2L OAW AOC # 1033 Parent company Helvetic Airways AG Founded 2003 | OAW HELVETIC Destinations 34 Headquarters Zürich, Switzerland Fleet size 13 | |
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Key people Bruno Jans, CEO
Tobias Pogorevc, CFO Hubs Zürich Airport, Bern Airport Profiles | ||
Scenic fokker f100 landing helvetic airways on swiss flight z rich hamburg airclips
Helvetic Airways is a Swiss airline headquartered in Kloten with its fleet stationed at Zürich Airport. It operates flights to destinations in Europe and Northern Africa, mainly leisure markets, but also to business destinations on its own behalf as well as scheduled flights on behalf of Swiss International Air Lines as well as Lufthansa using their fleet of Embraer 190s and Fokker 100s.
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History
Helvetic Airways was established in the autumn of 2003 as a rebranding and extension of the existing airline Odette Airways to serve destinations in South-Eastern Europe. Switzerland's first budget carrier began operating in November with a Fokker 100 flying to 3 destinations. By 2004, the fleet had grown to 7 aircraft.
In December 2006, the carrier unveiled a new look for its aircraft. Since that time, all the Fokker 100s have livery in red-white-silver grey colours with the Swiss cross on the tailfin.
In October 2010, the Swiss news media announced a new base in Bern Airport.
On 18 February 2013, in the 2013 Belgian diamond heist, eight men armed with automatic weapons and dressed in police uniforms seized 120 small parcels containing an estimated $50 million (£32,000,000) worth of diamonds from a Helvetic Airways Fokker 100 passenger plane loaded with passengers preparing for departure to Zurich. The men drove two vehicles through a hole they had cut in the airport's perimeter fence to Flight LX789, which had just been loaded with diamonds from a Brink's armoured van. The men were able to execute the operation within five minutes with no injuries and without firing a shot.
In December 2014, Helvetic Airways began to take over seven Embraer 190s which were freed by Niki changing their fleet.
Since March 2016 there is wetlease contract with Lufthansa for the route Zurich-Munich.
Destinations
As of March 2016, Helvetic Airways serves the following destinations on its own behalf. Not included are the routes served for Swiss International Air Lines as well as Lufthansa on a long-term wetlease contract.
Fleet
The Helvetic Airways fleet includes the following aircraft as of January 2017:
Helvetic Airways previously operated McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft.