Aero Asia International

Last updated
Aero Asia
Aero Asia logo.png
IATA ICAO Callsign
E4RSOAERO ASIA
Founded1993
Commenced operations4 May 1993
Ceased operations19 March 2007
Hubs Jinnah International Airport
Secondary hubs Allama Iqbal International Airport
Focus cities
Destinations16
HeadquartersShahrah-e-Liaquat, Karachi-74000, Sindh, Pakistan
Key peopleEbrahim Tabani
Website aeroasia.com (archives)

Aero Asia International (commonly known as AeroAsia) was a Pakistani airline based in Karachi, Pakistan from 1993 until its collapse on 19 May 2007. [1]

Contents

Founded in 1993 by Tabani Group of Investors a Memon business house, [2] Aero Asia started its operations as a scheduled passenger and cargo air service to its domestic and international destinations in Gulf states. [3] Aero Asia was noted as a Low-cost carrier with wide usage of jet aircraft and jumbo jets. [4] In 2006, Aero Asia was acquired by the British Regal Group from the Tabani Investors but soon failed to provide safety guidelines to its customers. [5]

The managerial, corporate management issues, and financial problems led to the airline's suspension by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on 10 May 2007. [6] Its previous management's issues relating to the operating compliance on CAA terms and its customer's safety guidelines failed to respond to repeated warnings over a lengthy period. [6] Despite speculations on resuming its operations, the Aero Asia's corporate office's spokesperson confirmed its financial collapse. [7]

History

A Boeing 737-200Adv operated by the airline. Here the aircraft is seen wearing a Boeing/Aero Asia hybrid scheme AeroAsia-737-200-80390.jpg
A Boeing 737-200Adv operated by the airline. Here the aircraft is seen wearing a Boeing/Aero Asia hybrid scheme

Aero Asia International (Pvt) Ltd. was established and founded by the Tabani Group of Companies in 1993 who benefited with the privatisation programme in 1993. [8] Aero Asia started its aerial operations on 4 May 1993. [8] The Aero Asia made a promising start after employing former managerial and corporate staff of Pakistan International Airlines, and hired a flurry of former pilots of the PAF and the Navy. [8] On immediate basis, the Aero Asia's corporate contracted two Romanian Airlines aircraft for wet-lease and lease-purchase of the BAC 1-11. Operations were started with a wet-leased BAC 1-11 from the VIP fleet of Romania operated by Romanian Airlines, a sister company of the Romanian Air Force.

This fleet was primarily used by Romanian government dignitaries during Nicolae Ceaușescu's period. However, the post Ceaușescu governments decided to earn a little money by leasing this fleet to other commercial operators. Later, Aero Asia obtained four BAC 1-11s on lease purchase option from TAROM, the national airline of Romania.

The airline in its initial years, made serious commitments to training its locally hired staff, following the example of PIA and in line with requirements of the local civil aviation authority. A small training school was also founded to train members of the cabin crew. Former Pakistan Air Force pilots were recruited. They began flying as co-pilots with the Romanian Pilots.

In 1994, Aero Asia took the usual step for a private airline in Pakistan by recruitment of ex - Airmen from Pakistan Air Force and a batch of trainees for aircraft maintenance, announcing that a fully functional aircraft maintenance facility was planned. Senior retired staff from the PIA training center were employed and approval of the training school from the local civil aviation authority was sought.

Aero Asia started its international operation on a route to Bishkek, in Central Asia. For this purpose another aircraft from the VIP fleet of Romania, a Boeing 707 was leased. The move to shift international operations to central Asian ex-USSR states was supposed to help the other businesses of Tabani Group in penetrating the countries. Later, Aero Asia started flying to the Gulf Emirate of Sharjah, linking to Dubai via road network. It also established a small maintenance facility in Sharjah Airport Free Zone by taking over a small aircraft hangar and offering services to third parties.

