Air One
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Defunct | 2014-10-30 |
| Fate | Merged into Alitalia; operations ceased |
| Headquarters | Italy |
Area served | Italy, Europe, North America |
| Products | Passenger air transport (low-cost airline) |
| Parent | Alitalia |
Air One S.p.A. operated as an Italian low-cost airline under the brand Air One "Smart Carrier", functioning as the budget division of Alitalia. Its main operational hubs were located at Catania, Palermo, Pisa, Venice, and Verona, with Tirana serving as a focus city. The airline’s name, "Air One," is a blend of the English word and the Italian term airone (meaning heron), which was symbolized in both its logo and callsign.
Prior to its integration with Alitalia, Air One ranked as Italy’s second-largest carrier, operating flights to 36 destinations across Italy, Europe, and North America. Its key hubs included Rome Fiumicino Airport, Linate Airport in Milan, and Turin Airport.
Operations ceased on 30 October 2014 following Alitalia’s strategic restructuring connected to its alliance with Etihad Airways. All Air One routes were either terminated or absorbed into Alitalia’s network.
Early Development
Air One commenced scheduled services on 27 April 1995, initially linking Milan (Linate) with southern Italian cities such as Brindisi, Reggio Calabria, and Lamezia Terme.
In 2000, the airline established a partnership with Lufthansa, incorporating the majority of its flights into a code-share agreement.
By June 2006, regional flights were operated under the Air One CityLiner brand, utilizing a fleet of modern Bombardier CRJ-900 jets.
During 2007, Air One carried around 5.5 million passengers on both scheduled and charter flights, solidifying its position as Italy’s second-largest airline by passenger numbers. That year, the company reported revenues of EUR 750 million and achieved a net profit of EUR 6.8 million.
Merger with Alitalia
In August 2008, facing near bankruptcy, Air One announced plans to merge with Alitalia. This consolidation was viewed as crucial for Air One’s survival.
The official merger took place on 13 January 2009, initiating a comprehensive integration process.
Consequently, existing partnerships with Lufthansa's Miles & More, United Airlines' Mileage Plus, and Air Canada's Aeroplan loyalty programs were discontinued between March and June 2009.
Later that year, Alitalia and Air One synchronized their booking systems, effectively operating as one unified airline.
Air One "Smart Carrier" – Budget Division
On 28 March 2010, the low-cost brand Air One "Smart Carrier" was launched from Milan’s Malpensa Airport, initially offering nine domestic and five international routes using five Airbus A320 aircraft configured with 180 seats each.
In its first full quarter of operation, Air One Smart Carrier transported 320,000 passengers while maintaining an on-time performance rate of 89%.
On 2 February 2011, plans were announced to expand operations at Milan Malpensa and establish a new base at Pisa Airport, which officially opened on 1 July 2011. Passenger projections for 2011 increased to 1.6 million from 0.9 million in the previous year, supported by the launch of a new website.
On 21 December 2011, a further base was declared at Venice’s Marco Polo Airport, commencing operations in May 2012. A fourth base began operations at Catania’s Fontanarossa Airport on 1 October 2012. In September 2013, it was announced that a fifth base would open at Palermo’s Falcone-Borsellino Airport in March 2014, including a new connection to London Gatwick Airport.
On 26 October 2013, Air One closed its Milan Malpensa base to concentrate efforts on the Palermo hub that started flying in March 2014.
Cessation of Operations
On 26 August 2014, Air One's parent company, Alitalia, declared that Air One would be discontinued by the autumn of 2014. The airline terminated all its remaining flights by 30 October 2014, although certain bases and routes were closed earlier, by 30 September. Numerous domestic services along with the former Air One aircraft were integrated into Alitalia's network.
Fleet Evolution
Throughout its operational lifespan, Air One utilized a variety of aircraft models:
| Aircraft Model | Quantity | Year Introduced | Year Retired | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42–300(QC) | 1 | 2006 | 2008 | SP-KEE leased from White Eagle Aviation |
| Airbus A320-200 | 30 | 2006 | 2008 | CS-TQA, CS-TQB leased from Air Luxor 10 still in service at closure |
| Airbus A330-200 | 2 | 2008 | 2009 | |
| Boeing 737-200 | 3 | 1993 | 2008 | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 13 | 1995 | 2010 | |
| Boeing 737-400 | 27 | 1997 | 2010 | |
| Boeing 737-800 | 6 | 2002 | 2004 | |
| British Aerospace Avro RJ70 | 2 | 2006 | 2009 | SE-DJZ, SE-DJX leased from Transwede Airways |
| Jetstream 31 Airliner | 2 | 1991 | 1993 | I-ALKC, I-ALKD operated under lease |
| Fokker 50 | 1 | 1991 | 1993 | PH-JXK leased from Denim Air |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15RC | 2 | 1997 | 1999 | I-TJAN, I-TJAR leased aircraft |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | 1 | 2006 | 2008 | EC-GBA leased from Spanair |
| Saab 2000 | 1 | 1999 | 1999 | HB-IZS leased from Crossair |
Significant milestones in fleet acquisition include:
- In January 2006, Air One entered into an agreement with Airbus to purchase 30 A320 aircraft along with options for an additional 60 units to replace its leased Boeing 737-400 fleet.
- By May 2007, the airline converted all options and purchase rights into confirmed orders totaling 90 aircraft within the Airbus A320 family.
- In June 2008, Air One placed a $4.8 billion order for a batch of 24 Airbus planes (comprising twelve A330s and twelve A350s), with further options valued at $3.8 billion. This order was subsequently assumed by Alitalia following Air One’s closure.