Rubicon Software Share Discussion Threads

[cocorico2009] 02/6/2012 21:00

The Africa Report : Easyjet is planning to move into West Africa with Fastjet

Are you going to be able to compete?


[cocorico2009] 02/6/2012 20:53

The aviation rivalry

[cocorico2009] 02/6/2012 20:50

A NEW WIND OF CHANGE BLOWS OUT OF AFRICA

[cocorico2009] 30/5/2012 17:36

Return of the unacceptable face of capitalism?
Sir Richard Needham's resignation from the board of Lonrho brings back bad memories of the group's controversial past

[cocorico2009] 23/5/2012 09:10

There is a subtle but stern competition between Ghana and Nigeria in the race to become the travel hub of the sub-region, driven by carriers seeking to establish a foothold in the two fastest-growing economies of West Africa.

The Global Market Forecast 2011- 2030 conducted by Airbus, the world's leading aircraft manufacturer, projects that Accra and Lagos will be aviation 'mega cities' come 2030 -- with the two destinations handling more than 10,000 daily long-haul passengers.

Airlines' quest for dominance in these countries is fuelled by strong economic growth in the two countries, and the resulting increase in standard of living.

In 2011 Ghana's economy grew at 14.4 percent, boosted by discovery and production of oil in commercial quantities and a rebounding construction sector. Growth in GDP for 2012 is expected to reach 9.4 percent.

Ghana's aviation industry, with an average growth-rate of 10 percent, is one of the fastest growing and most competitive in the West Africa sub-region.

Total passenger throughput grew from 0.6million in 2000 to 1.8million in 2011.

The Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) estimates that the number of carriers has increased from 15 in 2000 to about 40 this year.

Though Ghana lacks a successful airline of its own, there is a strong foreign airline presence in the country: Royal Jordanian Airlines and Iberia are expected to join by June.

With the projected growth in the industry, airlines are adjusting their services and operations. Delta, Brussels, and United Airlines are adjusting their operations in order to position themselves to take advantage of the growing industry in the sub-region.

Emirates Airlines and Air Nigeria are the two biggest carriers measured by capacity in the country. They average about 7,000 and 5,000 respectively in passenger throughput weekly.

Delta Airlines is strengthening its hold in Accra. Last year, to handle customers it constructed two new gates that will support its flights from Atlanta and JFK to Accra.

The investment was supportive of Delta's position in Accra, where it is now the third-largest carrier in terms of capacity.

Iberia Airlines, in collaboration with British Airways, is set to commence a direct flight from Madrid to Accra on July 17 this year and will start with two flights a week between the two cities. Domestic couriers Starbow and Fly 540 are also to commence regional flights to countries in the sub-region soon.

The regulator, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), has urged local airlines to take advantage of the growing opportunities which exist in the West African sub-region.

"There is great potential in the aviation sector in West Africa. This presents an opportunity for domestic carriers to explore the possibility of operating regional flights," Air Commodore Kwame Mamphey (Rtd.), Director-General of the GCAA, said.
"The industry is very viable and we will encourage Ghanaians to invest.

Ghanaian companies should be in the lead of this investment drive. With regard to the local-content component, as much as possible we make sure we get more Ghanaians involved in aviation operations."

[cocorico2009] 23/5/2012 09:08

Regional airline Fly540 has relocated its Kisumu office to the new terminal at the Kisumu International Airport. "Previously we were sharing check-in counters with other airlines. This caused confusion and passengers would queue for a long time. With the new premises, Fly540 now has its own dedicated counters. We also have a spacious sales, administration and dispatch office and a luggage holding area," said Jacob Otieno, the Fly540 Kisumu Manager.


He said the expanded airport now has a longer runway and the airlines CRJ twin jet has replaced smaller Dash 8 Turbo prop aircraft This he said has increased the capacity on the services from Nairobi to Kisumu. The airline has two daily flights to and form Kisumu.

[tomboyb] 15/5/2012 12:48

Thanks for that -

[cocorico2009] 15/5/2012 06:54

Stelios closes in on Fastjet lift off
May 14, 2012 07:18AM GMT

EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has moved closer to the lift off of new African budget airline Fastjet.

The carrier is expected to be based in West Africa operating a fleet of 15 leased aircraft. Fastjet aims to link six countries in the region to the Ghanaian capital of Accra.

Stelios' EasyGroup agreed to become a shareholder in Rubicon Diversified Investments in December and has now agreed a brand licence deal for the use of the Fastjet brand, according to the Sunday Times.

