EUROPEAN AIRLIFT, S. A.: Belgium (1992-1994). EA is established at Brussels in 1992 to provide long-haul international passenger and freight charters, particularly to Zaire, where an associate airline does business. Revenue operations commence with a single Douglas DC-10-10 leased from that colleague, Scribe Airlift Cargo, S. A.
The Zairian Douglas is returned in 1993 as a similar machine is rented from Air France. When the lease is concluded in 1994, the company ceases trading.
EUROPEAN AIRLINES, S. A.: Belgium (1991-1994). EA is founded as Frobisher Airlines, S. A. at Brussels in 1991 to offer charter and inclusive-tour flights throughout Europe and into the Mediterranean. Revenue services commence in 1992 with a single Boeing 737-3M8 previously operated by Trans-European Airways, S. A. The Boeing is removed as Managing Director Rens Kockenbeir’s company is able to acquire one owned and two leased Airbus Industrie A300B4-103s.
The owned Airbus becomes a leased unit in 1993. Airline employment stands at nine in 1994 as one of the aircraft is subleased to the Turkish airline Air Alfa, A. S. Unable to achieve economic viability, the company shuts down in November 1995.
EUROPEAN AIRWAYS, LTD.: United Kingdom (1990-1998). European Airways, Ltd. is established at Newcastle in February 1990 to offer international and domestic scheduled services. Given the economic situation in the airline industry, serious efforts to begin service are delayed.
David Allen becomes managing director and he leases a pair of British Aerospace Jetstream 31s from Maersk Air, A. S. in late 1994. These are employed to launch regular flights to Southampton, Le Havre, and Manchester on February 22, 1995.
Through September, enplanements are 3,629.
Operations continue apace in 1996 and full year enplanements nearly quadruple, rising to 11,788.
The workforce stands at 19 in 1997. Customer bookings skyrocket 62.9% to 19,094. Business fails badly for this company during 1998.
Passenger boardings plunge all the way back down to 4,000. On the plus side, 422,000 FTKs of cargo are transported. The good freight numbers cannot overcome the fiscal reversal, which now forces the airline to shut its doors.
EUROPEAN AVIATION AIR CHARTER, LTD.: European Aviation House, Bournemouth International Airport, Hum, Christchurch, Dorsetshire, England, BH23 6EA, United Kingdom; Phone 44 (121) 557-8111; Fax 44 (121) 557-4479; Http://www. eu-roav. com; Code E7; Year Founded 1993. EAAC is established at Tivi-dale, Warley, West Midlands in February 1993 to offer ad hoc passenger and cargo services from U. K. airports to European destinations employing a fleet of BAC 111s to be acquired from British Airways, Ltd. (2). Paul G. Stoddart is chairman with T. Whetter appointed managing director. An application is filed for an Air Operators Certificate, which the CAA will grant early in the new year.
A workforce of 74 is recruited and revenue services commence in March 1994 with three leased British Aerospace (BAC) 1-11-510EDs and a Bell 206B JetRanger helicopter. Three more BAC 1-11-510EDs and two BAC 1-11-530FXs are chartered later in the year.
Airline employment stands at 200 in 1995. Having dry-leased much of its fleet the previous year, the company now begins to offer a series of aircraft, crew, management, and insurance (ACMI) contracts to several carriers.
Enplanements for the year total 10,631.
Willie O’Neil becomes managing director in 1996 and the fleet is increased to include 1 BAC 1-11-501EX, 2 1-11-530FX, 1 1-111-523FJ, and 11 1-111-510EDs, 3 of which are subleased to Sabena Belgian World Airlines, S. A. A single owned Boeing 727-23 is also operated.
Passenger boardings increase to 86,000.
The workforce grows to 350 in 1997. During the summer, the one-millionth passenger is boarded. In September, an ACMI BAC 1-11-510ED is provided to the start-up Euroscot Express, Ltd. Customer bookings surge to 141,000.
Business continues to improve at this concern in 1998 and several hush-kitted B-737-200As are acquired.
Passenger boardings accelerate 39% to 196,000.
The first of 13 hushkitted B-737-229As acquired from Sabena Belgian World Airlines, S. A. a year earlier is received during the first week of October. Three more are to enter service before summer.
Customer bookings jump 5.3% to 217,000.
The workforce at the beginning of 2000 totals 350. On May 3, the carrier initiates twice-daily roundtrip B-737-239A nonstops from Belfast International Airport to Amsterdam.
The company wet-leases a pair of British Aerospace BAe (BAC) 111500s to the new Swedish concern Fly European Airlines, A. B., which that carrier employs to inaugurate return service to Malmo on June 30. The company barely operates a week before closing down on July 9 and returns the jetliners.
