May 25, 2008 – THE premium-centric circus continues to provide knockabout entertainment, with Silverjet of the UK still passing the hat round despite recent bailout moves (Inflight Online, May 6), and British Airways venture OpenSkies announcing that it will jump into the lions’ cage on June 19, when it’s due to launch service from Paris Orly to New York JFK.

As well as their determination to come out of this hazardous arena unscathed, the two carriers have in common a commitment to handheld IFE as part of their service offering. London Luton-based Silverjet gives its passengers the Mezzo IFE service based on e.Digital eVU handhelds, while OpenSkies has contracted the IMS Company of California to deliver turnkey entertainment.

There their paths diverge, however. While OpenSkies has the financial muscle of a beleaguered but still formidable BA behind it, Silverjet is living hand-to-mouth on doles from investors who seem to be thinking twice. At the beginning of the month the carrier announced that it had secured an £8.4 million loan from US/UAE-based luxury development company Viceroy Holdings. It immediately sought to draw around £2.5 million but, according to a new statement, the full amount has yet to materialise.

Silverjet makes no bones about how badly it needs the money, declaring that its capital reserves are limited and that advances from the loan are required “as a matter of urgency”. Though at present its services are continuing as scheduled, it has suspended trading in its shares on the London Stock Exchange and says that it is continuing to talk to other potential investors.

In the meantime, OpenSkies has switched its intended European point of origin from Paris CDG to Orly. The decision was driven in part by a newly announced “strength in numbers” partnership with L’Avion, the Orly-based business-only operation. L’Avion’s code will be placed on OpenSkies flights between Orly and JFK, although the OpenSkies code will not be on any of the French carrier’s flights. As it happens, L’Avion is another handheld IFE user, offering players from Utah-based digEcor.

OpenSkies plans to launch service with the first of six wingletted Boeing 757-200s sporting a livery that includes the classic red-white-and-blue BA fin logo. While the cabin is not strictly premium-only, it’s certainly biased in that direction, with 24 six-feet-long lie-flat seats in “Biz” business class, 28 seats at 52in pitch in “Prem+” premium economy, and 30 in economy. The IMS handhelds will provide more than 50hr of programming.

The airline expects to receive a second 757 later this year and will have the full complement by the end of 2009.