Fledgling airline powdair has lost its main financial backer less than two weeks before flights were due to commence and has broadcast to its customers and members of the winter sports community to ask for their help to keep the project alive.

To ensure transparent communications with its customers, powdair emailed all its booked passengers yesterday late afternoon to update them on the changing situation regarding funding – and to offer them either the option of a full refund or to invite them to invest in the future of powdair. Since then, the airline has already received over 100 offers of help and expressions of interest in investing.

First flights were due to start on the 11th December from London City. The airline has suggested that they will defer the start by one week to give them time to convert expressions of interest into firm commitment and is keen to make it clear that it’s not over for powdair.

Sean Pettit, Chief Financial Officer for powdair said: “Yesterday our key financial backer walked away from the powdair journey for personal reasons. We're faced now with two options. We either postpone starting powdair this winter – in which case, anyone who has booked flights would be guaranteed a full refund, or, we offer the airline to powdair supporters, in the hope that they would like to benefit from our success. Operational systems and strategies are already in place, whilst ticket sales are very strong and exceeding expectations. powdair is ready to go, but we now need investment and we are already following up on the significant interest already received to be able to convert this to tangible funding by the end of this week at the latest.”

Zoë Ombler, Head of Commercial for powdair said: “We’ve already seen a huge wave of support from our customers, resort partners, businesses and followers on social media, many of whom are interested in investing and have already contacted us to enquire about becoming part of our airline. We are now working on securing this funding and doing everything we can to keep powdair alive for this winter. It’s not over yet and we need everyone to remain positive that powdair will still take off this winter.”

The airline is now looking to raise an initial £1 million by the 1st December, with a further £2 million needed to secure its future for this winter. Early indications from interest already received is positive with over 100 enquires about investment within the past 24 hours.

Anyone interesting in investing in powdair should contact investors@powdair.ski immediately.

Any customers who have booked to fly with powdair who would prefer to make alternative travel arrangements will be entitled to a full refund by emailing reservations@powdair.ski. At this stage, the only flights that will not depart as planned are those between the 11th and 17th December.

Further information
Over 5,000 people have already booked flights with powdair to date
Many have signed up as Season Pass holders, already buying between 10 and 80 tickets each to fly with powdair this season
powdair is officially partnered with 17 resorts in the Valais and Portes du Soleil, including Verbier, Crans Montana, Nendaz, Anzère, Thyon 4 Vallées, Morzine, Champéry, Avoriaz, Châtel and Les Gets – and already have a raft of events and marketing activity planned with them
powdair is working with hundreds of Valais, British and Belgian businesses – big and small - to ensure that both they and our powdair passengers benefit from everything we do