Minerva Airlines
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Defunct | 25 October 2003 |
| Headquarters | Milan , Italy |
Area served | Italy (regional routes) |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
Minerva Airlines was an Italian carrier that operated from 1996 until it ceased operations due to bankruptcy on 25 October 2003. The airline's fleet mainly consisted of eight Dornier 328-110 aircraft, some of which were utilized under a codeshare partnership with Alitalia. In 2004, initiatives were underway to restart flights using ATR 42 planes to serve regional routes for Alitalia. Discussions also involved a possible acquisition of Minerva by Alitalia, along with the integration of Minerva’s turboprop fleet into Alitalia Express. These plans included wet-lease arrangements involving up to seven ATR 42-300 aircraft.
Minerva's primary hub was located in Milan, with supplementary operations from Bari. As of October 1998, the airline did not offer service to Rome.
Fleet
| Aircraft | Quantity | Year Introduced | Year Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42–300 | 1 | 2002 | 2003 | I-RIMS |
| Dornier 328-100 | 10 | 1996 | 2006 |
Accidents and Incidents
On 25 February 1999, a Dornier 328 operated by Minerva on behalf of Alitalia (Alitalia Flight 1553) overran the runway at Genoa Airport, leading to four deaths and twenty-seven survivors.