Luxair

Infobox_Airline
airline=Luxair
logo=LuxairLogo.pnglogo_size=247px
IATA=LG
ICAO=LGL
callsign=LUXAIR
parent= ~50% State owned
founded=1961
key_people=Adrien Ney (CEO)
headquarters=Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
hubs=Luxembourg-Findel International Airport
focus_cities=Saarbrücken Airport
frequent_flyer=Miles & More
lounge=
alliance=
fleet_size=15
destinations=53
website= http://www.luxair.lu

Luxair (Luxair Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne SA) is the flag carrier airline of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It operates scheduled services to 50 destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East, plus charter and seasonal summer services. Its main base is Luxembourg-Findel International Airport.cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 108 | date= 2007-04-03]

History

Descended from the Luxembourg Airlines Company, founded in 1948, Luxair was set up in 1961 to meet the growing demand for air links between Luxembourg and other European cities.

In 1962, Luxair began flights by launching a Luxembourg-Paris route with a Fokker F27 Friendship. By 1967, Luxair's fleet consisted of three Fokker Friendships and one Vickers Viscount. The latter was written off in a non-fatal accident in 1969 and replaced the following year by the airline's first jet airliner, a Caravelle built by Sud Aviation in Toulouse. The first Boeing aircraft, a Boeing 737-200, joined the fleet in 1977. Over the years, Luxair gradually introduced further jet aircraft Boeing 747SP (for routes to South Africa), Boeing 737-400 and Boeing 737-500 as well as Fokker 50 turboprops and Embraer jets. In an effort to move to an all-jet fleet, the last Fokker 50 aircraft was withdrawn from service in April 2005.

In March 2003, Luxair ordered two new Boeing 737-700 to replace its older Boeing aircraft. The first of the new aircraft was delivered on 18 February 2004. A third aircraft was ordered in August 2003 and delivered in January 2005.

In the last few years, the rising cost of oil made operating regional jets increasingly difficult. To lessen its exposure, Luxair therefore decided to reintroduce turboprop aircraft. In June 2006, it signed a firm order with Bombardier for 3 Dash 8-Q400, plus 3 options. The last of these aircraft was delivered in September 2007. In the meantime, 2 additional Q400s have been ordered. The fifth aircraft is expected to join the fleet by 2010.

In October 2008, Luxair decided to place an order for its first Boeing 737-800. This aircraft will replace the last Boeing 737-500 in Luxair's fleet and contribute to increasing Luxair's offer on its holiday destinations.

The airline is owned by the Luxembourg Government (23.1%), Banque et Caisse d'Épargne de l'État (13.4%), Luxair Group and others (13.2%), Dexia/BIL (13.1%), Lufthansa (13%), Fortis Banque Luxembourg (12.1%) and Panalpina World Transport (12.1%). It had 2,210 employees (at March 2007)

Destinations

Incidents and accidents

*On 22 December 1969, a Vickers Viscount (LX-LGC) arriving from Frankfurt hit a snowbank on the runway while landing at Luxembourg airport in severe weather. No passengers where killed, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It was scrapped in May 1970. [ [http://www.focus.de/reisen/fliegen/airline-sicherheit/airlines/flugsicherheit_aid_53907.html" Focus-Online: Luxair] ]

*On 6 November 2002 Luxair Flight 9642, a Fokker 50 flying from Berlin, Germany, crashed in a field near the village of Niederanven during its final approach to Luxembourg airport, killing 20 passengers and crew. This was Luxair’s first fatal accident.

Fleet

The Luxair fleet includes the following aircraft (as of October 2008) :

References

External links

* [http://www.luxair.lu Official website]

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