- Meridiana
Infobox Airline
airline = Meridiana
logo_size = 163
fleet_size = 24
destinations = 25
IATA = IG
ICAO = ISS
callsign = MERAIR
parent = Interprogramme (57.19%)
company_slogan =
founded =1963
headquarters =Olbia ,Italy
key_people =
hubs =Olbia - Costa Smeralda Airport
secondary_hubs =
focus_cities =
frequent_flyer =
lounge =
alliance =
website = http://www.meridiana.it/Meridiana is an
airline based inOlbia ,Italy . It is Italy's third airline operating domestic andEurope an services. Its main base isOlbia - Costa Smeralda Airport , with hubs atCatania-Fontanarossa Airport (Catania ),Peretola Airport (Florence ) andVerona Airport (Verona ).cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work=Flight International | page= 49 | date= 2007-04-10]History
The airline was founded as
Alisarda onMarch 29 1963 by theAga Khan , Prince Karīm al-Hussaynī, as an air-taxi and charter operator to promotetourism toSardinia . Scheduled services began in 1964 from Olbia. In 1989, 35% of new stock was released to new shareholders to strengthen the company and the name Meridiana was adopted on3 May 1991 . The first international services were operated later in 1991 toBarcelona ,Paris ,London andFrankfurt . A 29.95% stake inEurofly was acquired in December 2006. Meridiana is owned by Interprogramme (57.19%), SA AgaKhan (17.59%), employees (16.08%), Airfin (in liquidation) (4.51%), Fondazione Cariplo (3.39%) and other shareholders (1.24%). It has 1,358 employees (at March 2007).During 2004, Meridiana replaced four BAe 146-200s with four leased Airbus A319-100s, and has plans for a fifth. In January 2004 it was reported that Meridiana was planning to replace its McDonnell Douglas MD-82 fleet with 17 Airbus A320-200s.
In 2006 it transported over 4.6 million people, a 15.7% increase compared to 2005 figures.
Destinations
Meridiana operates services to the following scheduled destinations (as of May 2008):
*Czech Republic
**Prague (Ruzyně International Airport )
*France
**Paris (Charles de Gaulle International Airport )
*Germany
**Berlin (Berlin-Tegel International Airport )
*Hungary
**Budapest (Budapest Ferihegy International Airport ) [Ends January 2, 2009]
*Italy
**Bologna (Bologna Airport )
**Cagliari (Cagliari-Elmas Airport )
**Catania (Catania-Fontanarossa Airport )
**Florence (Peretola Airport )
**Lampedusa (Lampedusa Airport )
**Milan (Linate Airport )
**Naples (Naples International Airport )
**Olbia (Olbia - Costa Smeralda Airport )
**Palermo (Palermo International Airport )
**Pantelleria (Pantelleria Airport )
**Rome (Leonardo da Vinci Airport )
**Turin (Turin International Airport )
**Venice (Venice Marco Polo Airport )
**Verona (Verona Airport )
*Kosovo
**Pristina (Pristina International Airport )
*Moldova
**Chişinău (Chişinău International Airport )
*Netherlands
**Amsterdam (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol )
*Spain
**Barcelona (Barcelona International Airport )
**Madrid (Madrid Barajas International Airport )
*United Kingdom
**London (London Gatwick Airport )Fleet
The Meridiana fleet includes the following aircraft (as of
12 September 2008 ) [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=IG&al_op=1] :*4
Airbus A319-112
*1ATR 42-300 (which is operated byAvanti Air )
*1ATR 72-202 (which is operated byAvanti Air )
*9 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
*9 McDonnell Douglas MD-83As of
June 2008 Meridiana's average fleet age was 16.6 years. [ [http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Meridiana.htm airfleets.net] ]References
External links
* [http://www.meridiana.it/en/ Meridiana]
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