0B BMS Commenced operations 2004 Frequent-flyer program My Blue Founded 13 December 2004 Parent organization Air Management Solutions | BMS BLUE MESSENGER Secondary hubs Turin Airport Headquarters Bucharest, Romania Fleet size 24 | |
Hubs Henri Coandă International Airport Profiles | ||
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Blue Air is the biggest airline of Romania as of June, 2016 and is headquartered in Bucharest, with its main hubs at Henri Coandă International Airport and Turin Airport. In 2016, the airline carried 3.6 million passengers, a significant increase from the 2 million passengers in 2015. As of May 2016, Blue Air flies to 48 destinations in 12 European countries.
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History
Blue Air started its operations in December 2004. In its early years, although largely focusing on international flights, Blue Air also operated domestic Bucharest-Timișoara and Bucharest-Cluj flights, though these were soon discontinued due to low demand and competition from TAROM as well as Căile Ferate Române, the Romanian rail company. Due to the growing economy and increase in air travel, Blue Air resumed its domestic operations in 2015 starting with Bucharest-Iasi flights, followed by several new routes in 2016 between major Romanian cities, including Cluj-Napoca, Oradea and Timisoara.
On 12 April 2013, Blue Air's management announced that the airline was for sale. On the 17 May 2013, the company was purchased by four Romanian shareholders, and BlueAir Transport Aerian SA's flight operations were transferred to Blue Air - Airline Management Solution SRL, a company that bailed the business out with EUR 30 million.
The airline transported 1.5 million passengers in 2014, an increase from the 1.35 million passengers in 2013. In 2015, the airline transported for the first time more than 2 million passengers. With a total of 25 new routes announced for 2016, the airline forecasts carrying close to three million passengers in 2016.
Blue Air became a full member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on 19 January 2016. Furthermore, Blue Air received the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification in December 2015, and is a member of the ICH (IATA Clearing House).
Bases
Blue Air has used Bucharest as its primary hub for most of its history. Initially, the airline's hub was located at Aurel Vlaicu International Airport until the airport became overcrowded and was increasingly surrounded by urban development, thus leading to the airport's closure for commercial airlines in 2012. Officially the airport was not closed, but the operating taxes for airlines were suddenly increased until no airline could afford them. As a result, all airlines moved their operations to Bucharest's largest airport, Henri Coandă International Airport. Blue Air now uses this airport as its primary hub.
The secondary hub is Turin Airport in Italy from November 2014. The total number of destinations to and from Turin are 15.
The third operating base for Blue Air is located at Bacău International Airport. BlueAir Transport Aerian SA (the original owner) managed to get a concession contract for 50 years of private administration of the airport. BlueAero was the secondary company that held the contract. The airport needed urgent investments which the company promised to complete, but not even 10% of those promised investments were realised in the following two years. In Blue Air is now the only airline operating from the airport. TAROM and Carpatair had domestic and international flights from here, but were discontinued.
Blue Air's bases also include Larnaca International Airport (2 aircraft based) in Cyprus and Iasi International Airport (2 aircraft based), the primary international gateway for the north-eastern part of Romania, serving a catchment area of over 3.7 million people.
In March 2017, Blue Air is set to open its first UK Base in Liverpool John Lennon Airport and will base one aircraft there.
Destinations
Blue Air has been operating for 11 years and now offers flights to over 70 scheduled destinations in Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, under its own brand and with the slogan “Follow your dreams and fly”, Blue Air operates charter flights on behalf of leading tour operators and holiday destinations throughout Europe and West Asia, mainly the Mediterranean region
Starting on 25 October 2015 the company has also inaugurated daily scheduled domestic flights. Daily services are currently being provided between Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, Oradea and Timisoara.
Fleet
As of January 2017, the Blue Air fleet consists of the following aircraft: