Time on Wing Podcast

David Sunde - CEO, The Landline Company

Courtney & Gueric Season 2 Episode 7

What if the most efficient way to move air travelers might be on the ground?

Seat costs and carbon emissions 90% lower than airborne options, industry-leading seat pitch, 100% available wifi, air-side connections, and the guaranteed lowest cruise altitude... flight level zero.

David Sunde of The Landline Company shares how he used his extensive knowledge of airline networks to find the most cost-effective, sustainable way to connect passengers.

Takeaways

-The aviation industry is complex and fascinating, with various aspects such as revenue management, engineering, and operations.
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 Understanding the intersection of automation and human intervention is crucial in airline operations.

- Working at a startup in the aviation industry provides valuable experience and prepares individuals for starting their own businesses.

- The pilot shortage and the importance of the airport experience are significant factors in the transportation industry. Landline is a mobility company focused on providing a cost-effective and convenient alternative to personal car trips to the airport.

- They use buses as the mode of transportation and work with airlines like American, Air Canada, Sun Country, and United to offer seamless connections for passengers.

- Landline has created unique experiences, such as carrying passengers tarmac to tarmac and providing a non-sterile network.

- Their goal is to capture the market of people who currently drive themselves to the airport and offer them a more affordable and efficient option. Landline provides bus-to-air connections in high-traffic corridors, offering certainty and convenience for travelers.

- They adjust block times for traffic and take on the risk of buffer time to ensure passengers make their connections.

- Landline aims to extend its distribution capability beyond airport codes and consider all transportation options for travelers.

- The company prioritizes practical and incremental steps to reduce CO2 emissions and believes multimodal transportation is a key solution.

Sound Bites

"If you like the business of doing business, there is no business like the airline business."
"Until we start interstellar travel, this is the coolest thing."
"The complexities of the airline industry and the challenges of getting it right."
"These are airline guys running a bus company."
"We're not tied to the bus forever. We're a mobility company primarily focused on taking people off the road on the way to the airport."
"We're building this network that exists outside the airport to get people off the road."
"This is not a rounding error."
"The thing that people traveling value more than anything is certainty."
"All that buffer time, we basically take on the risk of the buffer time that you would give yourself."