OLT Express Germany

Last updated

OLT Express Germany
OLT Express Germany logo.svg
IATA ICAO Callsign
S2OLTOLTRA
Founded1958 (as Ostfriesische Lufttaxi)
Ceased operations30 January 2013
Hubs
Fleet size15
Destinations10
Parent company Panta Holdings
Headquarters Bremen, Germany
Key peopleProf. Dr. Joachim Klein (CEO)
Websiteoltexpress.de

OLT Express Germany (formerly OLT Ostfriesische Lufttransport GmbH or OLT) was [1] [2] an airline based in Bremen in Germany. [3] The company moved to Bremen from Emden in February 2012. It operated regional scheduled and charter flights linking northern Germany to other parts of the country and Bremen to other European destinations. Its main base was Bremen Airport. [4]

Contents

History

Founding and first years

OLT was founded on 1 November 1958 by Martin Dekker and Jan Janssen as Ostfriesische Lufttaxi - Dekker und Janssen OHG, initially operating air taxi flights to islands in the North Sea from Emden. The first aircraft was a KZ VII from Skandinavisk Aero Industri A/S in Copenhagen. [5] In 1961 the airline hired its first own staff: a pilot and a 'groundstewardess'.

OLT had, by 1968, five aircraft and operated 13,174 flights. [5] After Janssen's death the company AGIV (Aktiengesellschaft für Verkehrswesen) and the shipping company Reederei Visser & van Doornums became 1970 new shareholders and the airlines was renamed into Ostfriesische Lufttaxi GmbH. A schedule service from Emden to Bremen and Hamburg was introduced then. [5] Soon later AGIV became the single shareholder of OLT and positioned the new CEO Christian Ulrich Baron von Kaltenborn-Stachau.

39 Years of operation as OLT - Ostfriesische Lufttransport

A Saab 2000 of OLT - Ostfriesische Lufttransport Saab 2000, OLT - Ostfriesische Lufttransport AN1232503.jpg
A Saab 2000 of OLT - Ostfriesische Lufttransport

In 1972 the airlines was renamed again, now into Ostfriesische Lufttransport GmbH (OLT) and Kaltenborn-Stachau took over 26%. Several new schedule services were introduced like from Kassel, Düsseldorf to Cologne/Bonn in 1973 and Hanover, Saarbrücken, Stuttgart, Münster/Osnabrück and Frankfurt in 1974. [5] For the regional airlines business strategy the company DLT (Deutsche Lufttransport-Gesellschaft mbH) was created and OLT was renamed into DLT Luftverkehrsgesellschaft. But soon later AGIV decided to split the Emden (OLT) operation away from DLT. This unit (Emden operation) was sold then to AG EMS and OLT restart its old core activities under its own name. [5] To ensure a flexible operation, especially in the charter sector, OLT organised 1976 a joint platform called OFD with the participating airlines OLT, FLN and Dollart GmbH. [5]

At the beginning 1990s, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the airlines faced an increase of their business activities. OLT started operations in the former East German provinces and 1990 took over Roland Air from Bremen. [6] In 1991 OLT set up a base in Bremen and started with its scheduled services there. In 1996 all OFD activities were integrated into OLT and therefore under the control of AG EMS. [5]

OLT is one of very few airlines that has succeeded in driving a low-cost rival off a route. In December 2005, easyJet started daily flights between Bristol and its base in Hamburg. OLT was operating twice-daily weekday-only services. The route being a predominantly business route, frequency won out over price and easyJet cancelled the route at the end of October 2006. [7]

OLT Express Germany

OLT announced on 4 August 2011 it would undergo major restructuring after losing its shuttle flights contract with Airbus Industries. Effective October 2011 all Fokker and Saab aircraft operations would stop and 100 of its 120 employees were to leave the company. Only the 'island-hopping' services from Emden to Heligoland and Borkum with small aircraft were to remain. [8] In August 2011, OLT was bought by a Polish shadow banking Ponzi scheme company Amber Gold, which also bought Polish regional carrier Jet Air and the Polish charter airline Yes Airways. These two Polish companies were combined under the brand OLT Express while OLT became OLT Express Germany. The island flights were taken over by a new independent company, OFD Ostfriesischer-Flug-Dienst.

