Ed Wegel, former CEO of Global Crossing Airline’s Group (GlobalX), is embarking on a new venture by planning to launch his own airline called Zoom! The airline aims to operate various routes from Florida, starting with a fleet of Embraer E-jets before transitioning to Airbus A220 aircraft in the coming years.
The Embraer E190 and E195 E1 Jets, powered by General Electric CF34 engines, are favored by Wegel for their excellent performance and range. However, specific details about Zoom!’s full plans, including aircraft configuration and route map, are still undisclosed.
Zoom! is anticipated to follow a route network similar to the now-defunct Air Florida, which operates from Miami to 99 destinations across the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and Central America. Additionally, the airline aims to attract novice pilots by partnering with UrbanLink, a startup operating the eVTOL Lilium Jet. Pilots will undergo training with UrbanLink before transitioning to operate Embraer aircraft and, eventually, Airbus A220s.
Although Zoom! Initially plans to commence operations with Embraer E-jets, Wegel remains open to incorporating Airbus aircraft in the future. However, the exact launch date for the airline remains unspecified.
It’s important not to confuse Zoom! with the Canadian carrier of the same name, which operated from 2002 to 2008. The Canadian Zoom focused on leisure travel and flew routes across Canada, the United States, and Europe, utilizing Airbus A320s, Boeing 757s, and 767s.
Despite experiencing growth, Zoom! Eventually, it ceased operations due to high operating costs. The airline served multiple Canadian cities and flew to destinations in the UK, Europe, the Caribbean, Guyana, and Thailand, among others.
