Air One
Encyclopedia
Air One "Smart Carrier" is Alitalia
's LCC subsidiary based in Milan
Malpensa Airport
and headquartered in Fiumicino, Italy
. Before the merger with Alitalia, Air One was a competitor, the second largest airline in Italy, with a high-frequency scheduled network to 36 destinations in Italy, Europe and North America.
Its main bases were Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Linate Airport
in Milan
and Turin International Airport, all equipped with a dedicated Air One Lounge named Sala Welcome, which can still be used by Alitalia-CAI customers.
As of 31 December 2008, Air One is part of Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI), which has taken over Alitalia
and Air One as one whole company. As of 28 March 2010, Air One as Air One Smart Carrier has been relaunched as a low-cost airline to operate low fare flights from Milan Malpensa on behalf of Alitalia. Air One is now therefore considered different from Alitalia, even though it is still owned by Alitalia. As of 1 July 2011, Air One Smart Carrier will launch a base at Pisa Airport.
"Air One" is a portmanteau of the English meaning Air One and the Italian word 'airone', meaning heron
(the bird depicted in the logo), which is also the airline callsign.
in 1983 to operate as a flying school and provide air-taxi services and later regional scheduled services. In 1988 Gruppo Toto, one of the leading building and civil engineering groups in Italy, became the majority shareholder. With the acquisition of its first Boeing 737-200
in June 1994, Aliadriatica started scheduled and charter operations. On 27 April 1995 Aliadriatica began scheduled flights between Milan (Linate) and Brindisi and Reggio Calabria and Lamezia Terme.
On 23 November 1995, the new name Air One was adopted and the airline began operating scheduled flights between Rome
and Milan
. In 1996, the first full year of operations, 713,000 passengers were carried and the airline expanded rapidly thereafter.
In the year 2000 Air One announced a partnership with Lufthansa
and nearly all Air One flights became code-shared with Lufthansa
.
As from June 2006, regional destinations were served under the name Air One CityLiner
with the brand new fleet of Bombardier CRJ-900's.
In 2007, Air One carried approximately 5.5 million passengers (scheduled and charter), thus becoming the second largest Italian airline in terms of passenger traffic. 2007 revenues totaled EUR750 million ( million USD) with a net profit of EUR6.8 million ( million USD).
In August 2008, it was announced that Air One was to be merged with Alitalia. On 13 January 2009, Air One officially became part of Alitalia, though the two airlines were to be combined into one over time. A detailed integration plan was at that time yet to be announced.
On 28 March 2009, due to the merger with Alitalia, the cooperation between Lufthansa's Miles & More
and Air One ended. On 28 June 2009, also due to the Alitalia merger, the partnerships with United Airlines' Mileage Plus program and Air Canada's Aeroplan
program ended.
Later in 2009, the Alitalia and Air One booking procedures were unified so that the airlines effectively became the same.
Air One Smart Carrier is intended for leisure passengers, with close to Low Cost Carrier prices while still offering some extra services such as luggage transportation and seat assignment, contrasting it with other airlines such as EasyJet
(a competitor on many Air One S.C. routes). The new slogan is "Air One, my number One".
Air One codes will continue to be used for other flights within Italy (with the code AP2XXX, AP5XXX or AP6XXX, while the "low-fare" operations run under AP0XXX), but with normal Alitalia service, as happened before and happens with the codes of other CAI members (XM, VE).
In its first full quarter of operations, Air One Smart Carrier transported 320 000 passengers, with an on-time performance of 89%.
On 2 February 2011, Air One Smart Carrier released its expansion planned for the Summer 2011 season. It will launch several new seasonal flights, as well as two new yearly ones. It will also open an operational base at Pisa
, and with a single aircraft will fly to 8 destinations from Pisa Airport. Air One Smart Carrier hopes to carry 1,6 million passengers this year, compared to 0,9 million last year, and the launch of a new website is also expected soon.
Air One S.C. plans to have a fleet of 10 Airbus A320
aircraft by 2012. The Air One S.C. fleet has an average fleet age of 2.2 years.
The Air One fleet progression over the years:
Alitalia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
's LCC subsidiary based in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
Malpensa Airport
Malpensa Airport
Milano Malpensa Airport "City of Milan" , former "Aeroporto Città di Milano" is Milan's largest airport. It is located 39.97 km northwest of central Milan, Italy...
and headquartered in Fiumicino, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Before the merger with Alitalia, Air One was a competitor, the second largest airline in Italy, with a high-frequency scheduled network to 36 destinations in Italy, Europe and North America.
