Alpi Eagles
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | Paolo Sinigalia (majority stakeholder) |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Fate | License suspended and operations ceased |
| Headquarters | Sant'Angelo di Piove di Sacco , Italy |
Area served | Italy, Albania, Czech Republic, France, Romania, Russia, Spain, Ukraine |
Key people | Paolo Sinigalia (majority stakeholder) |
| Products | Scheduled passenger flights |
Alpi Eagles SpA was an Italian regional carrier based in Sant'Angelo di Piove di Sacco, providing scheduled passenger flights to 15 domestic locations along with international services to destinations in Albania, Czech Republic, France, Romania, Russia, Spain, and Ukraine. The airline’s principal hub was located at Venice Marco Polo Airport.
History
The majority stake in the airline belonged to Paolo Sinigalia, proprietor of the Simod footwear company in Padova. To reduce expenses, management shortened scheduled block times, which caused maintenance delays and frequent flight postponements of up to four hours at Venice and Naples airports. These increasing delays prompted travelers to switch to rival airlines such as Air One Cityliner.
Operational difficulties worsened due to a loss of pilots, leading to a rise in cancellations and further delays. In September 2007, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) launched an investigation into Alpi Eagles over concerns about inadequate financial backing, resulting in the suspension of its operating license in October 2007. A temporary permit was issued until December 31, 2007; however, all operations ceased permanently from January 1, 2008.
Fleet
| Aircraft type | Quantity | Entry into service | Withdrawal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learjet 35A | 2 | 1987 | 1993 | Registration: I-ALPM, I-ALPT |
| Learjet 55 | 1 | 1990 | n/a | Registration: I-ALPR |
| Boeing 737NG | 2 | 2002 | 2003 | OY-MRI, OY-MRX Aircraft leased from Maersk Air |
| Fokker 100 | 11 | 1996 | 2008 | F-HALP, SE-DUR, YR-FKA Operated under lease agreements |
By the time the license was suspended in December 2007, the airline operated eight Fokker 100 jets; one additional aircraft had been retired in November. Between September 2002 and January 2003, two Boeing 737-700s were leased from Maersk Air.
From May through December 1999, Alpi Eagles wet-leased two Fokker aircraft to Air Dolomiti, painted in full Air Dolomiti livery; one of these planes suffered a landing gear malfunction at Barcelona’s El Prat Airport on November 7, 1999.
Services
All flight operations were discontinued as of January 3, 2008. As of October 2006, Alpi Eagles’ scheduled network encompassed domestic destinations including Alghero, Bari, Bergamo, Bologna, Brindisi, Cagliari, Catania, Lamezia Terme, Milan, Naples, Olbia, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Trieste, Verona, and Venice. On the international front, it connected cities such as Athens, Barcelona, Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Kyiv, Moscow, Nice, Odesa, Prague, Pristina, Timișoara, Tirana, and Valencia.