Luxair

Luxair (Luxair Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne SA) is the flag carrier airline of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It operates scheduled services to 50 destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East, plus charter and seasonal summer services. Its main base is Luxembourg-Findel International Airport.^[1]

History

Descended from the Luxembourg Airlines Company, founded in 1948, Luxair was set up in 1961 to meet the growing demand for air links between Luxembourg and other European cities.

In 1962, Luxair began flights by launching a Luxembourg-Paris route with a Fokker F27 Friendship. By 1967, Luxair's fleet consisted of three Fokker Friendships and one Vickers Viscount. The latter was written off in a non-fatal accident in 1969 and replaced the following year by the airline's first jet airliner, a Caravelle built by Sud Aviation in Toulouse. The first Boeing aircraft, a Boeing 737-200, joined the fleet in 1977. Over the years, Luxair gradually introduced further jet aircraft Boeing 747SP, Boeing 737-400 and Boeing 737-500 as well as Fokker 50 turbo-props and Embraer jets. The Fokker 50 aircraft are no longer in service, having being replaced on most routes by the Embraers or the Bombardier.

In 2003, Luxair ordered two new Boeing 737-700 to replace its older planes. The first of the new aircraft was delivered on 18 February 2004.

The airline is owned by the Luxembourg Government (23.1%), Banque et Caisse d'Épargne de l'État (13.4%), Luxair Group and others (13.2%), Dexia/BIL (13.1%), Lufthansa (13%), Fortis Banque Luxembourg (12.1%) and Panalpina World Transport (12.1%). It had 2,210 employees (at March 2007)^[1]

Destinations

Main article: Luxair destinations

Incidents and accidents

Boeing 737-500 in old livery

Embraer ERJ 145 in old livery

Embraer ERJ 145 in current livery

• On 22 December 1969, a Vickers Viscount (LX-LGC) arriving from Frankfurt hit a snowbank on the runway while landing at Luxembourg airport in severe weather. No passengers where killed, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It was scrapped in May 1970. ^[2]

• On 6 November 2002 Luxair Flight 9642, a Fokker 50 flying from Berlin, Germany, crashed in a field near the village of Niederanven during its final approach to Luxembourg airport, killing 20 passengers and crew. This was Luxair’s first fatal accident.

Fleet

The Luxair fleet includes the following aircraft (at November 2007)^[1] :

References

External links

• Official website

Airlines of Luxembourg Cargolux · Luxair · Luxaviation