Its main bases were Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Linate Airport
Linate Airport
Linate Airport is one of the three major airports of Milan, Italy, along with Malpensa Airport and Orio al Serio Airport. Due to its closer proximity to Milan—it is east southeast of the city, compared with Malpensa, which is northwest of the city—it is mainly used for domestic and short-haul...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and Turin International Airport, all equipped with a dedicated Air One Lounge named Sala Welcome, which can still be used by Alitalia-CAI customers.
As of 31 December 2008, Air One is part of Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI), which has taken over Alitalia
Alitalia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
and Air One as one whole company. As of 28 March 2010, Air One as Air One Smart Carrier has been relaunched as a low-cost airline to operate low fare flights from Milan Malpensa on behalf of Alitalia. Air One is now therefore considered different from Alitalia, even though it is still owned by Alitalia. As of 1 July 2011, Air One Smart Carrier will launch a base at Pisa Airport.
"Air One" is a portmanteau of the English meaning Air One and the Italian word 'airone', meaning heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
(the bird depicted in the logo), which is also the airline callsign.
History
Air One began life as Aliadriatica which was established in PescaraPescara
Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...
in 1983 to operate as a flying school and provide air-taxi services and later regional scheduled services. In 1988 Gruppo Toto, one of the leading building and civil engineering groups in Italy, became the majority shareholder. With the acquisition of its first Boeing 737-200
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
in June 1994, Aliadriatica started scheduled and charter operations. On 27 April 1995 Aliadriatica began scheduled flights between Milan (Linate) and Brindisi and Reggio Calabria and Lamezia Terme.
On 23 November 1995, the new name Air One was adopted and the airline began operating scheduled flights between Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. In 1996, the first full year of operations, 713,000 passengers were carried and the airline expanded rapidly thereafter.
In the year 2000 Air One announced a partnership with Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
and nearly all Air One flights became code-shared with Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
.
As from June 2006, regional destinations were served under the name Air One CityLiner
Air One CityLiner
Alitalia CityLiner was founded as Air One CityLiner S.p.A. It was a subsidiary of Air One until it merged with the Compagnia Aerea Italiana on 12 January 2009 and its planes are now used on behalf of Alitalia group...
with the brand new fleet of Bombardier CRJ-900's.
In 2007, Air One carried approximately 5.5 million passengers (scheduled and charter), thus becoming the second largest Italian airline in terms of passenger traffic. 2007 revenues totaled EUR750 million ( million USD) with a net profit of EUR6.8 million ( million USD).
In August 2008, it was announced that Air One was to be merged with Alitalia. On 13 January 2009, Air One officially became part of Alitalia, though the two airlines were to be combined into one over time. A detailed integration plan was at that time yet to be announced.
On 28 March 2009, due to the merger with Alitalia, the cooperation between Lufthansa's Miles & More
Miles & More
Miles & More is the largest traveler loyalty program in Europe with 20 million members as of February 2011. It offers rewards to passengers of the Star Alliance travelling on certain types of tickets...
and Air One ended. On 28 June 2009, also due to the Alitalia merger, the partnerships with United Airlines' Mileage Plus program and Air Canada's Aeroplan
Aeroplan
Aeroplan is a Montreal, Quebec, Canada based coalition loyalty program owned by Aimia , a global leader in loyalty management. The Aeroplan Program was created in July 1984 by Air Canada as an incentive program for its frequent flyer customers...
program ended.
Later in 2009, the Alitalia and Air One booking procedures were unified so that the airlines effectively became the same.
Air One "Smart Carrier" - Milan Malpensa
As of 28 March 2010, Air One Smart Carrier as a separate brand from Alitalia is operating "low-fare" operations out of Milan Malpensa, still on behalf of CAI. 9 national and 5 international destinations are being operated, and more will arrive by next year. 5 of the newest A320's painted in the Air One livery and formatted to 180 seats are being used.Air One Smart Carrier is intended for leisure passengers, with close to Low Cost Carrier prices while still offering some extra services such as luggage transportation and seat assignment, contrasting it with other airlines such as EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
(a competitor on many Air One S.C. routes). The new slogan is "Air One, my number One".
