing | date=24 May 2001}}</ref>

In 1997, BA announced that, under the project name Operation Blue Sky, it would launch its own low-cost airline to meet the changing demand for air travel in Europe.<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul | last=Burnham Finney | title= Business Travel; Hong Kong's Huge New Airport, Chek Lap Kok, is Set to Open in April, Tourist Slump and all | date=1997-12-31 | url =https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500E0DD1331F932A05751C1A961958260 |work =[[The New York Times]] | access-date = 16 January 2008}}</ref> According to Ayling, the new airline would "quickly become a favourite with the budget traveller" via its pricing scheme and available flights.<ref>{{cite news |title=New BA Low-Cost Airline Meets Legal Threat | date=17 November 1997 | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/31921.stm | work =BBC News | access-date = 16 January 2008}}</ref> [[Barbara Cassani]], who had been British Airways' General Manager in New York and had been credited with turning around the airline's flagging fortunes in the transatlantic market in the early 1990s, was chosen by Ayling to set up the new venture. The new airline would be run separately from British Airways as a wholly owned subsidiary, and would compete in the European [[low-cost carrier]] market, dominated by [[Ryanair]] and [[EasyJet]]. In 1998, the name of the new airline was announced as Go Fly Limited, following a lengthy debate over how to choose a name that would best suit the positioning of this new airline, which was already facing challenges from EasyJet,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.easyjet.com/EN/news/19980120_01.html |title=the EasyJet case against Operation Blue Sky |access-date=16 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080301185723/http://www.easyjet.com/EN/news/19980120_01.html |archive-date=1 March 2008 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> and [[Virgin Atlantic]],<ref>{{cite news | first=Andrew Ross | last=Sorkin | title= Nurturing a No-Frills Airline | date=19 September 1999 | url =https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E2D6123CF93AA2575AC0A96F958260 | work =[[The New York Times]] | access-date = 16 January 2008}}</ref> among others.

The airline's fleet consisted of [[Boeing 737]]s. The first two, 737-300s G-IGOC and G-IGOE,<ref name="CassaniKemp">''Go: An airline adventure'', [[Barbara Cassani]] with Kenny Kemp, {{ISBN|0-7515-3560-5}}</ref> were acquired via lease from [[Philippine Airlines]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Max | last=Kingsley-Jones | title=Blue Sky Prepares for Launch as PAL 737-300s are Secured | date=28 January 1998 | url =http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/1998/01/28/32046/blue-sky-prepares-for-launch-as-pal-737-300s-are-secured.html | work =Flight | access-date = 16 January 2008}}</ref>

An additional plane, a 737-3Q8 G-IGOF, was leased in 1998.<ref name="CassaniKemp" /> On Friday 22 May 1998, Go Fly flew for the first time from its base at [[London Stansted Airport]] to [[Rome Ciampino]]. The following afternoon saw the airline's inaugural flight to [[Milan Malpensa Airport]]. The Italian launch of Go's operation was managed by former [[American Airlines]] executive Luca Berti.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}}

As part of EasyJet's campaign against Go Fly, Haji-Ioannou and nine other EasyJet staff booked tickets for the flight, arriving in orange [[boiler suit]]s.<ref name="CassaniKemp" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stopstanstedexpansion.com/news_archive17.html |title=Stop Stansted Expansion Campaign - SSE News Archive - April to June 2006 |access-date=13 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522130412/http://www.stopstanstedexpansion.com/news_archive17.html |archive-date=22 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Other early routes were to [[Copenhagen]], [[Bologna]] and [[Lisbon]].<ref name="CassaniKemp" /> In July flights to [[Glasgow]] were started, then to [[Munich]] in November and [[Venice]] in December 1998, followed by [[Málaga]], [[Faro, Portugal|Faro]], [[Bilbao]] in April 1999 and [[Madrid]].<ref name="CassaniKemp" />

After leasing three further planes, including a former [[Air Liberté]] plane and another ex-[[British Midland]] jet in 1998 and 1999, six additional planes were delivered direct from Boeing, leased from [[GE Commercial Aviation Services]], bringing the total to 13. Although this was four more than originally envisaged, additional routes helped to spread the [[Overhead (business)|overheads]].<ref name="CassaniKemp" />

