Blue Air is a Romanian low-cost airline headquartered in Bucharest, with its hub at Henri Coandă International Airport. It is the largest Romanian airline by scheduled passengers flown. In 2017, Blue Air carried over 5 million passengers, a 40% increase over the 3.6 million passengers flown the previous year. As of February 2019, Blue Air flies to 57 scheduled destinations.
Founded by Nelu Iordache, Blue Air started operating in December 2004. Blue Air initially operated domestic and international flights, although domestic services were soon discontinued due to low sales and competition from TAROM, as well as Căile Ferate Române, the Romanian rail company. Blue Air resumed domestic operations in 2015, starting with Bucharest-Iasi flights, followed by further routes in 2016.
On 12 April 2013, Blue Air's management announced that the airline was for sale. On 17 May 2013, the company was purchased by four Romanian shareholders, and BlueAir Transport Aerian SA's flight operations were transferred to Blue Air – Airline Management Solution SRL, a company that bailed the business out with EUR 30 million. In 2015, Blue Air reported a net profit of EUR 6 million, contrasting to the company's loss of EUR 400,000 in 2014.
The airline transported 1.5 million passengers in 2014, an increase from the 1.35 million passengers in 2013. In 2015, the airline transported for the first time more than 2 million passengers. With a total of 25 new routes announced for 2016, the airline forecasts carrying close to three million passengers in 2016.
Blue Air became a full member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on 19 January 2016. Furthermore, Blue Air received the IATA Operational Safety Audit certification in December 2015, being a member of the IATA Clearing House).
In March 2017, Blue Air started a base in Liverpool John Lennon Airport, operating to 8 destinations across Europe. Blue Air also created a 'welcome to Liverpool' Livery for their Boeing 737-800 Aircraft (YR-BMH). This aircraft included slogans such as 'Cool city, Warm welcome' and 'Liverpool Music city' to help use the aircraft to promote its new base in Liverpool, England, by flying this logo jet across Europe. This aircraft is also the only full special livery aircraft within the Blue Air fleet. In July 2017, Blue Air exchanged the aircraft in Larnaca International Airport, Cyprus, for a smaller Boeing 737-700 aircraft.
Since November 2017, with the entry into force of the Territorial Continuity in Sardinia, Blue Air connects the Alghero airport with the Rome-Fiumicino Airport, a route operated in the past by Alitalia. The airline, following a conference held at Alghero Airport in early November, announced that the Riviera del Corallo became his fourth international base of operations, after those in Torino, Liverpool and Larnaca. In January 2018, Blue Air launched a new subsidiary in the Czech Republic, known as Blue Air Moravia. The airline should have commenced operations in March 2018, however, this will likely not happen due to some issues between the company and the Czech authorities.
In 2018 the legal status of the company was changed, from a limited liability company to a joint-stock company; it also changed its legal name to Blue Air Aviation SA. In that same year (2018), Civil Aviation Group (a joint venture between Moldovan investors and Blue Air) won the privatization process of Moldova's airline, Air Moldova, for the sum of 50 millions MDL (2.56 million EUR). Civil Aviation Group took over Air Moldova's debts, worth 1.2 billion Moldovan lei (61 million euro).
Blue Air has used Bucharest as its primary hub for most of its history. Initially, the airline's hub was located at the Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (Băneasa), until the airport became overcrowded and was increasingly surrounded by urban development. This fact led to the airport's closure for commercial airlines in 2012. (The airport was not closed officially, but the operating taxes for airlines were suddenly increased until no airline could afford them.) As a result, all airlines moved their operations to Bucharest's largest airport, Henri Coandă International Airport. The company uses this airport as its primary hub.
A base was maintained at Liverpool John Lennon Airport between March 2017[better source needed] and February 2019. They also had a base at Alghero–Fertilia Airport which was inaugurated in 2017 and closed in April 2019. The base at Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport, which was maintained since April 2017 closed in 2019 as well. The base at Larnaca International Airport closed in September 2020, the one at Iași International Airport shut down in November 2020.
As of February 2022, the other bases of Blue Air are located in Romania and Italy:
As of February 2021, Blue Air offers flights to 57 scheduled destinations. There are additional seasonal charters operated on behalf of tour operators.
Blue Air codeshares with the following airlines:
As of November 2021, the Blue Air fleet consists of the following Boeing aircraft:
Media related to Blue Air at Wikimedia Commons
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