London: A German businessman plans to launch an airline dedicated to smokers next year.
Smokers' International Airways (Smintair) aims to cater to smokers who feel excluded in an age when all major airlines have banned the habit.
On its website Smintair promises to "bring back the exclusivity in flying encountered in the 1960s".
Alexander Schoppmann, founder of Smintair, plans to lease two Boeing 747 jumbo jets and fit them out entirely with 138 first-class and business-class seats.
The airline will not offer economy-class tickets, but will target people who enjoy smoking and are willing to pay for some extra pampering.
On the website, Schoppmann wrote about the old times when Lufthansa offered its passengers a vast selection of Montecristo cigars.
He says airline smoking bans were prompted by a desire to economise on air conditioning systems. He promises to restore the old-fashioned system of pumping fresh air through the cabin, reports BBC.
However, Smintair needs to pay 40 million euros for an operating license from the German federal aviation authority, before it launches.
Schoppmann is optimistic that his airline will take off next summer.
Comments
0 comment