Vueling
Vueling Airlines SA (pronounced as / welling / ) is a Spanish low- cost airline based in El Prat de Llobregat, near Barcelona and currently 12 European bases. It is a subsidiary of International Airlines Group, which also includes British Airways belongs.
History
Vueling was established in 2004 and started its operations primarily from Barcelona. Behind the founding investors were as Inversiones Hemisferio of the Planeta Group, Apax Partners and some managers of the U.S. airline JetBlue. First Vueling flew only national targets within Spain, the route network but was constantly expanded, so that targets in other European countries were added. Since 2006, the Spanish capital, Madrid, is a basis of Vueling, ( for example, Paris -Amsterdam ) are served in the summer of 2007 came Paris -Orly as another base even for the first time flights departing either in Spain or land from which.
Since mid-2008, plans for a merger of Vueling with the also Spanish low cost airline Clickair were known. In November, the European competition authorities were informed of the merger formally informed. In early January 2009, the European Commission has approved the merger of the two airlines, subject to conditions. The new company will continue to operate under the name of Vueling. The requirements of the EU Commission concerning landing rights at Barcelona airport, as this home airport was both companies. On 9 July 2009, the merger was completed, there were, among others, 20 Airbus A320 -200 acquired by Clickair.
In April 2011, the two newest bases of the society were opened in Toulouse and Amsterdam. In February 2012 it was announced a major expansion of the Spanish domestic and European route network to the bankruptcy of Spanair competing.
In March 2013, the International Airlines Group increased its stake in Vueling on 90.51 percent and became the majority owner. On August 14, 2013 IAG announced the order of 30 Airbus A320s and 32 A320neo for Vueling, which still must be approved by the shareholders of IAG during the year 2013.
Vueling suffered since its foundation no total loss of one of their aircraft or a fatal accident.
Bases
Vueling currently operates twelve European bases in four countries on which aircraft and personnel are stationed:
- Belgium: Brussels -Zaventem (from May 2014)
- Spain: Barcelona -El Prat, Madrid -Barajas, Seville, Bilbao, Ibiza, Malaga, Valencia and Palma de Mallorca
- France France: Paris -Orly and Toulouse
- Netherlands Netherlands: Amsterdam
- Italy Italy: Florence
Destinations
Currently (June 2013) served Vueling from their bases in over 40 destinations in Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Israel, Malta, Morocco, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Targets in German-speaking countries are currently ( in alphabetical order) Berlin, Dortmund, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig / Halle ( 2014 ), Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Vienna and Zurich.
Fleet
As of April 2014 the fleet of Vueling consists of 72 aircraft with an average age of 7.2 years