Rubicon said at the time it will use the services of Stelios and EasyGroup's experienced aviation management team to provide "general strategic, management and branding advice" on the feasibility of implementing a low cost, point-to-point, no frills, all jet aircraft business model for Africa

[wisteria2] 11/5/2012 07:19

Thanks for your posts tom,any idea of the timescale before trading is resumed?

[tomboyb] 08/5/2012 21:14

I imagine so - very exciting with Africa really being the last frontier for aviation - With Easygroup on board i certainly would suspect a premium to share price - I also suspect that a lot is happening behind the scenes since suspension. And that we will find out.

[cocorico2009] 08/5/2012 21:05

progress - nice read tom

´The agreement is conditional on the completion of a reverse takeover transaction as defined under the AIM Rules.`

i would guess that a resumption of trading will see a premium to the price to that on suspension

[tomboyb] 08/5/2012 20:22

Looks like the branding exercise for the RTO of Fly540 -

easyGroup will receive a royalty of 0.5% of revenues, shares equating to 5% of the existing issued share capital of the Company and an option to acquire a further 10% at a price equal to a thirty per cent. premium to the price of the last fund-raising by the Company at the point of issuance

EasyGroup will have the right to nominate and appoint two members to the Board of the Company -

!

[tomboyb] 08/5/2012 20:17

exciting opp - New today



Rubicon Div. Inv.
Brand Licence Agreement
RNS Number : 9218C
Rubicon Diversified Investments PLC
08 May 2012


RUBICON DIVERSIFIED INVESTMENTS PLC

('Rubicon' or the 'Company')

Brand Licence Agreement
Rubicon announces that further to the Letter of intent announced on 5 December 2011 it has entered into a brand licence agreement with easyGroup Holdings Limited regarding the use of the Fastjet brand. The terms are substantially the same as those described in the Company's RNS announcement of 5 December 2011. The agreement is conditional on the completion of a reverse takeover transaction as defined under the AIM Rules. On completion Rubicon will have exclusive rights for the use of the Fastjet brand. easyGroup will receive a royalty of 0.5% of revenues, shares equating to 5% of the existing issued share capital of the Company and an option to acquire a further 10% at a price equal to a thirty per cent. premium to the price of the last fund-raising by the Company at the point of issuance. In addition easyGroup will have the right to nominate and appoint two members to the Board of the Company.
Enquiries:

Rubicon Diversified Investments Plc Tel: [phone]
Robert Burnham

WH Ireland Tel: [phone]
James Joyce/ Nick Field

[cocorico2009] 13/4/2012 08:04

word is spreading

[tomboyb] 12/4/2012 10:15

Budget flights and $29 hotel rooms – 'low-cost' arrives in Africa

New low-cost airline

In addition to offering travellers cheap accommodation, Lonrho also plans to expand its low-cost airline business in Africa. To launch the new airline, FastJet.com, Lonrho has again partnered with Sir Stelios Haji-loannou, founder of British carrier easyJet.
Lonrho already owns budget airline Fly540, which operates routes in east Africa, Angola and Ghana. Under the new plans Fly540 will, however, be rebranded as FastJet.com.
"easyGroup knows how to build a big, large, low-cost empire, they have done it before. To take [Fly540] to the next phase we thought we would partner with Sir Stelios and his expertise and his team of people," said Lenigas.

"There is a spreading demand in Africa for a large, low-cost airline. You've got a billion people in Africa, all of whom are becoming upwardly mobile. The road infrastructure doesn't work yet, [but] the airports are gradually being upgraded. The whole FastJet model ... will give the same sort of benefits to travellers in Africa on the basis that you will be able to book cheap flights if you book early enough," he explained.

But if Fly540 is already an established brand on the continent, why rebrand to FastJet? "The Sir Stelios team has probably one of the best reputations in the world for rolling out a brand, and FastJet is a good brand name," said Lenigas. He added that Fly540 is not a "globally recognisable type brand, so that is why we are changing it to FastJet".
Lonrho sees west Africa as a potentially lucrative market for FastJet, but according to Lenigas the plan is to eventually operate routes throughout the continent.
Lenigas didn't want to comment on when FastJet will commence operations.

[cocorico2009] 05/4/2012 08:36

Lonrho returns to profit



'Fly540 began flights in Ghana between 4 domestic destinations (Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Takoradi), completing the third strategic hub to the network. The airline also enjoyed a strong Christmas period flying a total of 58,619 passengers in December. Passenger numbers continue to grow on all routes.

