Ostfriesische Lufttransport GmbH

"OLT" redirects here. For other uses, see OLT (disambiguation).

Ostfriesische Lufttransport

IATA OL ICAO OLT Callsign OLTRA
Founded	1958
Hubs	Bremen Airport
Fleet size	12
Destinations	19
Headquarters	Emden, Germany
Website	http://www.olt.de/

An OLT SAAB 2000 landing in Zurich-Kloten Airport

OLT Ostfriesische Lufttransport GmbH (OLT) is an airline based in Emden in Germany.^[1] It operates regional scheduled and charter flights linking northern Germany to other parts of the country and Bremen to other European destinations. Its main base is Bremen Airport.^[2]

History

• OLT was founded on 1 November 1958 by Martin Dekker and Jan Janssen as Ostfriesische Lufttaxi - Dekker und Janssen OHG, initially operating air taxi flights to islands in the North Sea from Emden. The first aircraft was a KZ VII Lerche from Skandinavisk Aero Industri A/S in Copenhagen.^[3]

• In 1961 the airline hired its first own staff: a pilot and a ´groundstewardess´. OLT had 1968 5 aircraft and operated 13,174 flights.^[3]

• After Janssen's death the company AGIV (Aktiengesellschaft für Verkehrswesen) and the shipping company Reederei Visser & van Doornums became 1970 new shareholders and the airlines was renamed into Ostfriesische Lufttaxi GmbH. A schedule service from Emden to Bremen and Hamburg was introduced then.^[3]

• Soon later AGIV became the single shareholder of OLT and positioned the new CEO Christian Ulrich Baron von Kaltenborn-Stachau. In 1972 the airlines was renamed again, now into Ostfriesische Lufttransport GmbH (OLT) and Kaltenborn-Stachau took over 26%. Several new schedule services were introduced like from Kassel, Dusseldorf to Cologne (1973), Hanover, Saarbrucken and Stuttgart or Munster/Osnabruck and Frankfurt (1974).^[3]

• For the regional airlines business strategy the company DLT (Deutsche Lufttransport-Gesellschaft mbH) was created and OLT was renamed into DLT Luftverkehrsgesellschaft. But soon later AGIV decided to split the Emden (OLT) operation away from DLT. This unit (Emden operation) was sold then to AG EMS and OLT restart its old core activities.^[3]

• To ensure a flexible operation, especially in the charter sector, OLT organised 1976 a joint platform called OFD with the participating airlines OLT, FLN and Dollart GmbH.^[3]

• At the beginning 1990s, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the airlines faced an increase of their business activities. OLT started operations in the former East German provinces and 1990 took over Roland Air (Bremen)^[4]. In 1991 OLT set up a base in Bremen and started with its scheduled services there. In 1996 all OFD activities were integrated into OLT and therefore under the control of AG EMS.^[3]

• OLT is one of very few airlines that has succeeded in driving a low-cost rival off a route. In December 2005, easyJet started daily flights between Bristol and its base in Hamburg. OLT was operating twice-daily weekday-only services. The route being a predominantly business route, frequency won out over price and easyJet cancelled the route at the end of October 2006.^[5]

• OLT announced on 4 August 2011 to undergo a major restructure after losing its shuttle flights contract with Airbus Industries. Effective October 2011 all Fokker and Saab aircraft operations will stop and 100 of its 120 employees are under notice to leave. Therefore only the ´islands jumper´ services from Emden to Helgoland and Borkum with small aircraft will remain.^[6]

• As of August 2011^[update] it has 120 employees (118 in March 2007).^[2]

• In August 2011, OLT was bought by Polish building society Amber Gold. AmberGold also bought Polish regional carrier Jet Air. The two companies combined as OLT Jetair

• • Former OLT owners incl.: Reederei Agems (74.9%) and FLN Frisia Luftverkehr (Reederei Norden-Frisia) (25.1%). ^[2] Martin Dekker (founder), Jan Janssen (founder), AGIV - Aktiengesellschaft für Verkehrswesen (up to 100%), CEO Christian Ulrich Baron von Kaltenborn-Stachau (26%)

Destinations

OLT operates the following services (as of November 2011^[update]):

• Domestic scheduled destinations:
  • Borkum – Borkum Airfield
  • Bremen – Bremen Airport
  • Bremerhaven – Bremerhaven Airport
  • Emden – Emden Airport
  • Heide-Büsum – Heide-Büsum Airport
  • Helgoland – Helgoland Airport

• International scheduled destinations:
  • Brussels - Brussels Airport
  • Copenhagen – Kastrup Airport
  • Gdansk - Gdansk Airport
  • Toulouse – Toulouse Blagnac Airport
  • Zürich – Kloten Airport

Fleet

As of December 2010^[update] the Ostfriesische Lufttransport fleet includes the following aircraft:

• 2 Fokker 100
• 3 Saab 2000
• 1 Saab 340
• 3 Britten-Norman Islander
• 1 Gippsland GA8
• 1 Cessna 172

Image gallery

• 

  One of the three Britten-Norman Islanders in service with OLT.

References

1. ^ "Imprint." (Archive) OLT. Retrieved on 4 August 2011. "Gorch-Fock-Str. 103 26721 Emden Germany"
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International: p. 58. 10 April 2007. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} https://www.olt.de/unternehmen/ueber-uns/geschichte/ retrieved 5 August 2011
4. ^ http://www.holidaystarter.com/olt-fliegt-seit-40-jahren-nach-helgoland/ retrieved 5 August 2011
5. ^ "OLT celebrates reaching 50 by acquiring its first jets for Airbus ’shuttle’ flights". anna.aero. 19 September 2008. http://www.anna.aero/2008/09/19/olt-celebrates-reaching-50/. 
6. ^ http://www.airliners.de/management/strategie/olt-schrumpft-zurueck-zum-inselhuepfer/24848 retrieved 5 August 2011

External links

	East Frisia portal
	Companies portal
	Aviation portal

• Official website
• Official Website (German)