BALAIR AIR CHARTER COMPANY OF SWITZERLAND, A. G.: Switzerland (1953-1993). The flying school Balair is organized at Basel in 1953, taking the name of one of the original 1931 merger partners that formed Swissair, A. G. With 36% financial backing and technical support from Swissair, A. G., Balair enters the charter market in 1957, inaugurating Vickers Viking tour flights to the Mediterranean.
Swissair, A. G. provides a Douglas DC-4 in 1959. It is the parent’s first four-engine Douglas, the Geneva, first received in 1946 and now rechristened Uri.
Unhappily, while en route from Khartoum to Niamey with 12 crew aboard on March 16, 1960, it crashes into Mt. Marra in the Sudan near Toli, Jebel Marra; there are no survivors. The last Swissair, A. G. DC-4 is turned over as a replacement. A DC-6 arrives from Swissair, A. G. in December 1961.
Between 1962-1976, charter and inclusive-tour flights are organized and run on behalf of Swissair, A. G. to points in North Africa, southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. Swiss Air gains 57% controlling interest and makes the charter airline a partially owned subsidiary to which it leases aircraft.
A Fokker F.27-200 is destroyed as the result of a bad landing at Malaga, Spain, on September 13, 1964; there are no fatalities.
The DC-6 is often chartered by the International Red Cross to fly mercy airlifts to such underdeveloped nations as Biafra.
A Convair CV-990A is transferred to the charter carrier on March 28, 1968; the first DC-9-34 is turned over on April 17, 1970, and a DC-8-62 arrives in 1976. Meanwhile, the DC-4 makes a promotional flight to New York in the spring of 1968.
Enplanements total 497,768 in 1977. The first DC-10-30 is acquired from Swissair, A. G. on January 30, 1978. The aircraft is unusual in that it has an underfloor galley, fitted by the manufacturer before delivery. Airline employment at President O. Niederhauser’s carrier is now 386.
The Balair fleet at this point also comprises 3 DC-8-62s, 1 DC-9-34, 1 DC-6B, and 1 Fokker F.27. Passenger boardings jump 16.9% to 599,000.
The workforce in 1979 is 404. The first DC-10-30 is delivered on January 30. Bookings accelerate 19.2% to 713,000. Freight traffic, on the other hand, collapses, falling 97.2% to 336,000 FTKs. Still, a $2.3-million profit is earned.
The workforce is increased by 8.2% in 1980 to 437. One DC-8-62 is replaced by a DC-9-32.
Cargo traffic skyrockets 73.2% to 582,000 FTKs, but boardings dip 9.2% to 646,000. On revenues of $105.2 million (down 9.8%), an operating profit of $1.1 million is generated.
World economic woes impact upon the Swissair, A. G. subsidiary in 1981 and during the year, the F.27 and another DC-8-62 are sold. Orders are placed for 3 McDonnell Douglas MD-82s. Additionally, the employee population is downsized 11.4% to 387.
Boardings fall 10.3% to 579,000 and freight is off 34.2% to 383,000 FTKs.
As bookings rise a slight 0.7% to 583,000 in 1982, Swissair, A. G. provides another DC-8-62 and the first MD-82 is placed into service; employment is increased by 8.8% to 421.
The number of employees is cut by 10.9% in 1983 to 375 and the newly provided jetliner is withdrawn as the year’s enplanements fall 0.2% to 582,000.
Charter service enjoys a resurgence in 1984. An F.27 and a second MD-82 are transferred over from the parent to help handle a rise in boardings, up 12% to 652,000. An A310-332 is ordered in 1985 to replace the last DC-8-62 and a DC-9-32 as bookings surge 10.2% to
719,000.
The DC-8 and DC-9 are both sold in 1986 (the latter at a profit), as the A310-332 is placed into service.
Passenger traffic slows for the 400-employee charter operator, climbing only 2.1% to 733,688 passengers flown. Still, a $5.3-million net profit is generated.
Airline employment grows 3.7% in 1987 to 418 and the fleet now includes 1 DC-10-30, 1 A310-322, and 3 MD-82s. The final unit of the MD-82s is delivered later in the year and partially paid for with the proceeds from the previous year’s DC-9 sale. An MD-83 is ordered. On November 6, the A310-322 commences South Atlantic charters from Las Palmas to Recife under the 120-min. over-water rule for twinjets.
Passenger boardings jump 14.7% to 817,000 and revenues rise 2.7% to $150 million. Net gain is level with the previous year.
The workforce is cut by 2.2% in 1988 to 407 and the fleet is increased by the addition of the government’s Fokker F.27-400. The Fokker, with its Balair crew, marks the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization at Jerusalem by flying 658 hours in the area. Under charter to the International Committee of the Red Cross, a company MD-82, from a base at Tehran, completes three Iran-Iraq POW exchange flights.
In the aftermath of the December earthquake, six mercy missions are flown to Armenia.
Customer bookings continue upward, by a slight 1.5%, to 780,437. Profits total $21.14 million (operating) and $5.15 million (net).
Passenger boardings tail off by 3.3% in 1989 to 649,172 and revenues are down 1.6% to $157 million. Expenses are $137.05 million and cause the operating profit to dip to $19.87 million. Net gain, however, climbs to $5.9 million.
World History
