Luxair

Luxair

IATA ICAO Callsign LG LGL LUXAIR
Founded	1962
Hubs	Luxembourg Findel Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Miles & More
Fleet size	17
Destinations	64
Company slogan	Fly in good company
Headquarters	Sandweiler, Luxembourg
Key people	Adrien Ney, CEO
Website	luxair.lu

Luxair, legally Luxair S.A., Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne, is the flag carrier airline of Luxembourg with its headquarters and homebase at Luxembourg Findel Airport in Sandweiler.^[1][2] 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.

History

Luxair's first aircraft was this Fokker F27 Friendship, pictured here in 1966.

A former Luxair Boeing 747SP

A former Luxair Boeing 737-500

Descended from Luxembourg Airlines, founded in 1948, Luxair was starting to be set up in 1961 to meet the growing demand for air links between Luxembourg and other European cities. In 1962, Luxembourg Airlines became Luxair and began flights by launching a Luxembourg–Paris route with a Fokker F27 Friendship. From 1964 to 1969, Luxair operated three Lockheed L-1649A Starliner aircraft in a co-operative agreement with Trek Airways, from Luxembourg to Johannesburg. The Starliners were painted in Luxair livery and were registered in Luxembourg.^[3] By 1967, Luxair's fleet consisted of three Fokker F27 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 Sud Aviation Caravelle. The first Boeing aircraft, a 737–200, joined the fleet in 1977.|reason=Apart from there being no source provided for the information in these two sentences, the information about the first Boeing being a 737-200 in 1977 is contradicted by a source stating the airline had a Boeing 707 in 1970.

Over the years, Luxair gradually introduced further jet aircraft: Boeing 747SPs (for routes to South Africa), Boeing 737–400s and Boeing 737–500s; as well as Fokker 50 turboprops and Embraer jets. In March 2003, Luxair ordered two new Boeing 737–700s to replace its older Boeing aircraft. The first of the new aircraft was delivered on 18 February 2004. A third aircraft was ordered in August 2003 and delivered in January 2005.

In an effort to move to an all-jet fleet, the last Fokker 50 aircraft was withdrawn from service in April 2005. The rising cost of oil made operating regional jets increasingly difficult. To lessen its exposure, Luxair decided to reintroduce turboprop aircraft, and in June 2006 it signed a firm order with Bombardier Aerospace for three Dash 8-Q400s, plus three options. The last of the three aircraft was delivered in September 2007. Two additional Q400s were ordered later.

In October 2008, Luxair decided to place an order for its first Boeing 737–800. This aircraft replaced the last Boeing 737–500 in Luxair's fleet and facilitated Luxair's offer on its holiday destinations. In 2009, the airline was awarded as the most punctual scheduled operator at London City Airport during 2008 by Flight on Time, based on CAA statistics.^[4] In 2011 Luxair carried 1,302,771 passengers.^[5]

In 2013 and 2014, two new Boeing 737-800s fitted with the brand new Boeing Sky Interior became part of the fleet, which enabled Luxair to retire the last Boeing 737-500 from service.

In July 2015, Luxair's minority shareholder Lufthansa announced it would sell its 13 percent stake in the airline that it had held since 1993. The government of Luxembourg was named as the preferred buyer.^[6] In November 2015, the sale was finalized when Lufthansa sold its entire stake to the state of Luxembourg.^[7] Luxair also announced it would stop flying its route to Frankfurt Airport previously operated on a codeshare with Lufthansa as the latter started the same route itself.^[8] Luxair is still part of the Lufthansa frequent flyer program Miles & More.

Corporate affairs

Ownership

As of November 2015, after Lufthansa sold its shares, the airline is owned by the State of Luxembourg (52.04%), Banque et Caisse d'Épargne de l'État (21.81%), Banque Internationale à Luxembourg (13.14%), the Luxair Group and others (13.11%).^[9] In total, the State of Luxembourg owns 74.98% of the company through various state-owned corporations and through its holding of 10% of Banque Internationale à Luxembourg.

Business trends

The key trends for Luxair Group over recent years are shown below (as at year ending 31 December):

Destinations

Codeshare agreements

Luxair has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:^[15]

Fleet

Current fleet

Luxair Bombardier Dash 8 Q400

Luxair Boeing 737-800

As of December 2016, the Luxair fleet consists of the following aircraft:^[16]

Historic fleet

Accidents and incidents

• On 22 December 1969, a Vickers Viscount (registration LX-LGC) arriving from Frankfurt Airport, Germany, hit a snowbank on the runway while landing at Luxembourg Findel Airport in severe weather. No passengers were killed, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It was scrapped in May 1970.^[18]
• On 6 November 2002, Luxair Flight 9642, a Fokker 50 (registration LX-LGB) incoming from Berlin, Germany, crashed in a field near the village of Niederanven during its final approach to Luxembourg Findel Airport. Twenty passengers and two crew-members died, including artist Michel Majerus. Only the pilot in command and one passenger survived. This is the only fatal accident in Luxair's history.
• On 30 September 2015, Luxair Flight 9562, operated by a Bombardier Q400, was taking off from Saarbrücken Airport when the first officer retracted the landing gear prior to the aircraft lifting off. The aircraft collapsed onto its belly and came to a stop on the runway.^[19] The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and Luxair ordered a replacement Q400 to be delivered in August 2016.

References

External links

Media related to Luxair at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website