Crossair

Euro -Airport Basel -Mulhouse -Freiburg

Crossair ( officially originally Crossair AG, later Crossair AG for European regional aviation, ICAO code CRX, IATA Code LX, Call Sign Crossair ) was a regional airline by Moritz Suter on 28 November 1978, " implementation of professional securities flights in line and non-scheduled " was founded. Following the bankruptcy of Swissair in October 2001, Crossair was renamed statutes amendment of 13 May 2002 Swiss International Air Lines and has assumed the role of a national airline of Switzerland, under its new name.

History

1979 Crossair flew for the first time targets abroad. This includes, among others, Nuremberg, Klagenfurt and Innsbruck, a year later followed Hanover. Were used here twin-engine turboprop aircraft type Swearingen Metroliner II routes to Germany had to Crossair but soon after pressure from Swissair and Lufthansa assign to it. The airline received on 1 November 1983 following a year-long temporary definitive operating license by the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation. Homebase Crossair was the Euro Airport Basel- Mulhouse- Freiburg. Crossair operated as economically as possible, had in 1988 but still 41 percent of the shares to the then -powerful Swiss national airline Swissair sell to secure the economic survival. 1984 Crossair was instrumental in the development of the Saab 340, which was called City Liner. This type of machine made ​​until the takeover of Saab 2000 the backbone of Crossair fleet.

1990 was a milestone in the history of Crossair. This year, the operation of the first jets began. It was decided to purchase first three British Aerospace BAe 146 -200A (Mark HB-IXB/-C and D). In 1993, Swissair, the majority of the shares of Crossair, which she became its subsidiary. From Balair / CTA took over Crossair 1995, a whole series of McDonnell Douglas MD -82 and -83. With the help of these jets, which had a capacity of up to 156 seats, Crossair met before in a completely new realms. The jets were used in part for tour operators to the classic holiday destinations, but also for the mother Swissair flew to numerous destinations on line, such as Tbilisi and Yerevan.

After Crossair had already made ​​one of the first airlines to mid-eighties, a number of Saab turboprops SF340A in service, it was then in 1994 the launch customer for the Saab 2000, which even today is still considered one of the fastest turboprop aircraft. Overall, Crossair operation up to 34 copies of this machine (Mark HB- IZA -HB- IZZ and HB- IYA -HB- IYH ). Upon request by the way the toilet was provided with a window in delivered to Crossair Saab 2000. A novelty that gave it to date only in the Boeing 747 and the Russian Tupolev Tu- 134. In addition to these Concordinos ( the official designation in accordance with the Concorde, based on the the fastest turboprop in the world property) it was decided to turn of the millennium, to populate the segment of the 50 - seater now with jets. The Basel Company opted for the Brazilian Embraer ERJ -145 family, appointed by the 25 and as many were optioned. As of mid-2000, then the first machines were delivered and were first used on routes which are operational for the mother Swissair from Zurich.

In the late nineties the BAe146 were replaced with newer models Avro RJ85 (4 pieces ) and Avro RJ100 (14 pieces).

The onboard service was considered above average. Thus, all machines were all equipped with blue leather seats, the Jumbo Linos, the Crossair name for the BAe Avro and aircraft were equipped in a row with only 5 seats ( instead of 6 as with most other airlines). The catering was served on china, the drinks in glasses, and the meals were able to take passengers with metal cutlery to himself. The Crossair teaspoon soon became a popular souvenir for the guests. Upon meeting there was either orange juice (hand pressed from our own catering production ) or champagne, which was specially bottled for Crossair. This service could without exception, all passengers enjoy on board, if they had paid the lowest or the highest rate.

Due to the huge success then the Basel airport was gradually expanded to become a hub for Crossair from 1998. They developed the so-called Euro - Cross concept. This included three " waves " every day, which allowed the passenger to reach via Basel destinations throughout Europe. The central location of Euro airports and the fact that Crossair had available to most foreign destinations machines overnight, formed the basis for this concept. By this graduation of departures could, for example, a passenger, who came in the morning from Hamburg, then flew to Barcelona to reach its place of origin with a return flight via the hub Basel again in the evening. Alone on Monday and Friday, traditionally the day with the highest volume of traffic, Crossair operated up to 110 flights a day ex Basel. The goals ranged from Helsinki, Stockholm and Oslo in the north, through Central Europe with Hamburg, Amsterdam, London and Brussels to Barcelona, ​​Rome, Lisbon or Palma de Mallorca in the south of Europe. So Crossair could offer over 1100 possible route combinations via Basel daily total. It was also possible by the fact that Crossair in Basel practically the " top dog " was and the transfer times were only 30 minutes in the Euro Airport.

