Darwin Airline
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | August 12, 2003 |
| Defunct | December 12, 2017 |
| Fate | Bankrupt; operations ceased |
| Headquarters | Bioggio, Lugano , Switzerland |
Area served | Western Europe |
| Products | Scheduled domestic and international flights, wetlease operations |
Number of employees | 220 (2013) |
Darwin Airline SA was a Swiss regional airline based in Bioggio, Lugano, operating under the trade name Adria Airways Switzerland. It offered scheduled domestic and international flights throughout western Europe. Between January 2014 and July 2017, the airline operated as Etihad Regional following Etihad Airways' acquisition of a 33% share, which was later sold back to the owner of Adria Airways. Darwin also conducted flights on behalf of Alitalia. Its principal hubs were Geneva Airport and Lugano Airport.
In November 2017, Swiss regulators suspended Darwin Airline’s scheduled flight license due to financial difficulties but allowed the continuation of wetlease operations. The airline was declared bankrupt on 12 December 2017 and ceased all activities; some aircraft were transferred to Adria Airways. Notably, Saab 2000 aircraft continued operating scheduled services from Ljubljana Airport under the Adria Airways brand until Adria's insolvency in 2019.
Founding and initial development
Darwin Airline was founded on 12 August 2003 and commenced operations on 28 July 2004. By October 2013, its workforce numbered approximately 220 employees.
On 25 November 2010, Darwin announced intentions to acquire certain operational assets from Baboo by early 2011. Following this integration, parts of the combined entity would retain the Baboo brand while Darwin expanded its network.
At the time of the merger, Baboo returned three leased Embraer E-190 aircraft to lessors; only two Bombardier DHC-8-Q400 planes were transferred to Darwin for routes with higher passenger demand, offering greater seating capacity than the Saab 2000. These two DHC-8-Q400s were subsequently sold due to surplus capacity within Darwin’s route structure.
On 2 September 2013, Darwin launched a base at Cambridge Airport with Saab 2000-operated flights to Amsterdam, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Milan Malpensa, and Geneva. These routes were discontinued in early 2014 owing to insufficient passenger numbers.
Partnership with Etihad Airways
On 17 November 2013, Etihad Airways acquired a one-third stake in Darwin Airline. Subsequently, Darwin was rebranded as Etihad Regional, with "operated by Darwin Airline" noted as a subtitle. The initial aircraft sporting Etihad Regional livery commenced service between Lugano and Geneva on 17 January 2014; repainting of all ten Saab 2000s was scheduled for completion by June that year. Additionally, four leased ATR 72-500 aircraft were set to receive the new livery upon delivery.
Early in 2014, Etihad Regional expanded its fleet by leasing four ATR 72-500s from Nordic Aviation Capital to broaden its Geneva-based route network.
Starting late March 2014, Ancona-Rome Fiumicino and Trapani-Rome Fiumicino routes were discontinued due to cabotage restrictions barring Swiss carriers from operating domestic flights within the EU. These routes had previously been permitted under a derogation from the Italian Civil Aviation Authority that was not renewed. Similarly, a planned Aosta-Rome Fiumicino route was cancelled in January 2014 for identical regulatory reasons.
Scaling down operations
In February 2014, Etihad Regional withdrew plans for routes connecting Berlin with Poznań and Wrocław, as well as the Zagreb-Rome service. By October that year, additional destinations such as Lyon, Turin, and Stuttgart were also removed from the schedule. Services between Lugano and Zürich, operated on behalf of Swiss International Air Lines until October 2014, ended when Swiss terminated their contract.
By January 2015, despite facing intense competition from Swiss International Air Lines, Etihad Regional intended to increase its ownership stake in Darwin Airline. However, by February it had cut further destinations including Linz and Toulouse, alongside announcing workforce reductions affecting one-fifth of employees.
