Air Luxor

Infobox Airline
airline = Air Luxor

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image_size =
IATA = LK
ICAO = LXR
callsign = AIRLUXOR
founded = 1988
ceased = 2006
hubs = Portela Airport
secondary_hubs =
focus_cities =
frequent_flyer =
lounge =
alliance =
subsidiaries =
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destinations =
parent =
company_slogan =
headquarters = Lisbon, Portugal
key_people = Vítor Pinto da Costa (President)
website = http://www.airluxor.com

Air Luxor was a scheduled airline based in Lisbon, Portugal. It had a limited range of scheduled flights. Its main base was Portela Airport, Lisbon. The airline ceased operations in October 2006.

History

Air Luxor was a privately owned Portuguese airline company, established in December 1988 by the Mirpuri family which at the time, owned a small fleet of private aircraft, At the end of the 1980s it was decided to transform the family's private aviation department into an airline company. In 1997 the company extended its operations to commercial aviation, first in the charter sector and then, in 2001, to the scheduled flight sector. In October 2003, a marketing concept called Air Luxor Light was introduced offering budget operations.

In 2005 it was planning to rebrand itself as Hifly within the next twelve months. It would only use the brand for its charter flights in a first phase [ [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/news.php CH-Aviation] 22 October 2005] .

In May 2006, it gave up its Lisbon - Paris Orly, Lisbon - Praia and Porto - Paris Orly routes and returned an Airbus A330 to the lessor. French airline, Aigle Azur, is reportedly considering taking over the ailing Portuguese carrier.

In July 2006 Air Luxor was sold to a group of Portuguese-Canadian investors, associated to the Longstock Financial Group. The sale included the entire capital of the Air Luxor holding company, which owns Air Luxor, Air Luxor STP (São Tomé) and Air Luxor GB (Guinea Bissau), as well as tour operator, Air Luxor Tours.

Air Luxor was sold to Longstock Financial Group. The Mirpuri family still own charter airline Hifly operating a single Airbus A330-300 while two Airbus A320-200s remain with Air Luxor. Both A320-200s had been temporarily grounded in September 2006 by the lessors because of unpaid leasing fees. The dispute was settled and Air Luxor was operational again [ [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/news.php CH-Aviation] 9 September 2006] .

In October 2006 Air Luxor was forced to suspend operations after its two A320-200s were repossessed again and its air operator certificate was revoked [ [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/news.php CH-Aviation] 10 November 2006] .

Former Fleet

*Airbus A319

*Airbus A320

*Airbus A330-200

*Airbus A330-300

*Boeing 767-300ER

*Lockheed L1011-500

Former Destinations

* Portugal
** Funchal (Madeira Airport)

* France
** (Orly Airport)

* Africa
** São Tomé (São Tomé International Airport) (Seasonal)

References