To stem mounting losses, a significant change in strategy was announced in June 1999, cutting back on the existing schedules in favour of new routes tapping into the [[summer vacation|summer holiday]] market to [[Alicante]], [[Ibiza]] and [[Palma de Mallorca]]. This was followed by winter schedules targeting [[skiing|skiers]] travelling to [[Lyon]] and [[Zürich]], together with a new route to [[Prague]].<ref name="CassaniKemp" />

In 2001, Go Fly expanded its UK operations, opening a second base at [[Bristol Airport]], bringing low-cost travel to [[South West England]] for the first time.<ref>{{cite news|title=Go to Bring Low Airfares to the South West |date=9 March 2001 |url=http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/press/press_releases/article.aspx?newsid=%7B7610396F-EB03-41C5-9CEB-D7D34141F0C4%7D |work=Bristol International |access-date=16 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302123317/http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/press/press_releases/article.aspx?newsid=%7B7610396F-EB03-41C5-9CEB-D7D34141F0C4%7D |archive-date=2 March 2008}}</ref>

Go was very much the brainchild of Bob Ayling, and when he left British Airways, Go Fly's future was rendered shaky.<ref>{{cite news|title=Outlook: Eddington Axes Ayling's Legacy. But Will it Work? |date=7 November 2000 |newspaper=The Independent |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20001107/ai_n14343804 |access-date=16 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302080327/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20001107/ai_n14343804 |archive-date=2 March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2000, BA announced it planned to sell Go as part of efforts to improve profits, coupled with concerns that Go was attracting customers from BA's own services.<ref>{{cite news |title=BA to sell Go airline as profits surge | date=6 November 2000 | work=BBC News | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1009283.stm |access-date= 16 July 2013}}</ref>

Estimated gains from the sale fluctuated and in January 2001, BA admitted that its initial estimates may have been incorrect, and that they now valued Go Fly at £200 million.<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael |last=Harrison |title=BA admits Sale of Go May Raise Just £200m |date=5 January 2001 |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article265669.ece |work=The Independent |access-date=16 January 2008}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Go was sold later that year for £100 million in a management buyout led by Cassani with the support of private equity firm [[3i]].<ref>{{cite news |title=BA sells Go for £100m | date=14 June 2001 | work=BBC News | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1388980.stm |access-date= 16 July 2013}}</ref> The airline's management team remained in place.<ref>{{cite news|first=Alan |last=Levy |title=All Signals Go: Airline Sold |date=20 June 2001 |url=http://www.praguepost.cz/busi062001f.html |work=The Prague Post |access-date=16 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302045139/http://www.praguepost.cz/busi062001f.html |archive-date=2 March 2008}}</ref> In 2001, Go reported that it had carried 57.3% more passengers that year than in 2000.<ref>{{cite news|title=3I Go Fly Dec passengers up 57 pct yr-on-yr |date=4 January 2002 |url=http://www.advfn.com/news_Go-Fly-Dec-passengers-up-57-pct-yr-on-yr_2098451.html |work=ADVFN |access-date=16 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080301223106/http://www.advfn.com/news_Go-Fly-Dec-passengers-up-57-pct-yr-on-yr_2098451.html |archive-date=1 March 2008}}</ref>

In 2002, [[EasyJet]] announced that it would buy Go Fly for £374 million to expand its own operations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Easyjet buys Go for £374m | date=16 May 2002 | work=BBC News | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1990691.stm |access-date= 16 July 2013}}</ref> By December of that year, Go Fly was operating under the easyJet Air Operators Certificate (AOC) and was absorbed into the EasyJet brand the following year. Although it was reported that Cassani might seek to block the deal with EasyJet, this did not happen.<ref>{{cite news|first=Kenny |last=Kemp |title=Cassani: I Won't Stop Takeover of Go; UK Businesswoman of the Year |date=12 May 2002 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20020512/ai_n12576303 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302080317/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20020512/ai_n12576303 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 March 2008 |work=The Sunday Herald |access-date=16 January 2008}}</ref> She did not accept a position with the new entity, and in November 2003, Barbara Cassani published ''Go, An Airline Adventure'', which chronicled the airline's existence.