Belair (airline)
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 1925 (original Balair), 2001 (Belair) |
| Defunct | 28 October 2017 |
| Fate | Ceased operations following Air Berlin insolvency |
| Headquarters | Glattbrugg , Switzerland |
Area served | Europe, Mediterranean, Canary Islands |
| Products | Passenger air transport, charter flights |
| Owner | Air Berlin (from 2009) |
Number of employees | 120 (at founding in 2001) |
Belair, officially known as Belair Airlines AG, was a Swiss charter airline with its headquarters located in Glattbrugg. It operated primarily from Zürich Airport and EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. As a subsidiary of Air Berlin, Belair flew under the Air Berlin brand until 31 March 2017. During the summer of 2017, it provided services for its sister airline Niki before halting all operations on 28 October 2017 following Air Berlin’s insolvency.
The original Balair (1925–1931)
Basler Aviation AG - Balair was established in 1925 by Balz Zimmermann in Basel. The name Balair is derived from Basel’s French designation, Bâle. Its first air route connected Basel with Freiburg and Mannheim. By 1929, Balair had expanded its network from Basel Airport—the largest airport in Switzerland—introducing direct flights to cities such as Zürich, Geneva, Lyon, Karlsruhe, and Frankfurt. Due to the economic challenges of the Great Depression, Balair merged with Zürich-based carrier Ad Astra Aero on 1 January 1931, resulting in the creation of Swissair, headquartered in Zürich. Prior to this merger, Balair had transported more than 18,000 passengers along with 320 tons of freight and 143 tons of mail. Its operations were seasonal and predominantly supported through government subsidies and contracts for mail delivery with the Swiss postal service.
The second incarnation of Balair (1953–1993)
Following a public vote in Basel on 5 October 1952 approving the establishment of a limited company, the second version of Balair was founded in January 1953, with Hans Peter Tschudin appointed as president. Initially, the airline concentrated on pilot training, aircraft maintenance, and ground handling services for Swissair at Basel-Mulhouse Airport. In 1957, it ventured into the charter flight market by acquiring two Vickers VC.1 Viking aircraft. Swissair acquired a 40% shareholding in Balair in 1959, which coincided with the addition of two DC-4 planes and later a DC-6 in 1961.
During the period of the Biafran airlift from 1967 to 1971, Balair operated chartered aircraft such as the C-97 Stratocruiser to support humanitarian aid deliveries to Biafra.
Balair introduced its initial jet fleet with the Convair 990 Coronado, followed by models including the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 and a Douglas DC-8-63CF, servicing destinations like Colombo, Bangkok, and Rio de Janeiro. The airline added a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 to its fleet in 1979. By 1982, Balair had transitioned entirely to jet aircraft; by 1986, its fleet was dominated by the Airbus A310-300 and MD-82. With Swissair as the majority shareholder, Balair operated primarily as Swissair’s charter division.
BalairCTA era (1993–1995)
In 1993, Balair merged with CTA – Compagnie de Transport Aérien to form BalairCTA. Due to political considerations, the company was officially registered in Geneva, maintained financial records in Basel, and conducted operational activities from Zürich. Despite organizational restructuring and workforce reductions, Swissair’s charter division continued to incur losses, leading to cessation of operations in 1995. Subsequently, short-haul charter flights were transferred to Crossair while long-haul services returned to Swissair.
Revival of Balair (1997–2001)
Swissair once again outsourced its charter operations in 1997; on 1 November that year, BalairCTA recommenced service under the name Balair, functioning as a Swissair subsidiary. The airline operated two Boeing 757-200 aircraft dedicated exclusively to tour operator Hotelplan and its subsidiaries ESCO-Reise and M-Travel (with Hotelplan also acting as lessee). For long-haul routes, two Boeing 767-300ER jets were utilized. The company’s existence was closely linked to Swissair’s financial health; following Swissair’s collapse, Balair’s final flight occurred on 5 October 2001 with the Boeing 767s returned to their lessors shortly thereafter.
Belair (2001–2017)
After discussions with its parent company Migros, Hotelplan launched Belair in October 2001, transferring its Boeing 757 fleet to this newly established charter airline. The slight modification in the brand name facilitated a straightforward repainting process for aircraft owned by Migros. The airline recruited 120 former employees from Balair.
Belair commenced operations with its inaugural commercial flight from Zürich on 3 November 2001, focusing mainly on destinations around the Mediterranean. In addition to two Boeing 757s, the airline also leased a Boeing 767-300ER to support its long-distance routes.
In collaboration with REGA (Swiss Air Rescue), Belair converted one of its Boeing 757s into a specialized rescue aircraft designed for disaster repatriation missions.
Integration into Air Berlin
Air Berlin initially purchased a 49% stake in Belair in 2007 and completed full acquisition by October 2009, thereby strengthening its foothold in Switzerland and broadening travel choices for Migros clientele. During Air Berlin’s ownership, Belair was managed from Berlin, with only consolidated financial statements made public. On 1 January 2010, a merger combined Air Berlin Switzerland (pilots), CHS Switzerland (cabin crew), and Belair into a unified entity retaining the Belair name.
Operating out of Zürich, Basel, and Geneva, Belair served numerous Mediterranean and Canary Islands routes. Early on, aircraft bore both Belair branding and Air Berlin’s livery; later, the fleet fully adopted Air Berlin’s color scheme. Due to traffic rights regulations between countries, some flights outside the EU continued to use Belair’s IATA code, 4T.
Closure
Belair discontinued all services from EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg as of 15 January 2017. Starting 1 April 2017, its four Airbus A321-200 aircraft operated wet lease flights for Niki, switching to Niki’s flight numbers on European Union routes. The airline ceased all operations on 28 October 2017. By December of that year, reports surfaced indicating Belair was unable to meet outstanding salary and expense obligations and was at risk of insolvency.
Destinations
List of final destinations served prior to cessation on 28 October 2017:
| Airport | Country | IATA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport | Spain | HG | |
| EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg | Switzerland France Germany |
HG | Template:Airline hub |
| Brindisi Airport | Italy | HG | |
| Catania-Fontanarossa Airport | Italy | HG | |
| Faro Airport | Portugal | HG | |
| Fuerteventura Airport | Spain | HG | |
| Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport | Portugal | HG | |
| Gran Canaria Airport | Spain | HG | |
| Lanzarote Airport | Spain | HG | |
| Palma de Mallorca Airport | Spain | HG | |
| Pristina International Airport | Kosovo | 4T | |
| Skopje "Alexander the Great" Airport | North Macedonia | 4T | |
| Tenerife South Airport | Spain | HG | |
| Zürich Airport | Switzerland | HG and 4T | Template:Airline hub |
Fleet
Throughout its history (including its predecessor Balair), Belair operated the following aircraft types:
Vickers VC.1 Viking 2 1958 1963
Accidents and incidents
- 15 May 1960: A Douglas DC-4 (registration HB-ILA) was involved in a fatal crash within the Djebel Marr Mountains caused by a navigational mistake during a ferry flight from Jeddah to Dakar. The accident resulted in the loss of all 12 crew members.
- 13 September 1964: While descending sharply towards Málaga Airport, a Fokker F-27 Friendship (HB-AAI) experienced a hard landing that inflicted damage to the wings. Fortunately, all 45 passengers and crew survived the incident.