Germania (airline)
The airline Germania GmbH (since 2003 also temporarily gexx ) is a German scheduled and charter airline based in Berlin.
History
Founding and first years
The Germania went from the Cologne airline SAT forth (Special Air Transport ), which had been founded in 1978 by Turkish businessmen and even adopted the same year by the Bremen lawyer Hinrich Bischoff. The acquired from three of LTU Sud Aviation Caravelle aircraft of the type existing fleet of the SAT has also been adopted. These aircraft were replaced in 1983 by two used Boeing 727-100 from the holdings of Hapag -Lloyd Flug.
In June 1986, the Germania airline mbH was founded and transfer the operating license of the SAT at the Germania. SAT was continued as a company for leasing of aircraft.
1987 Germania announced to offer intra- German scheduled flights, but received no approval of the Federal Ministry of Transport. Instead, they agreed on a long-term lease agreement with Lufthansa. In the same year, the first of a total of 13 Boeing 737-300 were taken under the name of Germania in operation.
In 1992, the operational and technical headquarters were moved to Berlin -Tegel. In the same year Germania was awarded the contract for the " official shuttle " between Bonn and Berlin, after the main business was for many years the charter flight service, including for TUI, Condor and Neckermann Reisen.
1995 began negotiations with Boeing and it came to the appointment of twelve new Boeing 737NG (Next Generation ). With the first delivery of a Boeing 737-700 ( aircraft registration D - AGEM ) on 11 March 1998, the crew of the Germania with a direct flight from the Boeing plant in Seattle ( USA) to Berlin Tegel Airport (about 8117 km ) set a world record in of the class with 60 to 80 tons of takeoff weight.
Since 1998, more and more aircraft were leased to other companies (including Hapag -Lloyd Express, dba, Maersk Air and Delta Air Lines ), also marketed Germania was the first German airline fuselage of their aircraft was used as advertising space, advertised for Siemens and various travel suppliers.
Development since 2000
When, after the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 U.S. airlines their slots tasks partially, Germania took the opportunity and offered on 12 November 2001 between Berlin Tegel and Frankfurt the first scheduled flight under its own responsibility. 2002 Germania bought 19 aircraft of type Fokker 100 from the bankrupt U.S. Airways from the Reconstruction Loan Corporation.
As of June 2003, the airline was temporarily under the brand Germania Express ( also gexx ) as a low cost airline operates.
28 March 2005 Germania took over 64 % of the shares of dba. As a result, twelve Fokker 100 were operated on wet lease for this, at the same time took over 15 dba in turn routes the Germania Express. As a result, first flights were conducted under the name Germania more, since all the aircraft were leased to other companies. The capital links between dba and Germania was reversed in the summer of 2005, the collaboration was extended to 14 but Fokker 100. On 11 November 2005, died Hinrich Bischoff, the longtime CEO of the airline.
By 2008 Germania flew only on wet lease for Hapag -Lloyd Express ( TUIfly later ) and dba (later Air Berlin ) and gradually sold eleven of the Fokker 100 In early March 2008 was Air Berlin Germania completely take over. However, the attempt failed due to the heirs of the deceased Hinrich Bischoff. Shortly thereafter, Air Berlin announced prematurely the ongoing until 2010 wet lease contracts for eight Fokker 100 Germania.
In the summer of 2008 Germania took the first time on their scheduled flights. Instead of a planned expansion with eleven new destinations the last eight remaining in fleet aircraft were retired Fokker 100 in October 2008.
In summer 2009, Germania was the first airline that had approached the new Zonguldak Airport in Turkey.
In spring 2010, Germania started after around ten years of flights for TUI her comeback as a charter airline. At ILA 2010, a letter of intent to order for five Airbus A319 -100 as part of a fleet modernization was signed, this was subsequently converted into a firm order for three Airbus A319s and two Airbus A321s.
In August 2010, Germania received the IOSA safety certificate of IATA.
In February 2011, the first of eight Airbus A319 - 100 was added to the fleet. Of the five orders were purchased and three leased.