It is reported at the end of September that the carrier’s sister company, European Aviation, has negotiated the purchase of the entire B-737-200 spare parts inventory of British Airways, Ltd. (2).
EUROPEAN EXPEDITEE, S. A.: Belgium (1988-1992). European Expeditee, conceived by GPA Group Chairman Tony Ryan, is established at Brussels in May 1988 to provide scheduled all-cargo services to regional European destinations. UPS (United Parcel Service) executive Dallas Sherman is recruited and named president; he is provided with a fleet that includes one Dassault Falcon 20 and four Convair CV-580s, formerly flown by Summit Airlines. The company is registered as a Belgian airline in December.
Revenue operations to destinations in Spain, France, Austria, and Sweden commence on March 31, 1989 and are continued. The fleet is increased by the addition of one more Falcon and four additional Con-vairs and their routing is coordinated with that of Extra Executive, GmbH., a German freight operator half-owned by GPA. Flights continue until 1992.
EUROPEAN REGIONS AIRLINES, S. A.: Spain (1998-2000). This Spanish charter operator is established in 1998 by several tour companies seeking lift for short-haul holiday flights, as well as domestic scheduled services.
Revenue operations commence at the end of March 1999 with 2 Em-braer ERJ-145s and 1 Grumman Gulfstream Aerospace II. Initial scheduled destinations include Barcelona, Seveille, and Vitoria.
During the remainder of the year, the company inaugurates scheduled return flights to La Coruna, Milan, Stuttgart, and London (LGW).
A total of 94 workers are employed at the beginning of 2000. Unable to maintain economic viability in the face of rising fuel costs, the carrier declares bankruptcy in September. After the airline is grounded, its aircraft are disposed of, with at least one ERJ-145 going to KLM Exel,
B. V., which completes some of ERA’s charters.
EUROSCOT EXPRESS, LTD.: United Kingdom (1997-1999). Jack Romero, who becomes CEO, sets up Euroscot at Bournemouth Airport in May 1997; other shareholders include finance director Michael Allen, NVM, and R. Davis. The bulk of the new entrant’s financial backing is provided by Edinburgh-based Northern Investors Company and Northern Venture Trust, with fiscal advice provided by KPMG Corporate Finance. Michael Denny is appointed chairman. A workforce of 14 is recruited and a British Aerospace BAe (BAC) 1-11-510ED is wet-leased from neighboring European Aviation Air Charter, Ltd.
Deep-discount service is inaugurated in September linking the company’s base with Glasgow and Edinburgh five times weekly. The company will board 25,000 customers in its first 6 months, plus 27 tons of cargo.
The workforce is increased by one at the beginning of 1998.
The carrier’s 500th flight arrives at Bournemouth from Glasgow on February 10 and, to mark the occasion, CEO Romero is on hand to personally welcome all of the passengers off the flight. Plans are announced in early April for connecting flights to Amsterdam. Eventual plans for service from Glasgow to Toronto are also broached.
When a rival British Airways, Ltd. (2) service from Glasgow to London (Hurn Airport) is unable to depart on April 21, its passengers are able to make a connection on the Euroscot flight. A record number of 362 passengers are boarded on April 27.
By the time of the carrier’s first anniversary in May, Euroscot has established financial security and plans are made for partnerships with other airlines.
The company’s homepage on the World Wide Web is unveiled on May 8. The schedule is altered on May 25. Twice-daily service from Glasgow to Hurn is operated, along with four weekly flights between Bournemouth and Edinburgh.
During the summer, an Avions de Transport Regional ATR72-201 is leased to help with new daily return services between Bournemouth and Edinburgh. In the fall, the BAC is returned to its lessor. Daily roundtrips commence on November 10 between Bournemouth and Amsterdam.
Enplanements total 50,000.
The company experiences a fatally dismal 1999. In mid-July the company turns over to Gill Airways (Gill Aviation, Ltd.) its routes and bookings from Bournemouth to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Unable to raise additional capitalization, the company goes into receivership and shuts its doors.
EUROSKY, GmbH.: World Trade Center, Vienna Airport, Vienna, A-1300, Austria; Phone 43 (1) 7007 6770; Fax 43 (1) 7007 6771; Code JO; Year Founded 1994. J. Ralph Atkin and Dr. Alexander Schodl form Eurosky at Vienna Airport in 1994. Employing a Fairchild Metro III, revenue flights are inaugurated linking the company’s base with Verona and Trieste.
