Hapag-Lloyd Flug
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | July 1972 |
| Founder | Hapag-Lloyd |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Fate | Merged to form TUIfly |
| Successor | TUIfly |
| Headquarters | Langenhagen , Germany |
Area served | Europe (holiday destinations) |
| Products | Scheduled and charter flights |
| Owner | TUI Group |
| Parent | TUI AG |
Hapag-Lloyd Flug GmbH (operating as Hapagfly GmbH between 2005 and 2007) was a German leisure airline based in Langenhagen, Lower Saxony. Founded by Hapag-Lloyd and subsequently becoming part of the TUI Group, it specialized in scheduled and charter flights mainly to popular holiday spots across Europe. Its operations were eventually succeeded by TUI fly Deutschland.
Establishment and Initial Development
The aviation involvement of the original HAPAG company dates back to 1910, when it sponsored Zeppelin airship flights.
Hapag-Lloyd Flug was founded in July 1972, two years after the merger of HAPAG with Norddeutscher Lloyd. The Hapag-Lloyd shipping conglomerate procured several Boeing 727 aircraft to facilitate cruise passenger transport from Germany to various port destinations. Flight services commenced on 30 March 1973. Leveraging the surge in holiday charter demand during the 1970s, the airline broadened its offerings to include charter flights to Mediterranean and Canary Islands resorts, establishing itself as one of Germany’s leading charter carriers. Additionally, it introduced scheduled passenger routes and expanded its fleet with models like the Boeing 737-100 and Airbus A310. In 1979, it integrated Bavaria Germanair, a charter airline operating Airbus A300B4 and BAC One-Eleven jets.
In 1998, Hapag-Lloyd Flug became the pioneering airline globally to operate the Boeing 737-800.
Consolidations and Brand Changes
From 1997 onward, Hapag-Lloyd Flug operated as a subsidiary of TUI AG, which also owns the Hapag-Lloyd cargo shipping line and cruise division. In 2002, after TUI unveiled its "big smile" logo, the airline refreshed its livery from a design that had been in place for nearly three decades to a palette of light blue, white, and red featuring the updated TUI emblem on the tail, aligning with TUI’s corporate identity. That same year marked the launch of Hapag-Lloyd Express, a low-cost airline created to rival competitors such as Ryanair.
In November 2005, under TUI Group’s revised marketing approach, the airline was rebranded as Hapagfly. A corporate restructuring in January 2007 resulted in merging Hapagfly with Hapag-Lloyd Express to form TUIfly, which assumed all flight operations while initially allowing Hapag-Lloyd Express to manage marketing until TUIfly obtained its own operational license.
Destinations
The airline mainly catered to European vacation spots located around the Mediterranean Sea and Canary Islands—routes now predominantly served by TUIfly.
Fleet
Throughout its history, Hapag-Lloyd Flug operated a diverse fleet primarily leased from firms such as ILFC and GECAS. Notably, it was the launch customer for the widely adopted Boeing 737-800 Next Generation series in 1998.
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300B4 | 9 | 1979 | 1989 | Three acquired through Bavaria Germanair |
| 1 | 2005 | 2007 | Leased from Lufthansa | |
| Airbus A310-200 | 5 | 1988 | 2006 | |
| Airbus A310-300 | 8 | 1990 | 2006 | One lost in Hapag-Lloyd Flight 3378 incident |
| BAC One-Eleven 500 | 7 | 1979 | 1981 | All sourced from Bavaria Germanair |
| Boeing 727-100 | 8 | 1972 | 1984 | |
| Boeing 727-200 | 3 | 1979 | 1983 | |
| Boeing 737-200 | 6 | 1981 | 1993 | |
| Boeing 737-400 | 12 | 1989 | 2002 | |
| Boeing 737-500 | 5 | 1990 | 2004 | |
| Boeing 737-800 | 39 | 1998 | 2007 | Launch customer |
Incidents and accidents
- On 12 July 2000, an Airbus A310 operating as Hapag-Lloyd Flight 3378 from Chania International Airport to Hannover Airport experienced fuel depletion, which was partly caused by the flight crew continuing the journey despite the landing gear being only partially retracted. This situation forced an emergency landing at Vienna International Airport. The aircraft was ultimately declared a total loss, and 26 individuals sustained injuries. This event stands as the sole occurrence in Hapag-Lloyd's operational history involving both aircraft damage and passenger injuries, drawing considerable media scrutiny. In 2004, Captain Wolfgang Arminger was found guilty of "dangerous interference with air traffic" due to his failure to divert the flight sooner and received a suspended prison term of six months.
See also
External links
- Hapagfly (Archive)
- Hapagfly (Archive)
- Hapag-Lloyd Flug (Archive)
- Hapag-Lloyd Flug (2001 Archive)
- Hapagfly Fleet