Air Charter International
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | February 7, 1966 |
| Founder | Air France |
| Defunct | October 24, 1998 |
| Fate | Discontinued after Air France and Air Inter merger |
| Headquarters | France |
Area served | Mediterranean, transatlantic (USA and Canada) |
| Products | Charter airline services |
| Parent | Air France |
Air Charter International was a French charter airline that operated between 1966 and 1998.
Initial phase
The airline was established on 7 February 1966 as a subsidiary of Air France under the name Societé aérienne française d'affrètements (SAFA). Flight operations commenced on 25 July 1966, utilizing two Sud Caravelle aircraft alongside two Lockheed Super Constellation planes, focusing mainly on Mediterranean charter services departing from Paris.
Subsequent developments
On 8 December 1969, the company adopted the name Air Charter International (ACI). By 1971, its fleet comprised seven Caravelle jets, transporting around 420,000 passengers annually. The introduction of two Boeing 727-200 aircraft occurred in 1972, followed by an expansion into transatlantic charter flights to destinations in the USA and Canada starting in 1982. These long-haul services were operated using leased Boeing 747-200 planes managed by Air France. Additionally, six Super Caravelle jets were leased from EAS Europe Airlines until 1992.
In 1984, the airline shortened its name to Air Charter. The fleet saw modernization with the addition of the wide-body Airbus A300B4 in 1988, complemented by two Boeing 737-200s leased from EAS Europe Aéro Service. During the mid-1990s, Boeing 727s were phased out and replaced by Airbus A320 models. After the merger of Air France and Air Inter in 1998, Air Charter discontinued its operations on 24 October.
Fleet
The composition of Air Charter’s fleet included:
| Aircraft | Quantity | Entry into Service | Withdrawal Year | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300B4 | 2 | 1988 | 1998 | One unit leased from Air France |
| Airbus A310-300 | 2 | 1997 | 1998 | |
| Airbus A320-200 | 7 | 1994 | 1998 | Two leased from Air France One leased from TransAer International Airlines |
| Boeing 727-200 | 11 | 1972 | 1995 | Four leased from Air France |
| Boeing 737-200 | 5 | 1987 | 1995 | One leased from Euralair Two leased from Inter Ciel Service Two leased from EAS Europe Airlines |
| 2 | 1996 | 1998 | ||
| Boeing 737-300 | 1 | 1991 | 1991 | Leased from AWAS |
| Boeing 737-400 | 1 | 1991 | 1992 | |
| Boeing 737-500 | 1 | 1991 | 1992 | |
| 1 | 1996 | 1997 | ||
| Boeing 747-200 | 1 | 1982 | \- | Operated by Air France |
| Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation | 2 | 1966 | \- | Operated by Air France |
| Dassault Mercure | Template:Unknown | Template:Unknown | Template:Unknown | Operated by Air Inter |
| (Sud Aviation) Caravelle III | 11 | 1970 | 1989 | |
| (Sud Aviation) Caravelle 10B | 4 | 1981 | 1991 |
Accidents and incidents
- On 26 June 1988, an Airbus A320-100 operating as Air France Flight 296Q crashed into woodland during a low-altitude demonstration at the Habsheim Air Show.