Newly announced Canadian leisure airline ‘OWG’ is set to launch with Cuba as its inaugural destination.
The new carrier’s brand was first unveiled on July 7th. On Monday, the airline officially announced a partnership with Canadian travel company Hola Sun Holidays. OWG (standing for ‘Off We Go’) will operate dedicated leisure flights to Cuba on behalf of Hola Sun. Services are already set to start on November 1st this year.
OWG, a subsidiary of Quebec-based charter airline Nolinor Aviation, will launch with a fleet of three Boeing 737-400 which were acquired earlier this year. It calls the aircraft ‘modern’ despite the type being two whole generations older than the current – but grounded – 737 MAX family. However, OWG says it has ‘invested several millions of dollars’ into refurbishing the old planes with a new interior, featuring 158 economy seats.
On the outside, the aircraft of OWG feature a unique red and blue livery design that entirely avoids the infamous white, except for the titles.
The start of an entirely new airline comes as a surprise, given the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and resulting travel restrictions that force airlines around the world to cancel most of their schedules. This year has already seen a number of airline shutdowns, with many others announcing significant long-term cuts. Canadian flag-carrier Air Canada and its leisure subsidiary Air Canada Rouge are among the carriers that have outlined major aircraft retirements and fleet reductions.
Jakob Wert is an aviation journalist from Germany. He built up the website IFN.news and is the Editor-In-Chief of International Flight Network.