Another Metro joins the fleet in 1995, allowing the company, in July and August, to inaugurate daily return flights to Wroclaw, Poland, and Kosica, Slovakia, as well as twice-daily roundtrips to Trieste. Despite the initiation of the previous year’s new routes, traffic and revenues are so slim as to require the company to briefly shut down March 1996.
Services are resumed in the fall with three Beech 1900Cs. Destinations visited during the remainder of the year and in 1997-2000 include Debrecen, Kosice, Ostrava, Trieste, Verona, and Wroclaw.
EUROSUN (GUL HAVACILIK ISLETMELERI, A. S.): Gagiavan Man, Antalya, 07160, Turkey; Phone 90 (242) 324 0222; Fax 90 (242) 324 0226; Code ESN; Year Founded 2000. The failed Air Rose, A. S.
Is reorganized and renamed during June 2000. By July 14, it has received 1 B-737-236A previously operated by AccessAir and 2 B-737-3K2s once flown by Transavia Holland, N. V., all of which have been chartered from Pegasus Aviation. The reborn charter operator is able to resume operations with the beginning of the winter charter season at the end of September. Package tour customers in northern Europe are carried to Mediterranean locations, including the golden beaches of Turkey.
EUROWINGS FLUGDIENST, GmbH.: Flugplatz 13, Dortmund 44319, Germany; Phone 49 (231) 9244 0; Fax 49 (231) 9244 704; Code EWF; Year Founded 1996. A subsidiary of Eurowings Luftverkehers, A. G., Eurowings Flug is set up at Dortmund on June 26, 1996 to serve primarily as its parent’s charter arm, as well as to provide back-up capacity to the main fleet. Managing DirectorGerman Larrabe places orders for three (later four) Airbus Industrie A319-112s, which arrive at the end of the year.
Revenue holiday services to Mediterranean and North African destinations commence on January 28, 1997. A total of 93 workers are employed at the beginning of 2000.
EUROWINGS LUFTVERKEHERS, A. G.: Flughafenstrasse 100, Nuremberg, D-90411, Germany; Phone 49 (911) 36 56 0; Fax 49 (911) 36 56 20 3; Http://www. eurowings. de; Code EW; Year Founded 1994. Eurowings NFD & RFG, GmbH. is renamed on January 1, 1994. Airline employment is increased by 8.4% during the year to 1,030 (including 168 full-time and 10 part-time pilots) and the fleet now includes 17 ATR42-320s, 6 ATR72-202s, and 3 ATR72-210s. The carrier introduces deep-discount flights on a number of domestic routes and in July requests the lease of two British Aerospace BAe 146-200s from Asset Management Organization.
In addition to its own scheduled routes, Eurowings also flies replacement services for Deutsche Lufthansa, A. G. and Swissair, A. G. and with a provided BAe 146-200QT, operates cargo services for TNT Worldwide Express.
In September, a block-space, code-sharing agreement is signed with Air France and when the first BAe 146-200 is delivered in October, it inaugurates thrice-daily, dual-designator roundtrips from Nuremberg to Paris (CDG). Plans are made during the fourth quarter to accommodate the transfer of several former KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.) routes to Amsterdam and the initiation of new services to Poland.
Scheduled departures total 56,100 and customer bookings accelerate 12.1% to 1,210,000. Revenues swell by 6.3% to $234.6 million, but still, expenses are higher and a $5.7-million net loss is suffered.
Twenty-nine new employees are hired in 1995, a 13% increase and the second BAe 146-200QT is delivered in April. It is based at the Bavarian city of Hof and is used to operate charters on behalf of the tour operators TUI and NUR. A new Avions de Transport Regional ATR72-212 arrives in May.
Code-sharing alliances are initialed with KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.) and its U. S. partner Northwest Airlines. As a result, several of the Dutch major’s routes are transferred to the regional, which boosts its traffic dramatically. The principal services flown on behalf of the Netherlands line are to Amsterdam from Dusseldorf, Nuremberg, and Hanover.
The arrangement with Northwest Airlines, which will be maintained independently of that held with KLM, will come to provide for codesharing on routes from nine German cities to Amsterdam, with connections to the U. S.
During the fall, the tour subsidiary EWG is established and two Airbus Industrie A320s are leased to operate passenger charters on its behalf.
When the “Air France-Air Inter Express” program is established late in the year, Eurowings becomes a code-sharing partner, agreeing in exchange for subsidy to repaint its aircraft and to fly medium - and low-density domestic or regional routes for the Air France Groupe.
Enplanements increase 48.9% to 1.8 million and revenues jump 8.7% to $277.3 million. Costs move up 5% to $268.45 million and allow a $10.95-million operating profit and net gain of $1.39 million.
