Air Liberté
| Company type | Airline |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | July 1987 |
| Defunct | February 17, 2003 |
| Fate | Liquidated after bankruptcy |
| Headquarters | Rungis (initial), later Paray-Vieille-Poste , France |
Area served | Europe, Mediterranean, select intercontinental destinations |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
| Owner | British Airways (67% from 1997), later joint venture of Taitbout Antibes and Swissair (from 2000) |
| Parent | British Airways (1997–2000) |
Air Liberté, which was later rebranded as Air Lib, was a French airline established in July 1987. Its initial headquarters were located in Rungis, before relocating to Building 363 at Orly Airport in Paray-Vieille-Poste.
History
Operations commenced in April 1988, utilizing a leased McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft. The airline primarily served European and Mediterranean vacation spots, alongside select intercontinental flights. In 1991, Air Liberté formed a partnership with the French airline Minerve, which operated routes to destinations such as San Francisco, Papeete, Tahiti, and Caribbean locations including Pointe-à-Pitre and Fort-de-France. The following year, 1992, saw the introduction of a service to Montreal, with additional flights to Réunion and Caribbean islands. Efforts to establish routes from Toulouse to Dakar and London were unsuccessful due to scheduling conflicts at Orly Airport. By 1996, the carrier expanded its network by adding Nice and integrating Euralair’s route system. At that time, its fleet consisted of five Boeing 737-200 aircraft, eight McDonnell Douglas MD-83 planes, and five McDonnell Douglas DC-10 jets.
After incurring losses amounting to 1 billion francs in 1996, British Airways acquired a majority stake of 67% in 1997. Subsequently, Air Liberté was merged operationally with TAT under a single management structure. The Tunisian branch of Air Liberté developed into Nouvelair. On 5 May 2000, British Airways divested Air Liberté to a joint venture formed by Taitbout Antibes and Swissair.
The consolidation with AOM French Airlines occurred on 25 March 2001, maintaining the Air Liberté brand until it was renamed Air Lib on 22 September 2001. Financial turmoil followed Swissair’s bankruptcy in October 2001, leading to a government loan injection of €30.5 million.
Despite governmental aid, Air Lib accumulated debts totaling €120 million and filed for bankruptcy in August 2002. After failed attempts at reorganization, the airline was liquidated on 17 February 2003. This development left Air France as the only major full-service French carrier until the launch of French Bee in 2016.
France
- Agen – Agen La Garenne Airport
- Annecy – Annecy – Haute-Savoie – Mont Blanc Airport
- Aurillac – Aurillac – Tronquières Airport
- Bergerac – Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport
- Bordeaux – Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport
- Brive-la-Gaillarde – Brive–La Roche Airport
- Carcassonne – Carcassonne Airport
- Cherbourg-Octeville – Cherbourg – Maupertus Airport
- Épinal – Épinal – Mirecourt Airport
- Figari – Figari–Sud Corse Airport
- Lannion – Lannion – Côte de Granit Airport
- La Rochelle – La Rochelle – Île de Ré Airport
- Metz/Nancy – Metz–Nancy–Lorraine Airport
- Montpellier – Montpellier–Méditerranée Airport
- Nice – Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
- Paris – Orly Airport (hub)
- Perpignan – Perpignan–Rivesaltes Airport
- Roanne – Roanne-Renaison Airport
- Rodez – Rodez–Aveyron Airport
- Strasbourg – Strasbourg Airport
- Toulon – Toulon–Hyères Airport
- Toulouse – Toulouse–Blagnac Airport
French overseas regions and territories
International destinations
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Fleet
Throughout its operational period, Air Liberté's fleet comprised the following aircraft:
| Image | Aircraft Model | Quantity | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300-600R | 2 | ||
| Airbus A310-200 | 2 | ||
| Airbus A310-300 | 1 | Leased from ILFC; subsequently involved in Yemenia Flight 626 accident | |
| ATR 42-300 | 7 | ||
| ATR 72-202 | 3 | ||
| Boeing 737-200 | 3 | ||
| Fokker 100 | 12 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 | 5 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 5 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | 13 | ||
| Total | 53 | ||
Accidents and incidents
- On 25 May 2000, Air Liberté Flight 8807, operated by a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (registration F-GHED), was involved in a runway collision with a Short 330 cargo aircraft from Streamline Aviation. The Short 330 had been authorized to position at an intermediate taxiway located on the runway that the MD-83 was preparing to depart from. The wing of the MD-83 struck the cockpit of the Short, resulting in the death of the freighter's first officer and injuries to its captain. The MD-83 aborted its takeoff safely, sustained repairs, and later resumed service without casualties.
References
- Hengi, BI. Airlines Worldwide. Leicester: Midland Publishing, 1997.
- Donald, David. The Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. Etobicoke: Prospero Books, 1999.