AIR ONE

'Air One' is an independent airline based in Rome, Italy. It operates a high-frequency domestic scheduled network to about 25 destinations and international services to six cities in Europe. Regional destinations are served under the name Air One CityLiner. Its main bases are Linate Airport, Milan, Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, Rome, and Turin International Airport^[1].
Even though the official airline name is pronounced in the English way, "Airone" in Italian means heron, which is the company logo.

Contents

History

Destinations

Fleet

Previously operated

External links

References

History

Air One began life as Aliadriatica which was established in Pescara in 1983 to operate as a flying school and provide air-taxi services and later regional scheduled services. With the acquisition of its first Boeing 737-200 in June 1994, Aliadriatica started scheduled and charter operations. On 23 November 1995, the new name Air One was adopted and the airline began operating scheduled flights between Rome and Milan. In 1996, the first full year of operations, 713,000 passengers were carried and the airline expanded rapidly. In 2000 Air One announced a partnership with Lufthansa and nearly all Air One flights are code-shared with Lufthansa. Air One carried 4,951,774 passengers in 2003 (scheduled and charter), an increase of 21.8% over 2002. The airline is owned by Gruppo Toto (99%). It will give up its (public service obligation) routes from Trapani to Catania, Lampedusa and Pantelleria by the end of May 2006.
In June 2006, Air One CityLiner was launched as a regional subsidiary.

Destinations

Air One operates services to the following destinations (at October 2006):

★ Domestic scheduled destinations: Albenga, Alghero, Bari, Bologna, Brindisi, Cagliari, Catania, Crotone, Cuneo, Florence, Genoa, Lamezia Terme, Lampedusa, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Pantelleria, Pescara, Pisa, Reggio Calabria, Rome, Trapani, Trieste, Turin and Venice.

★ International scheduled destinations: Athens, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Berlin (Berlin-Tegel International Airport), Copenhagen, London (London City Airport) and Paris (Charles de Gaulle International Airport), Split.
Services between Milan and London City Airport have been launched using an Avro RJ70 aircraft (wet leased from Transwede Airways). The airline is also seeking to start long-haul services in early 2007.

Fleet

Air One Boeing 737-4Y0 taxiing at Madrid Barajas Airport

The Air One fleet includes the following aircraft (at March 2007) :

'One Air Fleet'

Aircraft	Total	Passengers	Routes	Notes
Boeing 737-200	2			Replacement aircraft: Airbus A320
Boeing 737-300	6			Replacement aircraft: Airbus A320
Boeing 737-400	22			Replacement aircraft: Airbus A320
Bombardier CRJ-900	10 (plus 8 on order)	90
Airbus A320-200	8 (plus 82 on order)	159		Replacing: Boeing 737 fleet
ATR 42-300	1

★ In January 2006 the airline signed a contract with Airbus for 30 Airbus A320s and 60 options, reportedly worth $1.8 billion at list prices, to replace the carrier's leased fleet of Boeing 737-400s^[2].

★ In May 2006, it has placed an order for 6 Canadair CRJ-900 along with options on a further 4 aircraft.

★ The airline has received the first of three Avro RJ70 aircraft wet leased from Transwede Airways. The remaining two are to follow in December 2006 and January 2007. It is also in talks to lease two Airbus A340-300 aircraft to begin long-haul flights in 2007.

★ White Eagle Aviation, of Poland, acquired a single ATR 42 on lease and placed it into service on a long-term Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) contract with Air One flying domestic Italian passenger routes^[3].

★ In February 2007 Air One announced the conversion of 10 Airbus A320 options into firm orders, bringing its total order for the type to 40 firm, as well as 25 options and 25 purchase rights^[4].

★ In May 2007 the airline announced the conversion of options and purchase rights for 50 Airbus A320s into firm orders, bringing its commitment to the type to 90 aircraft. By 2012 Air One expects to operate flights to 35 destinations in Europe, rather than 9 currently^[5]. By May 2007 Air One will have seven 159-seat Airbus A320-216 aircraft in service.^[6]

Previously operated

★ At March 2004, Air One's average fleet age was 11.6 years old ^[7].

★ Two Airbus A320 aircraft were wet-leased in 2004 and returned.

External links

★ Air One

★ Air One Fleet

References

1. Directory: World Airlines
2. Air Transport World 13 January 2006
3. Airliner World, February 2007
4. Air Transport World 12 February 2007
5. Air Transport World 9 May 2007
6. Airways, June 2007
7. Air One Fleet Age