Blue Air

Blue Air
Founded	2004
Commenced operations	2004
Operating bases	Bacău International Airport; Iași International Airport; Larnaca International Airport; Turin Airport;
Hubs	Henri Coandă International Airport
Frequent-flyer program	My Blue
Fleet size	19
Destinations	57
Headquarters	Bucharest, Romania
Key people	Oana Petrescu, CEO
Revenue	€495 million (2018)
Operating income	-€32.3 million (2017)
Employees	1250
Website	www.flyblueair.com

Blue Air is a Romanian airline headquartered in Bucharest,[2] with its hub at Henri Coandă International Airport. It is the largest Romanian airline by scheduled passengers flown.[3] In 2017, Blue Air carried over 5 million passengers, a 40% increase over the 3.6 million passengers flown the previous year.[4] As of February 2019, Blue Air flies to 57 scheduled destinations.

History

Founded by Nelu Iordache,[5] Blue Air started operating in December 2004. Blue Air initially operated domestic and international flights, although domestic services were soon discontinued due to low sales and competition from TAROM, as well as Căile Ferate Române, the Romanian rail company. Blue Air resumed domestic operations in 2015, starting with Bucharest-Iasi flights, followed by further routes in 2016.

On 12 April 2013, Blue Air's management announced that the airline was for sale.[6] On 17 May 2013, the company was purchased by four Romanian shareholders, and BlueAir Transport Aerian SA's flight operations were transferred to Blue Air – Airline Management Solution SRL, a company that bailed the business out with EUR 30 million.[7] In 2015, Blue Air reported a net profit of EUR 6 million, contrasting to the company's loss of EUR 400,000 in 2014.[8]

The airline transported 1.5 million passengers in 2014, an increase from the 1.35 million passengers in 2013.[9] In 2015, the airline transported for the first time more than 2 million passengers.[10] With a total of 25 new routes announced for 2016, the airline forecasts carrying close to three million passengers in 2016.[11]

Blue Air became a full member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on 19 January 2016.[12] Furthermore, Blue Air received the IATA Operational Safety Audit certification in December 2015,[13] and is a member of the IATA Clearing House).[14]

In March 2017, Blue Air started a base in Liverpool John Lennon Airport, operating to 8 destinations across Europe. Blue Air also created a 'welcome to Liverpool' Livery for their Boeing 737-800 Aircraft (YR-BMH).[15] This aircraft included slogans such as 'Cool city, Warm welcome' and 'Liverpool Music city' to help use the aircraft to promote its new base in Liverpool, England, by flying this logo jet across Europe. This aircraft is also the only full special livery aircraft within the Blue Air fleet. In July 2017, Blue Air exchanged the aircraft in Larnaca International Airport, Cyprus, for a smaller Boeing 737-700 aircraft.

Since November 2017, with the entry into force of the Territorial Continuity in Sardinia, Blue Air connects the Alghero airport with the Rome-Fiumicino Airport, route operated in the past by Alitalia. The airline, following a conference held at Alghero Airport in early November, announced that the Riviera del Corallo became his fourth international base of operations, after those in Torino, Liverpool and Larnaca. In January 2018, Blue Air launched a new subsidiary in Czech Republic, known as Blue Air Moravia. The airline should have commenced operations in March 2018, however, this will likely not happen due to some issues between the company and the Czech authorities.[16]

In 2018 the legal status of the company was changed, from a limited liability company to a joint-stock company; it also changed its legal name to Blue Air Aviation SA.[17] In that same year (2018), Civil Aviation Group (a joint venture between Moldovan investors and Blue Air) won the privatization process of Moldova's airline, Air Moldova, for the sum of 50 millions MDL (2.56 million EUR). Civil Aviation Group took over Air Moldova's debts, worth 1.2 billion Moldovan lei (61 million euro).[18]

Business trends

	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Turnover (€m)	24	50	95	124	140	150	149	137	135	148	199	291	412	495
Net profit (€m)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	(0.3)	5.9	(26)	(32)	(31)
Number of passengers (m)	-	-	-	1.1	1.72	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.37	1.6	2.05	3.6	5.1	5.2
Number of aircraft (at year end)	3	4	5	6	10	8	8	8	8	11	15	24	29	25
Notes/sources	[19][20]	[19][20]	[19]	[19]	[19]	[19]	[19]	[19]	[19][21]	[19][22][23]	[22][7][23]	[23][22]	[23]	[23]

Operations

Bases

Blue Air has used Bucharest as its primary hub for most of its history. Initially, the airline's hub was located at the Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (Băneasa), until the airport became overcrowded and was increasingly surrounded by urban development. This fact led to the airport's closure for commercial airlines in 2012. (The airport was not closed officially, but the operating taxes for airlines were suddenly increased until no airline could afford them.[24]) As a result, all airlines moved their operations to Bucharest's largest airport, the Henri Coandă International Airport (Otopeni). The company uses this airport as its primary hub. As of May 2019, the other bases of Blue Air are:[25]

Cyprus

Larnaca International Airport (2 aircraft) since January 2015.[26][27]

Italy

Turin Airport (2 aircraft).

Romania

Bacău International Airport (2 aircraft).[28]
Cluj International Airport (1 aircraft), the second largest airport in Romania.
Iaşi International Airport (2 aircraft).

A base maintained at Liverpool John Lennon Airport since March 2017[29] was closed in February 2019, as well as the base at Alghero–Fertilia Airport which was inaugurated in 2017[30][31] and closed in April 2019.[32] The base at Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport, which was maintained since April 2017[33] closed in 2019 as well.

Destinations

As of February 2019, Blue Air offers flights to 57 scheduled destinations in Belgium, Cyprus, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Daily domestic services are also provided, from Bucharest to Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, and Timișoara. There are additional seasonal charters operated on behalf of tour operators.

Codeshare agreements

Blue Air codeshares with the following airlines:

Alitalia
Cyprus Airways

Fleet

Blue Air Boeing 737-400

Blue Air Boeing 737-800

Current fleet

As of December 2019, the Blue Air fleet consists of the following aircraft:[34][35]

Blue Air Fleet
Aircraft	In Service	Orders	Passengers	Notes
Boeing 737-300	2	—	148	To be retired.[36]
Boeing 737-500	6	—	120
Boeing 737-500	6	—	126
Boeing 737-700	—	1[37]	148
Boeing 737-800	10	—	189	One in City of Liverpool livery, One in Carol I – King of Romania livery
Boeing 737 MAX 8	1	6[38]	189	YR-MXA grounded due to Boeing 737 MAX groundings[39]
Total	19	7

Historical fleet

Aircraft	Number	Introduced	Retired	Notes
Boeing 737-700	1	2015	2019	[40]
Saab 2000	1	2009	2009	[40] Leased from Carpatair

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