Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

The effort by UK low-fare regional airline Flybe and flagcarrier Finnair to break through European structural barriers to consolidation took shape last week with an agreement to jointly acquire Finnish Commuter Airlines (FCA), a Finnish regional carrier owned by Finncomm Oy. The companies plan to create a new joint venture called Flybe Nordic, 60-percent owned by Flybe and 40 percent by Finnair.
Consolidation in the European airline industry has slowed in recent years for various reasons, not least of which centers on the lack of capital availability and market uncertainty. Flybe raised £60 million pounds ($98 million) late last year in an IPO share offering meant, first, to fund fleet expansion and, secondly, to position it for any potentially attractive airline acquisitions, or “strategic arrangements with other European airlines.”
“Partnerships and acquisitions are at the core of our European growth strategy, which is to export our strong and proven UK business model to become Europe's leading and most profitable regional airline,” said Flybe chairman and CEO Jim French. “Selective acquisitions offer the fastest and most visible route to profitability in the regional airline sector, whilst partnership with Finnair allows us to provide feeder traffic services under an agreed contract, reducing new route risk. This deal not only meets our stated strategic objectives but is a perfect example of the successful execution of our strategy.”
Under the plan, Flybe Nordic AB will buy FCA for just over $36.2 million plus net cash in the acquired business at completion of the transaction, which is expected to take place within four weeks of the July 1 signing. FCA will continue operating FCA’s existing domestic routes under the Flybe brand. Flybe plans to assume control of the day-to-day operation and management of the airline starting August 1.
Under the terms of the contract, Finnair will buy the FCA fleet of nine ATR 72 aircraft at market price and lease them back to FCA. Finnair has also committed to buy three Finncomm Oy-ordered ATR 72s, scheduled for delivery this coming autumn and autumn 2012. It will lease the airplanes directly to FCA at a market price. Plans call for Finncomm Oy to lease the remaining four ATR 42s it owns to FCA “for certain predefined periods.” FCA will continue leasing of two Finnair-owned Embraer E170 aircraft.

Flybe, Finnair Resume European Airline Consolidation

The effort by UK low-fare regional airline Flybe and flagcarrier Finnair to break through European structural barriers to consolidation took shape last wee

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