Destinations

Aero Asia International served the following, some routes were ended much before closure:

CountryCityAirportStatusRefs
Flag of Kyrgyzstan (2023).svg  Kyrgyzstan Bishkek Manas International Airport [9]
Flag of Oman.svg  Oman Muscat Muscat International Airport [10]
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan Faisalabad Faisalabad International Airport [9]
Islamabad Islamabad International Airport Focus city [9]
Karachi Jinnah International Airport Hub [9]
Lahore Allama Iqbal International Airport Hub
Multan Multan International Airport [9]
Pasni Pasni Airport [9]
Peshawar Bacha Khan International Airport Focus city [9]
Quetta Quetta International Airport Focus city
Sukkur Sukkur Airport [9]
Flag of Qatar.svg  Qatar Doha Doha International Airport
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi International Airport
Al Ain Al Ain International Airport
Dubai Dubai International Airport Focus city
Sharjah Sharjah International Airport

Fleet

An Aero Asia McDonnell Douglas MD-83 flying at Dubai International Airport in 2005 McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (DC-9-83), Aero Asia AN0757438.jpg
An Aero Asia McDonnell Douglas MD-83 flying at Dubai International Airport in 2005

The company returned the aircraft being operated on 19 May 2007 under wet lease arrangements to the lessors and was negotiating to acquire a fleet of five 737-300 aircraft under funding arrangements concordant with the 2007 Draft National Aviation Policy for Pakistan.

Over the years Aero Asia operated these aircraft: [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

Martinair is a Dutch cargo and former passenger airline headquartered and based at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and a subsidiary of Air France–KLM. The airline was founded in 1958 by Martin Schröder. Since 2011, Martinair has operated entirely as a cargo airline with scheduled services to 20 destinations worldwide and additional charter flights. Prior to that date, passenger flights were also operated.

Aerovías de México, S.A. de C.V. operating as Aeroméxico, is the flag carrier of Mexico, based in Mexico City. It operates scheduled services to more than 90 destinations in Mexico; North, South and Central America; the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. Its main base and hub is located in Mexico City, with secondary hubs in Guadalajara and Monterrey. The headquarters is in the Torre MAPFRE on Paseo de la Reforma.

North American Airlines, Inc., was an American airline with its headquarters at the HLH Building in Peachtree City, Georgia in Greater Atlanta, United States. Prior to May 2008, it operated scheduled international services from the U.S. to Africa and Guyana. Later it operated domestic and international charter services and wet lease services. Its main aircraft and maintenance base was Tampa International Airport.

Malaysia Airlines Berhad, branded and operating as Malaysia Airlines, is the flag carrier of Malaysia. The airline is headquartered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Malaysia Airlines flies to destinations across Europe, Oceania and Asia from its main hub at Kuala Lumpur International Airport as well as a secondary hub at Kota Kinabalu International Airport. Malaysia Airlines Berhad is formerly known as Malaysian Airline System.

TAROM is the flag carrier and oldest currently operating airline of Romania, based in Otopeni near Bucharest. Its headquarters and its main hub are at Henri Coandă International Airport. It is currently the first and largest airline operating in Romania based on international destinations, international flights and the second-largest measured by fleet size and passengers carried.

Pakistan International Airlines is an international airline which is the government-owned flag carrier of Pakistan. Its primary hub is Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, while Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore and Islamabad International Airport serve as secondary hubs.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines commonly known as Biman is the national flag carrier of Bangladesh. With its main hub at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the airline also operates flights from its secondary hubs at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and as well as Osmani International Airport in Sylhet. The airline provides international passenger and cargo services to multiple destinations and has air service agreements in 42 countries. The headquarters of the airline, Balaka Bhaban, is located in Kurmitola, in the northern part of Dhaka. Annual Hajj flights, transporting tourists, migrants, and non-resident Bangladeshi workers and the activities of its subsidiaries form an integral part of the corporate business of the airline. Bangladesh's air transport sector, which is experiencing an 8% annual growth rate thanks to a large number of outbound tourists, domestic tourists, and non-resident Bangladeshi travellers, is very competitive with stiff competition among some private Bangladeshi airlines as well as Biman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BAC One-Eleven</span> British short-range jet airliner

The BAC One-Eleven is an early jet airliner produced by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Originally conceived by Hunting Aircraft as a 30-seat jet, before its merger into BAC in 1960, it was launched as an 80-seat airliner with a British United Airways (BUA) order on 9 May 1961. The prototype conducted its maiden flight on 20 August 1963, and it was first delivered to BUA on 22 January 1965. The 119-seat, stretched 500 series was introduced in 1967. Total production amounted to 244 until 1982 in the United Kingdom and between 1982 and 1989 in Romania where nine Rombac One-Elevens were licence-built by Romaero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf Air</span> Flag carrier of Bahrain

Gulf Air is the flag carrier of Bahrain, which was founded in 1950. Headquartered in Muharraq, the airline operates scheduled flights to 61 destinations in 30 countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe. The airline's main hub is at Bahrain International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Namibia</span> Former flag carrier of Namibia

