History
Minerva Airlines centered its operations in Northern Italy, maintaining a primary hub in Milan with additional services originating from the southeastern city of Bari. From 1996, Minerva utilised Crotone as a base, which was previously considered as a USAF base. [2] A new route added in 1997 was from Lamezia Terme, offering free fares to disabled users who were travelling for specialist care in Bologna funded by Catanzaro Red Cross. [3] In April 1998, Minerva considered legal action against Debonair and the local Italian government for utilizing route subsidization from proposed flights out of the Reggio Calabria. By October 1998, the carrier’s network was notable for its lack of service to Rome, focusing instead on regional connectivity. [4] At its height, the airline operated a fleet of eight Dornier 328-110 aircraft, many of which were utilized under a codeshare agreement with the national flag carrier, Alitalia. [5] [6] [7]
The company’s operations came to a halt on 25 October 2003, when it was forced to suspend all flights due to bankruptcy. In the wake of its collapse, several attempts were made to revive the carrier as a regional partner. In March 2004, reports emerged suggesting that Minerva might resume operations using ATR 42 aircraft to fly regional routes for Alitalia. [8] These discussions expanded to include a potential takeover by Alitalia, which would have seen Minerva manage the existing turboprop fleet of Alitalia Express. By June 2004, plans progressed toward a wet-lease arrangement involving up to seven ATR 42-300s intended for the summer season, though the airline ultimately did not return to service.
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