Neeleman plans jump on Moxy with outgoing Azul E-Jets

Moxy wants a jump on its own effort. Also, Neeleman reveals plans for a longer-range A220.

Sao Jose dos Campos — David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue Airways and Azul Linhas Aéreas, said Thursday he wants to get a jump on his next venture — codenamed Moxy — by setting up a U.S. carrier with airplanes retired from the Brazilian airline.

Starting next year, Neeleman wants a separate Air Operator Certificate for a U.S. airline, united under the start-up’s corporate umbrella. As Azul takes deliveries of Embraer E195-E2s — the first here Thursday — the airline expects to rotate the older first generation E-Jets out of the fleet. Under Neeleman’s notional plan, about 30 aircraft would shift to the U.S. for a combination of scheduled and charter operations.

Moxy is expected to receive its first A220-300s from Airbus starting in 2021.

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Jon Ostrower

Jon Ostrower is Editor-in-chief of The Air Current. Prior to launching TAC in June 2018, Ostrower served as Aviation Editor for CNN Worldwide, guiding the network's global coverage of the business and operations of flying. Ostrower joined CNN in 2016 following four and half years at the Wall Street Journal. Based first in Chicago and then in Washington, D.C. he covered Boeing, aviation safety and the business of global aerospace. Before that, Ostrower was editor of the award-winning FlightBlogger for Flightglobal and Flight International Magazine covering the development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and other new aircraft programs from 2007 to 2012. Ostrower, a Boston native, graduated from The George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs with a bachelor's degree in Political Communication. He is based in Seattle.

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