Air Nostrum

Infobox_Airline
airline = Air Nostrum (Iberia Regional)

logo_size = 250
IATA = YW
ICAO = ANE
callsign = NOSTRUM AIR
parent = Nefinsa S.A. [ [http://www.nefinsa.es/pcontgenerparticipada.asp?mid=717&lang=IN NEFINSA - Grupo Empresarial Serratosa: Air Nostrum] ]
founded = May 23, 1994
ceased =
headquarters = Valencia, Spain
key_people =
hubs =

*Valencia International Airport
*Barcelona International Airport
*Madrid Barajas International Airport

frequent_flyer = Iberia Plus
lounge =
alliance = Oneworld
fleet_size = 66
destinations = 51
website = http://www.airnostrum.es/

Air Nostrum, Líneas Aéreas del Mediterráneo, S.A., also known as Iberia Regional, is a regional airline based in Valencia, Spain. Air Nostrum is an independent carrier which operates as a franchisee of Iberia Airlines. Iberia Regional franchise is a regional partner of Iberia and an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. Air Nostrum operates an extensive network of 91 domestic and international routes to 51 destinations, as well as charter flights. Its main base is Valencia International Airport, with hubs at Barcelona International Airport and Madrid Barajas International Airport.cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 64 | date= 2007-03-27]

History

The airline was established on May 23, 1994 and started operations on December 15. [ [http://www.airnostrum.es/air_01.asp?ruta=HTMLair_nostrum2_historia.htm&titulo=Air%20Nostrum&subtitulo=History Air Nostrum History - The First Airline of Regional Aviation in Spain] ] It was founded as Líneas Aéreas del Mediterraneo/Air Nostrum in Valencia. In May 1997 Air Nostrum signed an agreement with Iberia to become an Iberia franchise. It acquired Iberia subsidiary Binter Mediterraneo and absorbed its operations. Following Iberia's merger with Aviaco in 1999 additional domestic and international services were taken over by Air Nostrum. It acquired Dutch airline Denim Air in 1999, but disposed of any interest in the company in 2002. Air Nostrum is owned by Nefinsa (74.8%), Caja Duero (22.2%) and Air Nostrum management (3%) and has 2,040 employees (in March 2007).

Destinations

Air Nostrum operates the following services (as of September 2008):

*flagicon|Algeria Oran
*flagicon|Austria Vienna
*flagicon|Belgium Brussels
*flagicon|France Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Lyon, Marseilles, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Rennes, Strasbourg, Toulouse
*flagicon|Germany Frankfurt
*flagicon|Italy Bologna, Genoa, Naples, Pisa, Turin, Venice [seasonal]
*flagicon|Morocco Casablanca, Tanger
*flagicon|Netherlands Amsterdam
*flagicon|Portugal Lisbon, Porto
*flagicon|Spain Albacete, Alicante, Almeria, Arrecife, Asturias, Badajoz, Barcelona, Bilbao, Burgos, Ciudad Real, Fuerteventura, Granada, Ibiza, La Coruña, La Palma, Gran Canaria, León, Logroño, Madrid, Málaga, Melilla, Menorca, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, Pamplona, San Sebastian, Santander, Salamanca, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Tenerife, Valencia, Valladolid, Vigo, Vitoria and Zaragoza.

Services

Air Nostrum offers a comprehensive meal service on all scheduled flights. However, since early 2008, the airline no longer offers a single 'regional business class' cabin. The cabin is now split into separate business and economy sections along the lines of other major airlines. Economy passengers still receive a complimentary snack suitable to the time of day, but of reduced quantity and, arguably, quality than previously.

Incidents and accidents

On 23 January 2007 Air Nostrum flight IB 8041 from Pamplona to Barcelona was forced to make an emergency landing at El Prat after reporting problems with the front undercarriage on the plane, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q300. The plane had to make an emergency landing, but fortunately nobody was hurt. The following day flight IB 8665 from Valladolid also had to make an emergency landing at the same airport due again to problems with the plane's undercarriage. Two of the forty passengers sustained minor injuries while disembarking from the plane, a Bombardier CRJ-200ER.Fact|date=April 2007

Fleet

The Air Nostrum fleet includes the following aircraft (as of 23 September 2008) [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=YW&al_op=1] :

*5 ATR 72-500
*35 Bombardier CRJ-200ER
*11 Bombardier CRJ-900 (plus 9 on order)
*15 Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 (seven aircraft are operated by Denim Air)

Air Nostrum average fleet age is 4.5 years (July 2006). [ [http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Air%20Nostrum.htm Air Nostrum Fleet Age] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.airnostrum.es/home.asp?idioma=2 Air Nostrum]