Air Alfa
| Company type | Charter airline |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Defunct | 17 November 2002 |
| Headquarters | Istanbul , Turkey |
Area served | Turkey, Western Europe |
| Products | Charter flights |
Air Alfa operated as a charter airline headquartered at Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, with a secondary hub at Antalya Airport. Its primary business involved providing charter flights mainly for tour operators. The airline discontinued its services in December 2001, and its licence was officially revoked on 17 November 2002.
History
Established in 1992, Air Alfa began by offering routes linking Turkey with Western Europe. However, it was grounded for the remainder of that year after failing to comply with Turkish Civil Aviation Authority regulations, as it maintained a fleet of fewer than three aircraft—specifically Boeing 727-200 models. Service resumed in 1993 when the company leased a Boeing 737. The carrier concentrated on exclusive charter operations catering to tour operators such as Nazar Reisen in Germany and Sultan Reizen in the Netherlands.
In 1994, the airline ventured into long-distance flights by introducing its first Airbus A300, soon supplemented by another leased from EgyptAir. The fleet expanded to six A300s but was subsequently reduced to five following an accident involving one of its aircraft in Istanbul. By 1996, Air Alfa had transported one million passengers for the first time.
Acquisitions
Air Alfa underwent an ownership change in December 1996 when it was purchased from Kombassan. This transition prompted a modernization of its fleet, incorporating new Airbus A321-100 planes while phasing out an Airbus A300B4-203 and a Boeing 727-200. Despite these efforts, financial challenges surfaced by 2000, leading to cutbacks in flight schedules until the airline halted operations in 2001. It briefly relaunched in 2002 under the name 'Alpha Airlines' but ultimately declared bankruptcy on 17 November 2002.
Fleet
Throughout its operational period, Air Alfa's aircraft inventory included:
| Aircraft Type | Quantity | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300B4-103 | 2 | |
| Airbus A300B4-203 | 6 | One leased from EgyptAir; one damaged at Atatürk International Airport |
| Airbus A300B4-622R | 3 | |
| Airbus A320-200 | 3 | One leased from TransAer International Airlines |
| Airbus A321-100 | 4 | |
| Boeing 727-200 | 2 | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 2 | |
| Boeing 737-400 | 1 | Leased from Pegasus Airlines |
| Boeing 757-200 | 1 | Leased from Turkmenistan Airlines |
Incidents
On 17 May 1996, an Air Alfa Airbus A300B4-203 bearing registration TC-ALP was intentionally set ablaze at Istanbul Atatürk Airport. Since the aircraft was unoccupied at the time, there were no casualties; however, the plane was completely destroyed and subsequently written off.