GERMANIA FLUGGESELLSCHAFT, GmbH: Berlin Tegel Airport, Berlin, D-13405, Germany; Phone 49 (30) 4101 3610; Fax 49 (30) 4101 3615;Http://www. germaniaairline. de; Code ST; Year Founded 1986. On June 1, 1986, SAT Fluggesellschaft, GmbH (Special Air Transport) is reformed and renamed Germania. Dr. Heinrich Bischoff is named chairman. Employing a fleet of three Sud-Est SE-210 Caravelle XRs, the carrier continues its passenger and cargo charters and inclusive-tour flights from its base at Koln-Bonn Airport to holiday destinations in the Canary Islands, southern Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.
Operations continue apace during the remainder of the decade and in 1989 the Caravelles are replaced by the first Boeing 737-35Bs. In 1990, the fleet comprises 5 B-737-35Bs (2 of which are wet-leased to Condor Flugdienst, GmbH.) and 1 B-737-3L9, which is chartered to Berlin European U. K., Ltd. for a year.
Two more B-737-35Bs are acquired in 1991 and two more B-737-3L9s in 1992, one of which is leased from Maersk Air, A. S. Scheduled flights are introduced from Berlin to Heringsdorf and the Baltic Sea area. A shuttle service is introduced for civil servants who need to fly from Cologne and Bonn to Berlin.
Airline employment in 1993 stands at 335 and the fleet now includes 3 owned B-737-3L9s and 7 leased B-737-35Bs, including 2 leased to Condor. Enplanements total 1,211,900.
Two B-737-330s are acquired in 1994, but these, too, are chartered to Condor Flugdienst, GmbH. The year’s passenger boardings ascend 11% to 1,345,500.
There is no change in the size of the workforce in 1995. During the last week of March, $512 million is committed to an order for 12 Next Generation B-737-75Bs. Ownership passes to Hetzel Travel Company and two B-737-35Bs remain with Condor Flugdienst, GmbH. Traffic is excellent this year, growing by 25% to 1,681,600 passengers transported.
Again in 1996, airline employment does not increase. Neither, for that matter, does traffic; instead, customer bookings drop 5.8% to 1,584,400. Flights continue in 1997. In addition to charter flights to North Africa, the Canary Islands, Bratislava, Tel Aviv, Larnaca, Kuwait, Turkey, and the Caribbean, the Cologne and Bonn to Berlin shuttle is maintained. Passenger boardings rise 15.6% to 1,831,500.
Despite a five-month delay in Joint Airworthiness Authority type certification, in April 1998 the carrier receives its first B-737-75B. The aircraft arrives at Berlin (Tegel Airport) following a 9 hr. 27 min. nonstop flight from Seattle’s Boeing Field. Painted in the colors of Touristik Union International (TUI) with “Schone Ferien” (Have a Nice Vacation) titles, the new aircraft begins service on behalf of the tour operator from not only Berlin, but Dusseldorf and Stuttgart as well. Customer bookings fall 10.1% to 1.64 million.
By the beginning of 1999, airline employment has been cut back by 13.1% to 338. During the spring, the company paints its latest four B-737-75Bs in the colors of other concerns for which it operates tours: Olimar Reisen, Jahn Reisen, Tjaereborg, and Meier’s Weltreisen. On white fuselages, the tails and cheatlines will be black stripes and solid green, yellow, and blue, respectively.
Passenger boardings jump 7.1% to 790,000 while freight rises 2.4% to 247,000 FTKs. Airline employment at the beginning of 2000 stands at 411, a 21.6% increase over the previous 12 months.
Two Next Generation B-737-75Bs employed under lease by LTU International Airways, K. G. are returned at the end of the summer season on October 28. A Next Generation B-737-75B enters revenue service on November 7 wearing a new color scheme in honor of Siemens. Another begins flying in an orange-and-white livery that advertises 1 + 2 Fly.
The company now flies a mix of 8 Next Generation Dash-75Bs and 2 Dash-73Ss.
GESTAIR EXECUTIVE JET, S. A.: Aguetol, 7, Barajas, Madrid, E-28042, Spain; Phone 34 (1) 329-0500; Fax 34 (1) 329-3323; Http://www. gestair. es; Code GP; Year Founded 1982. Gestair is formed at Madrid in 1982 as the Spanish member of the JET Europe marketing consortium. Employing a Gates Learjet 35, a Casa C-212 Aviocar, a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo, and various small Cessnas, domestic and international air taxi flights are initiated. By 1986, General Director Alberto Lluch Bazo’s fleet has grown by two Aviocars.
Operations continue apace for the remainder of the decade and into the 1990s. In 1993, Chairman Jesus Macarron and Managing Director Juan C. Santilan oversee a workforce of 100. The fleet of the air taxi operator in 1994 includes 2 Beech Super King Air 200s, 3 Cessna 650 Citation IIIs, 1 British Aerospace BAe 125-700B, and 7 Aviocars.
Flights continue in 1995-1999, during which years the workforce is increased from 153 to 180 and the company enters into the forest firefighting business, acquiring 6 Canadair CL-215s for the purpose. During the latter year, 15,000 VIP passengers are flown from over 3,000 companies. A total of 130 workers are employed at the beginning of 2000.
World History