Air Namibia (Pty) Limited, which traded as Air Namibia, was the national airline of Namibia, headquartered in the country's capital, Windhoek. It operated scheduled domestic, regional, and international passenger and cargo services, having its international hub in Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport and a domestic hub at the smaller Windhoek Eros Airport. As of December 2013, the carrier was wholly owned by the Namibian government. Air Namibia was a member of both the International Air Transport Association and the African Airlines Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JALways</span> Defunct charter airline of Japan (1990–2010)

JALways Co., Ltd. (JAZ), formerly Japan Air Charter Co., Ltd., was an international airline registered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan, with its headquarters and its main hub at Narita International Airport. The airline had a secondary hub at Osaka's Kansai International Airport. Its operations included scheduled and non-scheduled international passenger services to 15 high-density low yield tourist destinations in nine countries using a fleet of Boeing only aircraft wet-leased from Japan Airlines.

Omni Air International, LLC. is a United States charter airline headquartered in Hangar 19 on the grounds of Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. It's specialized in passenger charter flights and Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) wet leasing. Omni Air International is a member of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet as a long-range international carrier. Omni Air International is a FAA Part 121 certificated airline with IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registration.

Lufthansa Cargo AG is a German cargo airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa. It operates worldwide air freight and logistics services and is headquartered at Frankfurt Airport, the main hub of Lufthansa. Besides operating dedicated cargo planes, the company also has access to cargo capacities of 350 passenger aircraft of the Lufthansa Group.

Kam Air is the largest private Afghan airline. Founded in 2003, Kam Air has twelve aircraft and a workforce of over 1,200 people, operating scheduled domestic passenger services throughout Afghanistan and international services to destinations in Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. Its hub is at Kabul International Airport in the capital Kabul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhoja Air</span> Former Pakistani airline

Bhoja Air was a Pakistani airline based in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.

Ryan International Airlines, Inc. was an American FAR 121 airline with domestic, flag, and supplemental authority.

Austrian Airlines AG, often shortened to Austrian or AUA, is the flag carrier of Austria and a subsidiary of Lufthansa, the flag carrier of the Federal Republic of Germany. The airline is headquartered on the grounds of Vienna International Airport in Schwechat where it also maintains its hub. As of July 2016, the airline flew to six domestic and more than 120 international year-round and seasonal destinations in 55 countries and is a member of the Star Alliance.

Myanmar Airways International Co., Ltd. is a privately owned airline headquartered in Yangon, Myanmar. It operates scheduled international services to destinations mainly in Southeast Asia and is based at Yangon International Airport. Myanmar Airways International was the sponsor of the 2013 Southeast Asian Games. MAI's logo shows pyinsarupa, a traditional Burmese chimeric animal.

Copa Airlines Colombia is a commercial passenger airline founded and registered under the corporate name of AeroRepública S.A. in November 1992, and is the second airline in Colombia for international passengers carried after Avianca and the third in total traffic. It covers national and international destinations from the El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá and from the main cities of Colombia. As of October 5, 2010, the airline used the trade name of Copa Airlines Colombia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AerSale</span> Aviation Company

AerSale, Inc. is a Doral, Florida-based global supplier of aftermarket commercial jet aircraft, engines, used materials, and aeronautical engineering services to passenger and cargo airlines, government, multinational original equipment manufacturers, and independent MROs. AerSale is a member of the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association.

References

  1. ↑ "Airlines of Pakistan". Airlines history. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "Introduction of Tabani Group". Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Infrastructure". Pakistan Country Study Guide Strategic Information and Developments. Intl Business Pubns USA. 2012. ISBN   978-1438775258.
  4. ↑ Sola, Dean Stahl, Karen Kerchelich; originated by Ralph De (2001). Abbreviations dictionary (10th ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Pressnne. ISBN   0788126210.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Ahmed, Staff Reporter, Ashfaq (14 June 2006). "Airlines accused of cashing in on Aero Asia's closure". Ashfaq Ahmed, Staff Reporter. Gulf News, 2006. Gulf News. Archived from the original on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Aero Asia International Airlines Suspended". Aviation Today. 10 March 2007. Archived from the original on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  7. ↑ Diala, Criselda E (13 May 2007). "Aero Asia offers refund of tickets". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International . 2007-03-27. p. 46.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Destinations list 1998
  10. ↑ "Route map". Archived from the original on 2013-03-04. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  11. ↑ "Aero Asia International Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.