- The AIM quoted investment shell, Rubicon Diversified Investments Plc, announced the appointment of the Lonrho Executive Chairman and CEO to the Rubicon Board in December 2011, and later announced that it is in discussions with Lonrho to reverse Fly540 into Rubicon, change its name to FastJet.com and bring easyGroup, it's founder Sir Stelios Haji-Iannou and a very senior aviation management team, into Rubicon to develop the Fly540 platform. In November 2011, Lonrho subscribed for 9,500,000 new ordinary shares at 1 pence each. Following this and Rubicon's subsequent placing in December 2011 to raise GBP9.0 million, Lonrho holds a 3.2% stake in Rubicon. '

[zztop] 30/3/2012 08:05

coco, thanks....i was hope its not that long, but should be worth the wait?

[cocorico2009] 30/3/2012 07:53

zztop - 30 Mar'12 - 08:33 - 79 of 80
anyone any idea of resumption?



'we have now entered a period of intensive due diligence'



i would hazard a guess at 3-6 months

[wisteria2] 30/3/2012 07:48

Potential Reverse Takeover Transaction
On 23 February 2012, the Company's shares were temporarily suspended from trading on the AIM market, pending an announcement and publication of an admission document relating to the potential acquisition of Fly 540, an African aviation business controlled by Lonrho Plc. Work on this potential acquisition continues although there can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed. The Company will provide an update in due course.


Due course!

[zztop] 30/3/2012 07:33

anyone any idea of resumption?

[cocorico2009] 30/3/2012 07:26

all seems ok for now

GLA
coco

[tomboyb] 17/3/2012 11:42

cocorico2009 - thanks for that - Am a little excited by the whole project. Stelios knows his aviation - Lets hope Rubicon has a slice of that - Awaiting RTO documents -

[cocorico2009] 17/3/2012 07:30

Nigerian airlines face test as regional low-fare airline nears .
by PHILLIP ISAKPA


Plans by Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of Europe's low-fare airline, EasyJet, to set up an airline in West Africa to be based in Ghana and on the low cost model, could ruffle the aviation market for Nigerian airlines Arik, Air Nigeria and Aero, except they actively respond to the competition that the new airline will pose, said industry analysts at the weekend.

The new low-fare airline is to be known as Fastjet and will see Stelios and his partners make S500 million investment for it to take off. Last month, a management team working on the new venture was in Ghana to conduct studies for the airline's take off.

Arik, Air Nigeria and Aero have been dominant in West Africa, with Arik and Air Nigeria particularly expanding their regional route coverage in the last two years. An aviation analyst said at the weekend that the entry of Fastjet is likely to affect the operations of the Nigerian airlines.

"You can bet it would affect the operations of other airlines in the region. They are coming with plenty money," he said.

The new airline, given the antecedent of the EasyJet founder, is already being tipped to run efficiently and offer better services which would drive passengers its way. "Remember, we are also talking about low fares that they would charge and I expect that this would be an attraction to passengers. Price and reliability will be a pull," said the analyst.

Ed Winter, a former chief operating officer of EasyJet and member of the new airline management team, said of the scope of the new business: "We could link Ghana to 10 or 15 different countries in West Africa."

The airline is looking at a 15-aircraft fleet, starting with five in the first year and then moving to 15 within two years. A lot of that would depend on the levels of taxes in the West African region, which are believed to have been a major hindrance over the years to operating the low cost model in the region.

Both Europe and Asia are miles ahead of Africa in the use of low tax regimes for the development of air travel by their citizens. Airlines had ridden on the back of this to develop many routes by charging low fares that helped the load factor of airlines in those continents.

But airlines in West Africa have seen huge investment in recent times.

With many economies growing at some of the world's fastest rates, the International Monetary Fund projects that Ghana's economy will grow 13.5% this year. The International Civil Aviation Organisation expects Africans to fly 8% more miles in 2012 and 8.3 % more in 2013, making the continent earth's fastest-growing for air travel behind Asia and the Middle East.

According to Airline Business magazine, 74% of intra-African routes have no more than one daily flight, while around half of African city pairs are underserved.

BusinessDay learnt at the weekend that Stelios and his team had been working with Europe aircraft maker Airbus for months on the project. One source at Airbus familiar with the situation told BusinessDay that they have been looking at routes with the Fastjet people, as well as "working out best product for them".

"We have two Airbus staff right now in Accra working on this project. We are working with them to define their requirement and work out the specifics of this requirement," the source said.

Discussions between the new airline team and Airbus are linked to an existing relationship between EasyJet and Airbus, which builds planes for the latter.