Air One codes will continue to be used for other flights within Italy (with the code AP2XXX, AP5XXX or AP6XXX, while the "low-fare" operations run under AP0XXX), but with normal Alitalia service, as happened before and happens with the codes of other CAI members (XM, VE).
In its first full quarter of operations, Air One Smart Carrier transported 320 000 passengers, with an on-time performance of 89%.
On 2 February 2011, Air One Smart Carrier released its expansion planned for the Summer 2011 season. It will launch several new seasonal flights, as well as two new yearly ones. It will also open an operational base at Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, and with a single aircraft will fly to 8 destinations from Pisa Airport. Air One Smart Carrier hopes to carry 1,6 million passengers this year, compared to 0,9 million last year, and the launch of a new website is also expected soon.
Destinations
Air One Smart Carrier currently serves 23 destinations (in 8 countries) of which 7 are seasonal. Plans state that 27 short-haul destinations will be served by 2012.Fleet
As of September 2011, the Air One S.C. fleet consists of the following aircraft:| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Y+ | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A320-200 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 180 | 180 | Deliveries: until 2012 |
| Total | 7 | 3 | |||||
Air One S.C. plans to have a fleet of 10 Airbus A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft by 2012. The Air One S.C. fleet has an average fleet age of 2.2 years.
Historical fleet
Air One, at the time of closure (11 January 2009), served the following aircraft:- 27 Airbus A320-200Airbus A320 familyThe Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
's - 2 Airbus A330-200Airbus A330The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
's - 4 Boeing 737-300Boeing 737 ClassicThe Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
's - 14 Boeing 737-400Boeing 737 ClassicThe Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
's
The Air One fleet progression over the years:
- In January 2006, the airline signed a contract with Airbus for 30 Airbus A320Airbus A320 familyThe Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
s and 60 optionsOption (aircraft purchasing)An option, when purchasing aircraft, allows an airline to purchase additional aircraft in the future at an agreed price and date.When placing orders for new aircraft, airlines commonly obtain options from the aircraft manufacturer, for example Airbus or Boeing...
, reportedly worth billion at list prices, to replace the carrier's leased fleet of Boeing 737-400Boeing 737 ClassicThe Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
s. - In May 2006, it placed an order for 6 Canadair CRJ-900 along with options on a further 4 aircraft.
- The airline received the first of three Avro RJ70BAe 146The British Aerospace 146 is a medium-sized commercial airliner formerly manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992...
aircraft wet leased from Transwede AirwaysTranswede AirwaysTranswede Airways AB was a charter airline based at Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport in Landvetter, Härryda Municipality, near Gothenburg. Transwede operated flights on wet lease agreements from London City Airport, as well as charter flights. The company was owned by Braathens Aviation...
. This aircraft is now being used by Alitalia on the Milan Linate-London City route. - White Eagle AviationWhite Eagle AviationWhite Eagle Aviation was a scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo airline based in Poland. Its main base was Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport.- History :...
, of PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, acquired a single ATR 42ATR 42-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....
on lease and placed it into service on a long-term Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) contract with Air One flying domestic Italian passenger routes. - In February 2007, Air One announced the conversion of 10 Airbus A320Airbus A320 familyThe Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
options into firm orders, bringing its total order for the type to 40 firm, as well as 25 options and 25 purchase rights. - In May 2007, the airline announced the conversion of options and purchase rights for 50 Airbus A320Airbus A320 familyThe Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
s into firm orders, bringing its commitment to the type to 90 aircraft. By 2012 Air One expected to operate flights to 35 destinations in EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, rather than the 9 which were served at that time. - In June 2008, the airline ordered 24 planes from Airbus for 4.8 billion dollars. Air One also had an option to buy another 20 planes for 3.8 billion dollars, Carlo Toto told a news conference. The order of the 24 planes includes 12 Airbus A330Airbus A330The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
's and 12 A350Airbus A350The Airbus A350 is a family of long-range, wide-body jet airliners under development by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.A consortium originally comprising European aerospace companies from the UK, France, Spain and West Germany, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known...
's. These will now fall into the hands of Alitalia, for use on intercontinental routes out of Malpensa (A330), and increase in long-haul capcity, and then for replacing the Boeing 767Boeing 767The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
's, which Alitalia currently uses in addition to newer Boeing 777Boeing 777The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
's (which won't be replaced by the A330, although they may be replaced by the A350's on order).