TselJet
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| Code | TSJ |
|---|---|
| Callsign | CHAMOMILE |
| Type | International LCC |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Hubs | Leovetsk International |
| Slogan | "Travel for All" |
| Creator | Carauq |
TselJet is an international low-cost airline headquartered in Leovetsk, Tselinoyarsk, and was founded in 1992 after the privatization of the Tsel'noyarsk Aviaperevodschik Authority (New Vetsk). Following the privatization, LRT (Leovetsk - Riskorosh Travel), and Krylya Air were formed with assets unfairly split between the two companies, with Krylya Air acquiring most of the aircraft. LRT received 9 Tu-204s and 3 Il-86s. Initially, the airline focused on regional travel from Leovetsk and Riskorosh towards Kyokkou, but in 2002, the airline shifted its focus towards the emerging low-cost airline trend and was rebranded to TselJet.
History
Following the split of the two airlines, LRT seemed to soon go bankrupt. The airline attempted different strategies, but as Krylya Air had the air rights to fly to Avalon and Oceania, LRT didn't have the same ability to expand. A year after the split, in 1993, the three Il-86's were traded for one Il-96-300, in an attempt to make the airline seem more modern. The aircraft brought moderate success, and was mostly flying to Öskuflói and southern Kyokkou.
The air rights feud
1997 saw the airline again on the verge of bankruptcy, as demand went down when Krylya Air introduced cheaper tickets towards Kyokkou and Aska. Four Tu-204's were sold to save the airline. The airline's directors blamed Krylya Air for stealing their customers, and demanded Tseloniyarski officials to give LRT the right to operate solely towards Kyokkou and Aska. LRT got singular air rights towards Aska, but not Kyokkou. This also resulted in a 10 year long feud between the two airlines. LRT operated rather successfully until 2001.
Business and name change
In 2001, LRT lost their singular-operator right towards Aska, with Krylya Air almost immediately introducing new routes towards the Island. In an attempt to still be the dominant airline between Leovetsk and Öskuflói, LRT lowered their prices drastically, and cut back on service on board flights. This move allowed LRT to acquire another Il-96-300, which would operate between the two cities. Realizing the potential in low prices, LRT's directors sought to research the low-cost business model. In January of 2002, the airline adapted the low cost model, and became Eisenyarsk's first low-cost carrier. This also meant a name change for the airline, to TselJet. In 2004, the airline also changed its livery to a new playful livery, which is still used today.
Streamlining
Over the years, the airline acquired different types of aircraft. As Krylya Air and Leovetsk Air had been the dominant airlines in Tselinoyarsk, TselJet was forced to buy cheaper jets, that usually were home-grown. This hasn't been a problem for the airline though, which happily bought aircraft such as the Tu-204 and the Il-96-300. With the introduction of the low-cost business model, having an expansive fleet soon became a problem. The large fleet brought a lot of training and a lot of maintenance. To solve this, all wide-body jets and regional aircraft were sold, either for scrap parts or to other airlines. Only the Tu-204 remained in the fleet, which could fly to most destinations the airline had. In 2005, the airline had a fleet of 51 Tu-204s.
End of feud
In 2007, TselJet's and Krylya Air's ten year long feud started to come to an end, as the two airlines had built up two different markets which weren't influencing each other too much. Instead, a new rivalry had begun growing between Krylya Air and Leovetsk Air. Krylya Air's directors approached TselJet, with a suggestion. As Leovetsk Air's prices were lower than Krylya Air's, the airline had started to take over market share from Krylya Air towards Avalon and Oconia when air rights were granted to the company. To get back at Leovetsk Air, Krylya Air suggested that TselJet could get some of their air rights, as TselJet's and Leovetks Air's markets were more alike. TselJet soon started flying to Clarence and Harden, using slots from Krylya Air. This was to be the start of a new partnership between the two airlines, where Krylya Air would grant slots to TselJet in different airports in an attempt of sabotaging for Leovetsk Air, which would ultimately work. This would also be a key factor for the success of TselJet.
New divisions
In 2008, following Krylya Air's decision to let TselJet use their slots and air rights, TselJet started to fly to destinations that were further away than before. To be able to fly to cities such as Valois, stop overs were required somewhere along the route. As the aircraft were also being needed for regional routes, the airline's directors made the decision to split up their operations into two divisions. There would be regular TselJet, which would operate flights to northern Kyokkou, central Kyokkou, Oconia, and Aska. There would also be TselJetX, which would operate flights to southern Kyokkou, Alavega, Avalon and Aesir. TselJet would start to operate Sukhoi Superjets, and all Tu-204s would be transferred to TselJetX. TselJetX would also buy permanent slots at Fiskar airport, which would be used as stop-overs during flights to Avalon.
Aircraft renewals
In 2016, the airline saw its fleet of Tu-204s aging, and its SSJ-100s being too small. The airline placed orders for 50 C919s, which would replace the SSJs in the coming years. Orders were also placed for the MC-21-400, which would replace the aging Tu-204. The C919 would start delivery in 2018, and the MC-21-400 in 2021. The MC-21-400 would be equipped with PD-14 engines. The MC-21-400 would also be able to fly further than the Tu-204, which would possibly eliminate the need for stopovers at Fiskar.
Buyout
In 2021, Krylya Air offered TselJet's directors $60 000 000 for a 100% stake in the airline. TselJet accepted the offer, and has since, again, been a part of the company. The buyout has helped both companies, as the recurring problem for TselJet with air rights is now a problem of the past. Krylya Air now had a new source of income, which certainly would help in their rivalry against Leovetsk Air.
Incidents
TselJet is an airline that has a controversial past regarding its safety record. Although officially the airline has never had any type of incident, there are rumors that any incidents that have happened have been silenced by TselJet's board under orders from Tselinoyarski officials. The only known statistic on the topic is from a supposed crash in 1994, somewhere around Leovetsk. On a dark and foggy morning, Flight TSJ340 inbound from Öskuflói, a Tu-204, supposedly went down about 5 nautical miles east of Leovetsk. Rumors suggest that a Tselinoyarski MiG-21 shot down the aircraft, mistaking it for an enemy fighter. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this claim.
Fleet
| Aircraft | Amount | Operations | | --------- | ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | C919 | 50x, 11x on order | Operates with TselJet, Northern Kyokkou, Central Kyokkou Aska, Oconia. | | MC-21-400 | 35x, 10x on order | Operates with TselJetX, Southern Kyokkou, Alavega, Avalon, Aesir. | | SSJ100 | 0x, used to operate 45x | / | | Tu-204 | 0x, used to operate 50x | / | | Il-96-300 | 0x, used to operate 6x | / | | Il-86 | 0x, used to operate 3x | / |
Gallery
Further lore is available on [Google Docs Articles with broken external lore].