OLT Express Germany completed the purchase of Contact Air in September 2012. The purchase included Contact Air's wet-lease contract to operate two aircraft on behalf of Swiss International Air Lines. The same week as the Contact Air purchase Amber Gold was reported to be experiencing financial difficulty and funding for the deal was in question. [9] [10] [11] On 27 July, the Polish OLT Express suspended all services without notice. [12]

In August 2012 Dutch company Panta Holdings announced it was buying OLT Germany from Amber Gold and also finalised the purchase of Contact Air. Panta also owns Denim Air and Maas Air Leasing. [13] Both subsidiaries own Fokker aircraft and Maas leased out two Fokker 100 to Contact Air. In December 2012 it was announced that the wet-lease contract with Swiss International Air Lines would not be renewed and was scheduled to conclude in March 2013.

OLT Express Germany ceased all operations on 27 January 2013 due to financial difficulties. [1] [2] The company filed for bankruptcy two days later. [14]

Destinations

OLT operated the following services (as of January 2013). Note that all island flights had been transferred to the independent company OFD Ostfriesischer-Flug-Dienst back in 2011.

Operated as OLT Express Germany

Operated for Swiss International Air Lines

Fleet

OLT Express Germany Fokker 100 OLT Express Fokker 100 (F-28-0100) D-AOLH (23390271522).jpg
OLT Express Germany Fokker 100

As of  2013 the OLT Express Germany fleet consisted of the following aircraft: [15]

AircraftTotalOrdersPassengersNotes
Fokker 100 10—100
Saab 2000 4—56
Saab 340 1—37
Total15—

Related Research Articles

Swiss International Air Lines AG, stylized as SWISS, is the flag carrier of Switzerland and a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, as well as a Star Alliance member. It operates scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Zurich Airport serves as its main hub and Geneva Airport as its secondary hub.

Luxair, legally Luxair S.A., Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne, is the flag carrier of Luxembourg with its headquarters and hub at Luxembourg Airport. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East with additional charter and seasonal services. It is Luxembourg's only passenger-carrying airline offering regular, non-charter service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fokker 100</span> Twin-engine airliner produced 1986–1998

The Fokker 100 is a regional jet that was produced by Fokker in the Netherlands. The Fokker 100 was based on the Fokker F28 with a fuselage stretched by 18.8 ft (5.7 m) to seat up to 109 passengers, up from 85. It is powered by two newer Rolls-Royce Tay turbofans, and it has an updated glass cockpit and a wider wing and tail for increased maximum weights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bremen Airport</span> Airport

Bremen Airport is the international airport of the city and state of Bremen in Northern Germany. It is located 3.5 km (2.2 mi) south of the city and handled 630,000 passengers in 2022. It mainly features flights to European metropolitan and leisure destinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DBA (airline)</span> Defunct low-cost airline of Germany (1992–2008)

DBA Luftfahrtgesellschaft mbH, founded as Delta Air and formerly branded as Deutsche BA, was a low-cost airline headquartered on the grounds of Munich Airport in a building within the municipality of Hallbergmoos, Germany. It operated scheduled domestic and international services and also operated charter flights for tour operators in Europe and North Africa.

Air Alps,, was an Austrian regional airline based in Innsbruck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fokker 50</span> Regional airliner by Fokker

The Fokker 50 is a turboprop-powered airliner manufactured and supported by Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. It was designed as an improved version of the successful Fokker F27 Friendship. The Fokker 60 is a stretched freighter version of the Fokker 50.

Darwin Airline SA was a Swiss regional airline with its head office in Bioggio, Lugano flying under the brand name Adria Airways Switzerland. It operated scheduled domestic and international services in some western European countries. It used the brand name Etihad Regional from January 2014 to July 2017, when Etihad Airways sold its 33% stake to the owner of Adria Airways. It previously also operated flights on behalf of Alitalia. Its bases were Geneva Airport and Lugano Airport.

Germania Fluggesellschaft mbH, trading as Germania, was a privately owned German airline with its headquarters in Berlin. It began by focusing on charter operations, then moved towards becoming a scheduled carrier, although some charter flights were still flown under the brand. The change in strategy led to growth over its last few years, and Germania operated to destinations in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from several German bases. It carried 2.5 million passengers in 2009 and had around 850 employees as of summer 2014. It declared bankruptcy on 4 February 2019 and it ceased operations on 5 February 2019.

InterSky, legally Intersky Luftfahrt GmbH, was an Austrian airline headquartered in Bregenz, which operated scheduled services from its base at Friedrichshafen Airport, Germany, to major cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as seasonal holiday flights to the Mediterranean from other airports. The airline ceased operations on the evening of 5 November 2015 due to financial difficulties.

