Air Littoral
| Company type | Regional airline |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | April 1972 |
| Defunct | February 2004 |
| Headquarters | Montpellier , France |
Area served | Domestic and regional flights in France |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
| Parent | KLM, Euralair, Lufthansa, SAir Group (Swissair) |
Air Littoral was a regional airline from France, headquartered at Montpellier–Méditerranée Airport, that operated between 1972 and 2004. It specialized in domestic and regional flights, including connections feeding into Air France services.
History
Established in April 1972 with its initial base at Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport, Air Littoral commenced service on 23 May 1972, linking Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, Montpellier, and Perpignan–Rivesaltes Airport. By 1975, the company relocated its headquarters to Aérodrome du Castellet.
Over the course of its existence, Air Littoral experienced investment from several major aviation groups such as KLM, Euralair, Lufthansa, and the SAir Group (Swissair), which withdrew its involvement in 2001. After an unsuccessful acquisition attempt in 2003, the airline declared bankruptcy. Although entities like Azzurra Air expressed acquisition interest, no deal was finalized, resulting in the airline's shutdown by French regulators in February 2004.
At the time of insolvency, the carrier operated a fleet of 17 Canadair CRJ-100 jets from hubs located in Nice, Montpellier, Paris (Orly), and Marseille. The airline was notable for its vivid livery introduced during the 1990s rebranding campaign led by Metzler & Associés, designed to reflect the warmth and energy of southern France and enhance brand recognition.
Fleet
Air Littoral maintained a varied fleet comprising:
- ATR 42
- ATR 72
- Beechcraft 1900
- Boeing 737-300
- Bombardier CRJ
- Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante (4 aircraft)
- Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia
- Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
- Fokker F27 Friendship
- Fokker 70
- Fokker 100
- Nord 262
Accidents
- 21 December 1987: Flight 1919, operating an Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia on a route from Brussels to Bordeaux, crashed near Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport after descending beneath the glideslope, resulting in sixteen deaths.
- 18 November 1988: Flight 440, a Swearingen SA-226 Metroliner flying from Montluçon – Guéret Airport to Orly Airport, stalled unexpectedly due to an activation of the stall warning system, causing the loss of all four passengers and crew.
- 30 July 1997: Flight 701A, an ATR 42 traveling from Nice to Florence, overran the runway upon landing at Florence Airport and collided with a ditch; the captain succumbed to injuries days later while fourteen others sustained injuries.