2011 saw the founding of Germania technology Brandenburg ( GTB) as a 100 percent subsidiary of Germania airline. In March of the same year the construction of a future used together with Air Berlin maintenance hangars began on the site of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
Since June 2011, the then newly founded Flynext for Germania operated two Airbus A319 -100, one and one was stationed in Karlsruhe / Baden -Baden in Bremen. On September 23, 2011 it was announced that Germania Flynext had completely taken over. As a result Flynext was renamed in June 2012 in Germania Express.
Since November 2011, Germania performs the work of air traffic between the production of Airbus in Hamburg -Finkenwerder and Toulouse- Blagnac, she took over from OLT. The two Airbus A319 -100 used for this purpose are additionally used at weekends to fly from Bremen holiday destinations.
Beginning of 2012 looked Germania in the fleet modernization her last Boeing 737-300 from.
In June 2012, Germania announced in spring and early summer of 2013 charter flights to want to offer to six destinations in Europe from the Kassel- Calden airport, in September 2012 confirmed Germania that from April 2013 every Monday and Friday Palma de Mallorca and from the end of June 2013 be approached for Rewe Touristik Tenerife South Airport. On April 4, 2013 Germania finally landed the first airline at the new airport Kassel- Calden. The flights to Tenerife were 22 August and thus set a good two months ahead of schedule again. The summer schedule 2014 Germania served twice each week from Kassel- Calden Antalya and Palma de Mallorca. For the winter timetable 2014/15 is planned to Fuerteventura from Kassel- Calden a weekly flight.
Also 2012 saw the establishment of the West African airline Gambia Bird in the context of the enlargement of the group of companies Germania Germania and to receive the new aircraft hangar on the site of the future airport Berlin- Brandenburg.
Presence
Since the beginning of 2013 Germania operates for its newly founded subsidiary in Banjul Gambia Bird Airlines Ltd.. an Airbus A319 under a wet-lease agreement on routes from Barcelona ( BCN ) and London Gatwick ( LGW ) to Africa and on intra-African routes.
The summer schedule 2013 stationed Germania up to three Airbus A319 on the Bremen airport and fly from there to 17 destinations in Europe. This Bremen is the most important airport in the route network of Germania.
For Summer 2013, stationed Germania also a Boeing 737-700 at Erfurt -Weimar Airport.
In July 2013 Germania announced on November 1, 2013 from Tegel airport to move to Berlin- Schoenefeld Airport. See all flights from Berlin to take place as of this date only from Schönefeld. In addition, Germania will move under a possible trial operation in 2014 as the first airline in the neighboring new airport Berlin Brandenburg.
At the end of the summer timetable in late October 2013, the long-standing Wetleasing is terminated several machines for Air Berlin and the planes were again used in its own route network. In November 2013 Germania was the first of two Airbus 321-200, which is used exclusively for allroute and also in the corporate design of allroute.
Destinations
In addition to charter flights for various tour operators Germania offers in the flight plan the summer and fall of 2013 from 13 German airports scheduled flights to 35 international destinations in their own name. Be served in addition to several destinations in Turkey, the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands, Greece, Hungary and Bulgaria also Beirut, Moscow, Madeira, Malaga, Nice, Enfidha, Stockholm and Erbil and Sulaymaniyah in Iraq.
In May 2013 Germania announced their offer at the Erfurt -Weimar Airport in Winter 2013/2014 [ deprecated] to want to expand. Thus, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Hurghada, Majorca, Madeira and London Gatwick are offered seven goals in the winter flight plan with Tenerife.
Antalya, London -Gatwick, Palma de Mallorca, Rhodes Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Heraklion, Ibiza and Tenerife once a week, and twice a week: In the summer of 2014, the Germania expanded your offer in Erfurt -Weimar Airport again, serving the goals.
Fleet
As of March 2014, the fleet of Germania from 17 active and four inactive aircraft is with a mean age of 10.2 years:
Trivia
Owned by the Germania two hotels in Germany, the Usedom Palace Zinnowitz and the Hotel Waldhaus Prieros (near Berlin ) are in the training of flight personnel are held. The property is the former residence of the first and only President of the GDR Wilhelm Pieck.