A tequila brand to expand into the UK airline market, will it work with high fuel prices?
Posted by SweetEnuffx@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 12 comments
I stumbled across this announcement for Naked Diablo Airlines (NDA) and to put it politely, it struck me as ludicrous, but I wanted to get a wider opinion as I may be being uncharitable.
First, up after some Googling, it seems the announcement was made not at a formal press conference to industry or mainstream reporters, but while sat in a bar, filmed on a phone.
The press release Robinson speaks of seems to appear only on paid wires (EIN Presswire) and is absent from high-authority trade journals like FlightGlobal and other mainstream media business sections.
Based on official aviation records and regulatory transparency requirements, several of Robinson’s claims are factually unverifiable or contradict established industry processes. For example, Robinson states, "We've got the licensing application in", but as of late April 2026, there is no record of an application for an Operating Licence for "Naked Diablo Airlines" with the UK CAA. By law, any new airline application must be published by the CAA to allow for a 21-day public objection period. The absence of this filing with the CAA or any public licensing records suggests that no formal regulatory process has officially begun, which is in contradiction to Robinson’s statement.
Robinson has claimed they are "visiting the Boeing factory... and the Airbus Factory on actually ordering a plane and leasing a plane" but there are currently no confirmed orders or lease letters of intent (LOI) on record with Boeing or Airbus for an entity named Naked Diablo. In addition, I believe major aircraft orders are typically announced via formal joint press releases from the manufacturers, not solely through personal social media reels.
Robinson also states they already have investors secured but I can find no confirmation of that. In that regard, assuming a two aircraft operation at minimum, the resources required to launch and be taken seriously by the CAA, I estimate you would typically need to prove access to £10 million to £50 million in total startup capital. Marketing would require several more millions, an airline can’t just be advertised solely to your Instagram followers.
The founders have announced a launch for January 2027. However, obtaining an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and Operating Licence typically takes 18 to 24 months for a brand-new airline with no prior infrastructure.
Launching in January 2027 would also require airport slots to be secured months in advance. As of now, no such allocations have been reported for a "Naked Diablo" entity.
Given the lack of a public license application in April 2026 and no airport slots, a launch in just nine months (January 2027) strikes me as operationally impossible within the UK's strict regulatory framework.
Speaking of operations, there’s no record any operations staff positions being advertised for in NDA. The kind of staff required by regulation law.
And all of this announced during a time of market instability with several established airlines entering administration in recent months and UK carriers struggling with rising fuel costs and slot scarcity at major hubs like London and Manchester - the very cities NDA claims it will fly from. And neither Robinson nor Fitzpatrick has a documented history in airline management or logistics.
Speaking of Robinson, he seems to have a history of high-profile claims that have been publicly challenged. For instance, a September 2025 Deadline report contested his claims regarding Netflix producer credits, and other claims. His background appears to be sales and in more recent years, online sales.
Fitzpatrick’s credentials, like Robinson’s, seem to stem mainly from his own promotional material, not independent sources.
As I say, I don’t want to be uncharitable but my first thought to all this was, “Is this a joke?” This launch 'announcement' just doesn't seem credible at all.
cloudclyx@reddit
You are correct. This isn’t credible.
The process of obtaining a Type A Operating Licence (required for airlines using aircraft with 20 or more seats) from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is a multi-stage, rigorous regulatory journey that typically takes between 6 to 18 months.
The procedure is highly complex and requires demonstrating absolute compliance across multiple operational and financial pillars.
Pre-Application: A mandatory meeting with the CAA is required before an application form is even provided! The CAA will only allow a formal submission if they are satisfied the applicant is "ready to proceed".
To even hold this meeting, the CAA expects the following to be ready for discussion:
Key Personnel: The "Accountable Manager" and other key post holders (e.g., Flight Operations, Airworthiness) must attend this meeting. They must demonstrate their specific qualifications and experience to the CAA oversight team. But as you say, there's no evidence NDA have advertised for any of these positions.
Operational Readiness: The applicant must demonstrate a thorough understanding of commercial air transport regulations and provide an intended management structure. But as you point out, there's also no evidence to confirm that Robinson or Fitzpatrick possess a history in airline management
Business Substance: The company must prove its principal place of business is in the UK. Without a registered headquarters or a clear corporate presence in Companies House, an applicant fails the very first qualification criteria.
In that regard, the primary legal entity, Naked Diablo Limited, is registered under the SIC code for "Other service activities n.e.c." rather than air transport. While a new subsidiary could be formed, there is no evidence of a dedicated aviation-focused entity with the necessary capital or expert leadership required to satisfy the CAA's "Financial Fitness" requirements.
It is not possible to formally submit a valid application for a UK Operating Licence without these foundational elements. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has established a "gatekeeper" process specifically designed to filter out non-viable or speculative applications before any fee is even accepted (£18,353 is payable upon submission of a Type A Operating Licence application, capped at £80,300 if further investigate work is required, charged at £207p/h).
That’s just to get your foot in the door for the initial meeting. The application submission itself is a highly complex, lengthy, rigorous process, requiring expert industry and financial knowledge, and the input of multiple professionals. It's not like filling in a form for a driving license!
In the aviation industry, "having an application in" is a specific legal status, not a casual ambition. Given the lack of a registered company, no planes, no airport slots, no industry experts, and no record of a CAA application, it’s fair to the describe the claims made by the 'founders' as ludicrous.
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carrickshairline@reddit
This feels like an ad.
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Dr__-__Beeper@reddit
Tldnr
OP believes this is a fake story, posted it here, to get other people's opinions.
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SweetEnuffx@reddit (OP)
bad bot
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