Air Madrid
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Defunct | 15 December 2006 |
| Fate | Ceased operations; Latin American routes taken over by Air Comet |
| Successor | Air Comet (for Latin American routes) |
| Headquarters | San Sebastián de los Reyes, Community of Madrid , Spain |
Area served | Spain, Tenerife, Mexico, South America, Central America, Europe, Israel |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
| Owner | Celuisma (20%), Hotusa (20%), Herpil (12.5%), Catalonia Hoteles (10%), Quo Viajes (10%), Viajes Eroski (10%), others |
Air Madrid Líneas Aéreas S.A. was a Spanish carrier based in San Sebastián de los Reyes, Community of Madrid, providing services to destinations within Spain, Tenerife, Mexico, South America, Central America, Europe, and Israel. Operations were halted on 15 December 2006, leaving more than 330,000 passengers stranded across Latin America and Spain. Its Latin American routes were subsequently taken over by Air Comet, which has also ceased functioning.
History
Established in 2003, Air Madrid commenced flights in May 2004 utilizing two Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The airline’s ownership structure consisted of shares held by Celuisma (20%), Hotusa (20%), Herpil (12.5%), Catalonia Hoteles (10%), Quo Viajes (10%), Viajes Eroski (10%), along with other stakeholders. The company intended to introduce short-haul routes designed to connect with its long-haul services from Madrid and contemplated leasing five Airbus A320 planes to serve key European cities such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Milan, and Paris.
By September 2006, Air Madrid was experiencing severe operational difficulties, including delays reaching up to 60 hours on flights to Latin America. Due to concerns about inadequate aircraft maintenance, Spanish aviation regulators imposed operational limitations. After a thorough inquiry, the Dirección General de Aviación Civil advised restricting or suspending the airline’s flight operations.
On 15 December 2006, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) suspended Air Madrid’s global operations following the cessation of its flights. The airline stopped all services the next day amid ongoing governmental investigations and growing complaints from customers regarding service deficiencies, culminating in the revocation of its operating permit.
Following this, Air Comet reached an agreement with authorities to take over Air Madrid’s Latin American routes, absorbing 53% of its employees and pledging to repatriate affected passengers.
Destinations
- From Madrid: flights served Bogotá, Bucharest, Buenos Aires, Cartagena, Fortaleza, Guayaquil, Lima, London Gatwick, Milan, Panama City, Paris, Rome, Mahon, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Quito, San José, Costa Rica, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santiago, Tel Aviv, and Toluca (alternate airport for Mexico City).
- From Barcelona: destinations included Bogotá, Bucharest, Buenos Aires, Cartagena, Fortaleza, Guayaquil, Milan, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santiago
Fleet
As of November 2006, Air Madrid’s aircraft roster comprised:
- 1 Airbus A310-300 (later reassigned to Air Transat as C-GTSX)
- 2 Airbus A319-132 (both subsequently transferred to Sichuan Airlines)
- 3 Airbus A330-200 (one returned to lessor Novair; two handed over to Air Comet)
- 2 Airbus A330-300 (one went to Brussels Airlines, another to AirAsia X)
- 1 Airbus A340-300 (moved to Air Comet)
External links
- Archived version of the official website
- Information on fleet and routes