Contact Air
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Founder | Gunter Eheim |
| Defunct | 2012 |
| Fate | Acquired by OLT Express Germany |
| Headquarters | Filderstadt , Germany |
Area served | Europe (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland) |
Key people | Gunter Eheim (founder) |
| Products | Scheduled passenger services (regional airline) |
| Parent | OLT Express Germany (from 2012) |
Contact Air Flugdienst was a regional airline from Germany headquartered in Filderstadt. It operated scheduled passenger services at Stuttgart Airport under the Lufthansa Regional brand.
History
Established in 1974 by Gunter Eheim, who transitioned from being a WWII test pilot to an aquarium filter producer, Contact Air initially provided charter flights utilizing Dassault Falcon 20 and Learjet jets. By 1981, the airline became an early adopter of the British Aerospace Jetstream, receiving its first unit in 1982.
In 1984, Contact Air began operating Jetstream aircraft on behalf of DLT for Lufthansa's regional routes; subsequently, DLT acquired a 24.8% share in the company. After evaluating the ATR 42, Contact Air expanded its fleet in 1986 with the de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100, becoming only the second European operator of this model. In 1988, it distinguished itself as the first buyer outside Canada of the extended Dash 8-300 variant, placing an order for three planes valued at $35 million.
Contact Air was among the founding members of Team Lufthansa in April 1996, which later transformed into Lufthansa Regional, an affiliate of the Star Alliance. All flights were rebranded with Lufthansa's livery and flight designations.
By late 2011, Contact Air operated a fleet of eight Fokker 100 aircraft—six serving Lufthansa from Stuttgart and two flying for Swiss International Air Lines out of Zurich. In October 2012, Lufthansa announced it would terminate its contract with Contact Air. In May 2012, Contact Air consented to acquisition by OLT Express Germany, with the transaction completed in September upon receiving regulatory clearance.
Corporate affairs
Before its acquisition, Contact Air maintained its main office in Filderstadt, having previously been situated in Stuttgart.
Destinations
Contact Air flew scheduled routes on behalf of Lufthansa, primarily from its base at Stuttgart Airport. Its network covered multiple European countries including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Switzerland.
|-
| Hungary | Budapest | Budapest Ferihegy International Airport | - | rowspan="3" | Italy | Bologna | Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport | - | Milan | (Malpensa Airport) | - | Turin | Turin Airport | - | rowspan="2" | Switzerland | Geneva | Geneva International Airport | - | Zürich | Zurich Airport |}
Fleet
During its years of service, Contact Air operated a range of aircraft models:
| Aircraft | Entry into Service | Withdrawal from Service |
|---|---|---|
| ATR 42-500 | Template:Center | Template:Center |
| ATR 72-212 | Template:Center | |
| British Aerospace Jetstream | Template:Center | Date unknown |
| De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 | Template:Center | Template:Center |
| De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 | Template:Center | Template:Center |
| Fokker 50 | Template:Center | Template:Center |
| Fokker 100 | Template:Center | Template:Center |
Incidents and accidents
- On 6 January 1993, a Contact Air-operated Bombardier Dash 8-300 (registration D-BEAT), flying as Lufthansa Flight 5634 from Bremen to Paris under the Lufthansa CityLine brand, crashed short of the runway at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Of the 23 passengers on board, four lost their lives; the flight crew survived. This accident occurred following an unsuccessful go-around maneuver prompted by a blown tyre on a Korean Air Boeing 747, which had caused the runway to be closed.
- On 14 September 2009, a Contact Air Fokker 100 (D-AFKE) operating Lufthansa Flight 288 from Berlin to Stuttgart performed an emergency landing due to failure of its landing gear. None of the five crew members or the 73 passengers sustained injuries. Subsequent media reports criticized Contact Air for using older Fokker 100 aircraft, including some previously operated by an airline prohibited from flying within European airspace because of safety issues.
External links
- Contact Air (Archived)