Airline employment is increased by 6.9% in 1996 to 1,132 and the owned fleet includes 4 ATR72-212s, 8 ATR42-320s, 3 ATR72-202s, and 1 BAe 146-200. Also operated, under charter, are 9 ATR42-320s, 3 ATR72-202s, 1 BAe 146-200, and 2 BAe 146-200QTs, which are flown on behalf of TNT Express Worldwide.
In March, the BAe lease is renewed for three years and two Dash-300s are chartered. The first arrives on April 1.
During the first two quarters, thrice-daily, dual-designator roundtrips on behalf of KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.) commence to Amsterdam from Leipzig, Stuttgart, and Dresden.
The charter subsidiary Eurowings Flug, GmbH. is established on June 26, with German Larrabe as its managing director. Orders are placed for three (later four) Airbus Industrie A319-100s with which to begin service.
Thrice-daily ATR42-320 dual designator roundtrip flights begin with KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.) on September 1 over a route from Cologne to Amsterdam. On behalf of Air France, flights are initiated to Paris and Strasbourg and from Strasbourg to Berlin (Tempelhof Airport).
A code-sharing agreement begins with Air U. K., Ltd. during the spring and the second leased BAe 146-300 is delivered in August. The new jetliner is assigned to Mediterranean charter operations, flying from the airports at Hof and Kassel. The carrier, having signed a code-sharing agreement with Gill Airways, Ltd., ceases direct service from Dussel-dorf to Newcastle on August 30. Gill takes over the route next day.
In October, the carrier swaps its “NS” ATA code for the “EW” code of an Australian airline. In December, orders are placed for five ATR42-520s, while the three A319-112s ordered earlier are delivered.
Customer bookings accelerate 5.6% to 1.9 million and operating income jumps 12.4% to $306.25 million. Costs are up only 10.6% to $289.36 million and allow profits to grow again, rising to $16.89 million (operating) and $5.8 million (net).
Airline employment grows 16.4% in 1997 to 1,414. Eurowings Flug, GmbH. charter services to Mediterranean holiday destinations commence on January 28. The leased BAe 146-200 is purchased from British Aerospace Assets Management-Jets during the second week of April.
A new base is established at Berlin (Tempelhof Airport) and the monopoly of Deutsche Lufthansa, A. G. over the key Frankfurt to Berlin route is broken by Eurowings on May 5.
On behalf of Air France, new “Air France Express” services are introduced during the summer from Cologne and Bonn to Paris (CDG).
By this time, the company is offering 322 weekly flights on behalf of its French partner and another 240 weekly services for KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.).
In September, a code-sharing arrangement is entered into with Gill Air (Gill Aviation, Ltd.). Under its terms, the U. K. regional launches twice-daily Aero International (Regional) ATR42-320 roundtrips from Newcastle to Hamburg. It also operates a route from Belfast to Dussel-dorf via Newcastle.
The first ATR42-520 is delivered in time to help inaugurate the winter schedule in late October. Four more BAe 146-200s are leased from BAe AMJ in October and are delivered in November; the charters for three others are extended. A number of route frequencies are now increased; for example, daily flights from Frankfurt to Berlin (Tempelhof Airport) are doubled from four to eight. Three more Bae 146-200s are added between November 24 and December 17.
Passenger boardings leap upward 31.6% to 2.5 million while operating income accelerates 22.2% to $325.9 million. Net profit accelerates to $8.7 million.
At the beginning of 1998, Chairman/President Santner oversees the flights of 2 A319-112s, 17 ATR42-320/520s, 10 ATR72-212s, and 2 each BAe 146-200s and BAe 146-300s. From bases at Amsterdam, Dortmund, Nuremburg, and Paris, the company flies to Bayreuth, Bonn, Brussels, Cologne, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Guernsey, Hamburg, Hanover, Hof, Jersey, Katowice, Krakow, Leipzig, Lippstadt, London, Lyons, Munich, Munster, Newcastle, Nice, Olbia, Osnabruck, Paderborn, Poznan, Prague, Stuttgart, Sylt, Vienna, Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Zurich.
Nonstop dual-designator Dornier 328-110 roundtrip services commence in April with KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.) between London (STN) and Dresden.
A new London (STN) to Dortmund service is opened in September in cooperation with KLM UK, Ltd. The new ATR42-320 flights are operated twice daily during the workweek and daily on weekends. A revised agreement is signed with KLM on October 14. The pact is designed to boost German market share up to 15% from the current 7% through an increase in capacity.