Contact Air Flugdienst was a German regional airline from Filderstadt. With flight operations based at Stuttgart Airport, it operated scheduled passenger flights under the Lufthansa Regional brand.

Lufthansa CityLine GmbH is a German airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Munich Airport. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa and maintains hubs at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport, from where it operates a dense domestic and European network as a member of Lufthansa Regional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OLT Express</span> Defunct Polish airline

OLT Express Poland was a Polish charter airline, formally known as Yes Airways. On 31 July 2012 it suspended all charter services, less than a week after the scheduled sister airline OLT Express Regional cancelled all its services. Stranded customers were returned home on LOT services. All leased aircraft were repossessed by lessors, and even some wet lease pilots were released back to their employer airlines. Its sister airline, OLT Express Regional, filed for bankruptcy on 27 July 2012 after its licence was suspended by the Polish Aviation Authority.

Austrian Airlines AG, often shortened to Austrian or AUA, is the flag carrier of Austria and a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TUI fly Deutschland</span> Charter airline of Germany

TUI fly Deutschland, formerly TUIfly, is a German leisure airline owned by the travel and tourism company TUI Group. It is headquartered at Hannover Airport with bases at several other German airports. TUI fly Deutschland is part of TUI Group's airline unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deutsche Luft Hansa</span> 1926–1945 German flag carrier airline

Deutsche Luft Hansa A.G. was a German airline. It served as flag carrier of the country during the later years of the Weimar Republic and throughout Nazi Germany, when it had close links to the Nazi Party.

Robin Hood Aviation was an Austrian airline, operating from its homebase Graz and from Linz to Zurich. It operated also charter flights. Majority owners were the Austrian entrepreneurs Dr. Helmut Rieder and Dr. Raimund Pammer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamburg Airways</span> Former german airline

For the former airline, see Hamburg Airlines

OFD Ostfriesischer-Flug-Dienst GmbH, usually shortened to OFD, is a German regional airline headquartered in Emden and based at Emden Airport. It mainly operates charter and scheduled flights between the German North Sea coast and the East Frisian Islands, as well as to the island of Helgoland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norderney Airport</span> Airfield serving Norderney island, Lower Saxony, Germany

Norderney Airport is an airport on the island of Norderney in Lower Saxony, Germany. Having been opened in 1970, the airport is an integral part of the island's infrastructure, serving as a faster way to get onto or off the island compared to shipping and is available even when maritime traffic is suspended in the winter due to ice.

References

  1. 1 2 "Luftfahrt-Nachrichten und -Community". aero.de. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  2. 1 2 Austrian Aviation Net. "Austrian Aviation Net: Grounding bei OLT Express". Austrianaviation.net. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  3. ↑ "Imprint." (Archived 2 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine ) OLT. Retrieved on 4 August 2011. "OLT Express Germany GmbH Henrich-Focke-Strasse 6 28199 Bremen"
  4. ↑ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International . 10 April 2007. p. 58.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Archived 14 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ "OLT fliegt seit 40 Jahren nach Helgoland " Günstig, Urlaub, Reisen, Billig verreisen, Infos, Tipps und Ratgeber " Holidaystarter - News". Holidaystarter.com. 23 February 2007. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "OLT celebrates reaching 50 by acquiring its first jets for Airbus 'shuttle' flights". anna.aero. 19 September 2008.
  8. ↑ "OLT schrumpft zurück zum Inselhüpfer". Airliners.de. 26 July 2012. Archived from the original on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  9. ↑ "OLT Express podnosi ceny biletów i kasuje trasy. Ucieka przed bankructwem? - Transport - Gazeta Prawna - partner pracodawcy, narzędzie specjalisty". Serwisy.gazetaprawna.pl. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  10. ↑ "OLT Express raises prices and goes on sale". Biznes.onet.pl. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  11. ↑ Hofmann, Kurt (19 July 2012). "OLT Express Germany finalizes acquisition of Contact Air". ATWOnline. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  12. ↑ "OLT Express zawiesił do odwołania wszystkie swoje rejsy". Wyborcza.pl. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  13. ↑ "OLT Express Owner Sees Low Labor Costs Key To Profit". Aviationweek.com. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  14. ↑ "Luftfahrt-Nachrichten und -Community". aero.de. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  15. ↑ "OLT Express Germany Fleet Details and History - Planespotters.net Just Aviation". Planespotters.net. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012.

53°23′20″N7°13′43″E / 53.38893°N 7.22852°E / 53.38893; 7.22852

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.