In Germany Crossair operated at the time of Bremen, Hamburg, Hannover, Rostock ( seasonal), Westerland (seasonal ), Berlin- Tempelhof, Leipzig, Dresden, Nuremberg, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe / Baden -Baden, Munich and Friedrichshafen. Most targets were washed three times, four flights a few important such as Hamburg, Berlin and Munich in the day. Crossair took on some airfields, where the "large" air traffic had been flown past, a pioneering role. So it was Crossair, the airports Lugano had approached regularly first in Ticino and Saint- Tropez on the Cote d' Azur.

At its headquarters at Basel Euro Airport Crossair operated a shipyard for maintenance of own aircraft as well as for third-party maintenance. In 2000, then started the construction of a new ten-story office building next to the existing plant. At this turn, a new hangar was attached. The building was completed but then after changing its name to Swiss International Air Lines in the summer of 2002. 2001, a training company for aircraft mechanics and pilots under the name Crosscat (now Swiss Aviation Training ) was founded. There one operation, inter alia, flight simulators for the Saab 2000 and the ERJ- 145th

From 2000, then for some thoughts, like the machines of the type Avro and the McDonnell Douglas MD -80 could be replaced from about 2003/2004. So Crossair was instrumental in the development of the Embraer 170 and as has already been in the Saab 2000 First order. 50 copies of the 170 and the larger 190 model were placed in Brazil in order. So one of the prototypes was even presented in Crossair livery. Two models were also in the race When replacing the MDs. In particular, these were the Boeing 737-800 and the Airbus A320 family. Due to the jointly operated with Swissair spare parts and the synergy in pilot training then it was decided in mid-2001 for the latter pattern.

After the parent SAirGroup had to apply for bankruptcy proceedings in October 2001, but the overall plan was changed, and Crossair served as the basis for the construction of the new Swiss Swiss. So the ordered Airbus A320 later arrived at Swiss Sun, the charter subsidiary of the Swiss (2006 passed into the Swiss), used the Embraer jets were to be the launch customer, despite the fact ( later Swiss ) not put into service. The airline was also known for their sometimes quite conspicuous special paint schemes. Thus, for example, a Saab 2000 provided ( sign HB - IZK ) with a black -and-white The Phantom of the Opera - painting, as Crossair acted as an official sponsor for the performances in Basel. Also spectacular was a run in completely red paint and with a large McDonald's inscription MD -83 ( HB- IUH mark ). As an official sponsor of the Swedish women's ski teams and due to the fact that their biggest star Anja Parson in February 2001 had won gold at the World Championships in St. Anton am Arlberg, was an MD -83 (Mark HB- ISX ) with huge " Congratulation » word mark and image of the Parson provided on the left. Popular with an affluent audience were also so-called cross flights. For these flights, the seating capacity was on an MD -83 reduced (usually business class seats were installed ), and then this machine was sent with a select crew as constant companions for the passengers on the trip. So it went on, among other things, each for two weeks to South America, India and the Far East and Australia. All important sights then were served on these flights, and the guests enjoyed a specially elaborated program. These flights were to once or twice per year, usually offered.

Some aircraft were leased to other airlines. So operated several times a MD -83 in the advent weak winter months along with the Crossair Crew among others also in DINAR Lineas Aereas in Argentina.

Fleet

  • 24 BAe 146
  • 22 Embraer 145
  • 5 Fokker 50
  • 7 McDonnell Douglas MD -81
  • 1 McDonnell Douglas MD -82
  • 7 McDonnell Douglas MD -83
  • 35 Saab 2000
  • 43 Saab 340

Incidents

In the years 2000 and 2001, the reputation of the Crossair suffered from two plane crashes, were responsible for each pilot error. A complicity of top management could not be detected.

  • On 10 January 2000 crashed flight CRX 498, a Saab 340 (Mark HB- AKK ) Crossair, shortly after takeoff in Zurich at Nassenwil from (10 deaths).
  • On 24 November 2001 came in flight CRX 3597 crash of a Jumbolino ( Avro RJ100, sign HB - IXM) of 33 people were on board 24 on approach to Zurich Airport, which killed. The aircraft was on a flight from Berlin Tegel to Zurich, as they are about 5 km short of runway 28 had contact with the ground in darkness and light sleet and crashed into a forest.
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