| |||||||
| Founded | 1958 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 1980 | ||||||
| Focus cities | Milan Malpensa, Rome Fiumicino | ||||||
| Fleet size | 5 | ||||||
| Destinations | primarily to the Continent of North America | ||||||
| Headquarters | Roma via Cardinal Ginnasi, 12 | ||||||
Aeral (contraction of AERonautica ALessandrina) is a defunct private Italian airline, which used ex-Alitalia Douglas DC-8s.
It was founded in March 1958 at Alessandria in southern Piedmont by Maria Luisa Bottanelli. The company subsequently relocated its primary operational base to the Milan Malpensa airport. In its nascent years, it dedicated its operations to air taxi services, utilizing a fleet primarily composed of Cessna 421 aircraft.
However, in 1978, marking the twentieth anniversary of its existence, Aeral introduced a new line of business: international charter freight transportation. To facilitate this expansion, the airline commissioned a four-engine Douglas DC-8/54 jet. A second aircraft of the type leased from Overseas National Airways, was introduced in December 1979. Scheduled cargo flights officially commenced on 17 February 1979.
Despite its strategic expansion into long-haul air services, Aeral faced financial difficulties. These economic challenges ultimately compelled the carrier to discontinue all flight operations, a cessation which became final on 31 August 1980.
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aermacchi AL-60 | 1 | n/a | n/a | I-SATT [1] |
| Douglas DC-8-50 | 3 | 1978 | 1980 | I-ALEC, N9110V, OY-KDM[ citation needed ] |
| Cessna 421 Golden Eagle | 1 | n/a | n/a | I-MARS [2] |