Customer bookings for the year increase 16.9% to 2.49 million. Revenues jump 21.1% to $394.49 million, while expenses are up 22.2% to $386.12 million. The operating profit grows to $8.37 million, while net gain drops to $2.78 million.
By the beginning of 1999, airline employment has been increased by 19.6% to 1,691.
Service between Frankfurt and Berlin (Tempelhof Airport) ceases on October 31. Also in October, Rhenus, A. G. CEO Friedrich Wilhelm Weitholtz is named president/CEO, succeeding Capt. Reinhard Santer, who remains on the board, but also returns to the line to fly an A319-112.
The “Air France Express” contract ends late in the year. During the year, five more ATR42-520s are acquired giving the carrier the largest ATR fleet in Europe.
Passenger boardings ascend 4.9% to 3.04 million, while revenues of DM 729 million ($389,671,000) are generated. Airline employment at the beginning of 2000 stands at 1,589, a 5.4% decline over the previous 12 months. Daily ATR42-320 return service is inaugurated on January 24 from Nuremburg to Poznan, Poland.
The last of five Airbus Industrie A319-112s received since January 1997 is delivered on March 9.
Beginning in March, the carrier operates commuter service from Germany to Amsterdam under contract to KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.); the German originating cities include Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Dortmund, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig, Munich, Munster, Nuremberg, Paderborn, and Stuttgart.
The arrangement with KLM is modified on September 19; although the contract remains in place, Dresden and Leipzig are dropped as service points beginning on October 29.
It is announced on September 22 that Deutsche Lufthansa, A. G. will, assuming cartel authorities agree, take a 24.9% stake in Eurowings effective January 1. The shareholding may later be increased. Protesting that the move will allow the major to control 80% of Germany’s domestic market, Deutsche BA Luftfahrtgesselschaft, GmbH. Managing Director Adrian Hunt petitions the EU Commission and German antitrust authorities on October 3 seeking to have them disallow the announced 24.9% share Deutsche Lufthansa, A. G. will take in Eurowings. The effort will not succeed.
While en route from Palma de Mallorca to Kassel on October 15, a BAe 146 encounters heavy turbulence over Nice. Nine passengers and two flight attendants are injured.
The A319-112 received in March is leased back to its manufacturer for four months; it will be used for braking tests. Service between Cologne and Milan ends on October 31.
On December 12, Eurowings and KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.) agree that, as of March 26, the Dutch national airline will assume full commercial control of the Amsterdam-Germany services currently flown by Eurowings. KLM Cityhopper, B. V. will immediately take over the Amsterdam-Bremen route, with the other frequencies gradually turned over by October.
Company officials will be displeased when Germany’s federal cartel office announces on March 7 that it will block Deutsche Lufthansa, A. G. plans to take a 24.9% stake in Eurowings.
EUROWINGS NFD + RFG, GmbH.: Germany (1993-1994). Early in December 1992, Nurnberger Flugdienst, GmbH. and RFG (Regional Fluggessellschaft, GmbH.) are merged, becoming Dortmund-based Eurowings NFD + RFG, GmbH., on January 1, 1993. Majority shareholder Albrecht Knauf, the plasterboard tycoon and aviation enthusiast, becomes chairman with Reinhard Santar as president.
The workforce totals 950 and the fleet comprises 19 Avions de Transport Regional ATR42-320s and 6 ATR72-202s, with 4 of the latter, Dash-210s, on order, along with 2 British Aerospace BAe 146-200s. The company’s name first appears as part of the new corporate identity on two of five ATR42-320s delivered in February and March. The integration process will be completed on the last day of December.
In February, thrice-weekly ATR42-320 service is inaugurated between Frankfurt and the Polish city of Wroclaw; it is the first time that a western carrier has linked the city to a West European community.
In cooperation with CSA Czechoslovak Airlines, joint, weekday ATR42-320 roundtrips are inaugurated in April between Munich and Prague. Other destinations visited include Berlin, Budapest, Dresden, Leipzig-Halle, London (LGW), Munich, Nuremburg, Dortmund, Paris, Stuttgart, Sylt, Zurich, Hanover, Munster, Paderborn, Brussels, Milan, Prague, Erfurt, Lyon, Osnabruck, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Cologne, Mailand, and Vienna.
On November 2, daily (save Saturday) ATR42-320 roundtrips commence between Dusseldorf and Newcastle. Plans are made to revise the company’s identity once more; from January 1 of the following year, the carrier will be known as Eurowings Luftverkehrs, A. G.
Enplanements for the first full year total 611,225 and a total of 1.5 million FTKs are operated.
World History
