Air Europe

Air Europe was a British airline which ceased operations in 1991. The company introduced next tourist charter flights from May 1985, by scheduled flights. In 1989, the company formed jointly with its European sister company to company composite Airlines of Europe Group.

Charter flights

Due to the recession in the wake of the first oil crisis, many British charter airlines had filed for bankruptcy, so that the capacity is not sufficient at the end of the 1970s, to meet the increased demand for holiday packages again. The British tour operator Intasun Leisure then founded on July 18, 1978 along with private investors, the airline Inter European Airways, which was renamed the beginning of 1979 Air Europe. The operation was admitted on May 4, 1979, a flight from London Gatwick to Palma. Initially, the company used three aircraft of type Boeing 737, with those in the first summer season 29 destinations from London were served. Besides led Air Europe from the fall of 1979 charter flights from Manchester by. In 1981 was the parent company of Air Europe, the Intasun Leisure Group, to the stock exchange. The IPO brought the capital to purchase additional Boeing 737, so that from 1982 charter flights from Cardiff were taken. Leased Boeing 757 enlarged from 6 April 1983, the fleet. Due to the rapid expansion of Air Europe in mid -1980s, rose to become Britain's second largest charter airlines to Britannia Airways. In 1987, the company transported with an existing fleet of 15 planes 1.64 million passengers. Long-haul flights to Goa and times were recorded commencing in 1989 with the Boeing 757. At the same time the Company rented for their charter flights to Orlando, Acapulco and Bangkok, a widebody aircraft of type Boeing 747 from the U.S. Air Tower After the delivery of additional Boeing 757, the company sold the autumn of 1989 owned aircraft on these routes a.

Scheduled flights

In addition to the charter services Air Europa led from May 1985 through scheduled flights between London Gatwick and Palma. A second objective Gibraltar was flown in May 1986 at the regular service. In 1988, the light emanating from London -Gatwick route network covered the destinations Arrecife, Brussels, Gibraltar, Palma, Paris and Munich. In addition, three outbound routes from Manchester to Arrecife, Funchal and Gibraltar were flown. In the same year Air Europe acquired the London-based Gatwick regional airline Connectair and integrated them on 1 February 1989 under the name Air Europe Express in the company. Through the acquisition, the Company was able to take advantage of additional traffic rights (called slots), London -Gatwick and integrate smaller airports with machines of the Fokker 100 and Short 360 in the line network. In order to win business customers the aircraft used in regular service were equipped as from October 1988 with a business class. From the end of March 1989, the companies Air Europe and Air Europe Express from London -Gatwick served outgoing line connections to Antwerp, Arrecife, Brussels, Dusseldorf, Geneva, Gibraltar, Copenhagen, Malaga, Malta, Munich, Oslo, Palma, Paris, Rome, Rotterdam and Stockholm. Acquired in April 1989 regional airline Guernsey Airlines was merged in August 1989 with its subsidiary Air Europe Express. Following Air Europe also introduced scheduled services through to the British Channel Islands under his own name.

Airlines of Europe Group

From 1986, the now in International Leisure Group (ILG ) renamed parent company of Air Europe began to acquire stakes in European airlines. The plans before seen, to create by the end of 1992 under the name Airlines of Europe Group a pan-European consortium of entities, where the aircraft should operate in uniform colors and under the same brand name. Of the national sites of individual companies should operate a common scheduled flights and charter flights in addition be carried out. In addition, the aircraft should be moved as needed between the individual companies in order to thus adjust the capacity at all times.

The International Leisure Group acquired the permissible under their respective national legal maximum participation in the following airlines:

• A 25 % stake in the Spanish Air España, which was then renamed in 1986 for Air Europa.
• A 49% stake in the German regional airline Nuremberg Flight Service ( NFD ), 1989 ceded their owner Hans Rudolf Wöhrl to the ILG. The company sold the autumn of 1989, a Boeing 757 under the name Air Europe Germany on charter flights a. Another Boeing 757 was taken in spring 1990 by the parent company.
• A 35% stake in the Italian regional airline Flying Services, which in 1989 changed its name to Air Europe Italy.
• A 33% stake in Norwegian Norway Airlines, which was renamed in June 1989 Air Europe Scandinavia.

In addition, the International Leisure Group planned investments in the French Corse Air and on a Dutch airline to purchase. The negotiations failed, however.

In 1989, the airlines of the Airlines of Europe Group carried 5.8 million passengers in common, of which 2.7 million passengers on tourist charter flights. The Group continued to this time, a total of 31 jets and 23 turboprops. To establish a uniform fleet ILG operates in the same year, among other things, orders for 20 medium-haul Boeing 757, 11 short-haul aircraft of type Fokker 100 (plus 11 options) and for six long-haul aircraft of the type McDonnell Douglas MD -11 ( plus 12 options). The group was planning in 1994 to operate a total of 100 aircraft.

Bankruptcy of International Leisure Group

By the participations in the various European airlines, the parent company International Leisure Group had debt. In the fall of 1990, the effects of the Second Gulf War led to sharp declines in Tourisikgeschäft, of which the two British subsidiary Air Europe and Leisure Intrasun were particularly affected. In addition, prices for kerosene and thus the operating costs of Air Europe rose. After several investors moved their capital from the company, the International Leisure Group and its UK subsidiaries were insolvent on March 8, 1991. The airline Air Europe ceased its activities on the same day. The search for new investors was unsuccessful.

For the other airlines in the Airlines of Europe Group new investors could be found, so that the Italian Air Europe, the Spanish Air Europa, Norwegian Norway Airlines and the German Nuremberg air service remained as independent companies.

Used aircraft

• Boeing 737-200, 737-300 and 737-400
• Boeing 747-100 ( leased in 1989 by Tower Air)
• Boeing 757-200
• Fokker 100
• Short 330 ( used by Air Europe Express)
• Short 360 ( used by Air Europe Express)