On 18 February 2015, Etihad Regional abruptly ceased approximately two-thirds of its scheduled flights without prior notice. This included all German destinations and several French cities. The carrier maintained select domestic and European services from Geneva and Lugano as well as an Italian domestic route between Bolzano and Rome. All Zürich operations were terminated except for the domestic link to Geneva. The airline attributed these cutbacks to heightened competitive pressures and regulatory limitations within Switzerland.
On 11 March 2015, Darwin Airline confirmed plans to operate some Saab 2000 aircraft for Air Berlin, another airline partly owned by Etihad Airways, beginning April that year. Subsequently, on 29 March, Darwin announced it would operate four ATR72 aircraft on domestic routes for Alitalia, also affiliated with Etihad.
In November 2015, crew shortages led to termination of an ACMI agreement with SkyWork Airlines. Operations supporting Air Berlin concluded by April 2016 after Air Berlin assumed control over two routes and discontinued a third.
By May 2017, Darwin ceased its Geneva-Zürich service entirely and withdrew from Zürich operations altogether to concentrate exclusively on wetlease services for Alitalia.
Adria Airways Switzerland
In July 2017, Darwin Airline was taken over by the parent company of Adria Airways, Slovenia's foremost airline, and subsequently operated under the name Adria Airways Switzerland. By September of that year, the refreshed brand had fully integrated the fleet and route system, eliminating all traces of Etihad branding.
Soon thereafter, the carrier halted its scheduled services to concentrate exclusively on providing ACMI operations for other airlines, returning its ATR 72-500 planes to their lessors. On 27 November 2017, Darwin announced the closure of its Lugano base along with the discontinuation of all routes from there, including summer seasonal flights from Geneva. The airline maintained only year-round connections between Geneva, Lugano (until the end of the year), and Rome.
Confronted with a bleak financial situation following the loss of wetlease contracts due to bankruptcies of airlines such as Air Berlin and Alitalia, Darwin sought bankruptcy protection. Swiss regulators suspended its operating licence on 28 November 2017, ceasing remaining scheduled flights; however, wetlease services were still authorized to proceed.
On 12 December 2017, Darwin Airline was officially declared bankrupt and dissolved; its operating licence was revoked, ending all flight operations. Simultaneously, Adria Airways revealed plans to incorporate Darwin’s Saab 2000 aircraft into its fleet in 2018 while returning the ATR 72 planes to lessors.
Corporate affairs
The airline’s former administrative headquarters were situated on the premises of Lugano Airport in Agno, close to Lugano.
Destinations
By September 2017, under the Adria Airways Switzerland brand, Darwin Airline operated both seasonal and year-round flights across destinations in France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. All scheduled services were terminated as of 28 November 2017.
| Country | City | IATA | ICAO | Airport | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Biarritz | BIQ | LFBZ | Biarritz Pays Basque Airport | Template:Airline seasonal |
| Brest | BES | LFRB | Brest Bretagne Airport | Template:Airline seasonal | |
| Italy | Brindisi | BDS | LIBR | Brindisi Airport | Template:Airline seasonal |
| Cagliari | CAG | LIEE | Cagliari Elmas Airport | Template:Airline seasonal | |
| Olbia | OLB | LIEO | Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport | Template:Airline seasonal | |
| Rome | FCO | LIRF | Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport | ||
| Spain | Ibiza | IBZ | LEIB | Ibiza Airport | Template:Airline seasonal |
| Switzerland | Geneva | GVA | LSGG | Geneva Airport | Template:Airline hub |
| Lugano | LUG | LSZA | Lugano Airport |
Darwin Airline partnered with several prominent carriers through codeshare arrangements to broaden its service network:
- Air Serbia (route Zürich–Belgrade)
- Alitalia (route Geneva–Rome)
- Etihad Airways (routes from Geneva to Abu Dhabi, Mahé, Bangkok, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur)
Fleet
As of September 2017, Darwin Airline's fleet composition included:
| Aircraft | In service | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 72-500 | 4 | 68 | Scheduled for retirement in early 2018 |
| Saab 2000 | 6 | 50 | Operated under Adria Airways Switzerland |
| Total | 10 |
The airline also operated two Bombardier Dash 8-400 aircraft.