Société Aigle Azur Transports Aériens is an airline based in Tremblay-en-France near Paris, France. It operates domestic scheduled passenger services and international services to Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia in North Africa as well as Portugal, Italy and Mali. It also operates charter, cargo and wet lease services. Its main bases are Orly Airport and Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris.[1]. Aigle Azur is also accredited by IATA with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) for its safety practices.[2]
[edit] History
In April 1946 Sylvain Floirat established the original Aigle Azur as one of the first wholly privately owned, Independent airlines in post-war France. Between 1946 and 1955, the airline operated a large fleet of Douglas DC-3s.[3]
During the early 1950s Aigle Azur began operating long-haul scheduled routes linking metropolitan France with Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. France's Ministry of Public Works and Transport had transferred Air France's traffic rights for these routes to the country's newly created Independent airlines, including Aigle Azur.[4]
Aigle Azur Douglas DC-3 in 1953 fitted with ventral Palas booster jet for "hot and high operations".
In 1970 the airline was re-constituted as a regional airline named Lucas Aviation.[1] The re-formed airline's corporate and operational headquarters was at Paris Pontoise Airport.[5] Lucas Aviation initially traded as Lucas Air Transport and operated regional scheduled services, including a year-round operation linking Deauville with London Gatwick.[5] The name subsequently changed once more to Lucas Aigle Azur.[1]
In May 2001 Groupe GOFAST acquired Lucas Aigle Azur from its previous owners, once again changing the name to Aigle Azur, its original name. The new owner refocused the airline as a mainstream short- to medium-haul scheduled and charter carrier. Aigle Azur began replacing its Boeing 737s with Airbus A320 family aircraft. It has 450 employees as of May 2007.[1]
[edit] Destinations
The Aigle Azur fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of 4 November 2009) [1]:
As of 27 February 2009, the average age of Aigle Azur fleet was 10.5 years[6].
[edit] Incidents
- January 10, 2008 - While landing at Houari Boumedienne Airport in Algiers (Algeria) an Airbus A321 F-GUAA Flight ZI258 arriving from Paris-Orly Airport in Paris (France) hit the runway with the rear fuselage (tail-strike), causing severe skin damage. Nobody was injured but the passengers to Paris had to wait several hours for a spare aircraft. After almost 4 weeks on the ground and careful inspection the Airbus was flown empty of passenger back to France for repair then put again into service [Updated information][2]
[edit] External links/References
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