OLT Express Germany

OLT Express Germany
Company type	Private
Industry	Airline
Founded	1 November 1958
Founder	Martin Dekker, Jan Janssen
Defunct	27 January 2013
Headquarters	Bremen, Germany
Area served	Northern Germany, Europe
Products	Regional scheduled and charter flights
Number of employees	120 (before restructuring)

OLT Express Germany—previously known as OLT Ostfriesische Lufttransport GmbH or simply OLT—was an airline headquartered in Bremen, Germany. The firm moved its base from Emden to Bremen in February 2012. It specialized in regional scheduled and charter flights, connecting northern Germany with other domestic locations and linking Bremen to various European destinations. Its primary hub was Bremen Airport.

Establishment and Initial Phase

Founded on 1 November 1958 by Martin Dekker and Jan Janssen under the name Ostfriesische Lufttaxi - Dekker und Janssen OHG, OLT initially focused on air taxi services to the North Sea islands, operating out of Emden. The airline’s inaugural aircraft was a KZ VII manufactured by Skandinavisk Aero Industri A/S in Copenhagen. By 1961, OLT had employed its first pilot and ground personnel.

By 1968, the fleet had grown to five aircraft, completing a total of 13,174 flights. After Janssen’s passing, the shareholders expanded in 1970 to include AGIV (Aktiengesellschaft für Verkehrswesen) and the shipping company Reederei Visser & van Doornums, leading to a rebranding as Ostfriesische Lufttaxi GmbH. Scheduled routes from Emden to Bremen and Hamburg were introduced. Subsequently, AGIV became the sole owner and appointed Christian Ulrich Baron von Kaltenborn-Stachau as chief executive officer.

OLT – Ostfriesische Lufttransport: Nearly Four Decades of Service

In 1972, the company adopted the name Ostfriesische Lufttransport GmbH (OLT), with Kaltenborn-Stachau acquiring a 26% ownership interest. New scheduled routes commenced in 1973, connecting Kassel and Düsseldorf with Cologne/Bonn. In 1974, services extended to Hanover, Saarbrücken, Stuttgart, Münster/Osnabrück, and Frankfurt. To support its regional airline strategy, Deutsche Lufttransport-Gesellschaft mbH (DLT) was established, and OLT was renamed DLT Luftverkehrsgesellschaft. Shortly thereafter, AGIV separated the Emden-based operations (OLT) from DLT by selling them to AG EMS, allowing OLT to resume its primary activities under its original designation. In 1976, OLT collaborated with FLN and Dollart GmbH to create a joint venture named OFD, aimed at increasing charter service flexibility.

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, OLT expanded into former East German states and acquired Roland Air in 1990. By 1991, it had established a base in Bremen with regular scheduled flights. In 1996, OFD’s operations were fully integrated back into OLT under the ownership of AG EMS.

OLT demonstrated competitive strength against low-cost carrier easyJet on the Bristol-Hamburg business route; despite easyJet launching daily flights in 2005, OLT’s higher flight frequency led easyJet to discontinue service on this route by October 2006.

Transition to OLT Express Germany

On 4 August 2011, after losing its Airbus shuttle contract, OLT announced significant restructuring plans: it would terminate Fokker and Saab operations by October and reduce its workforce from 120 employees down to 20. The only remaining flights were island connections from Emden to Heligoland and Borkum. That same month, Polish shadow banking firm Amber Gold acquired OLT along with Polish airlines Jet Air and Yes Airways. Jet Air and Yes Airways merged under the brand OLT Express, while OLT was rebranded as OLT Express Germany. The island routes were transferred to an independent operator, OFD Ostfriesischer-Flug-Dienst.

In September 2012, OLT Express Germany took over Contact Air, including its wet-lease agreement with Swiss International Air Lines. However, Amber Gold’s financial instability raised concerns about funding continuity. By July 2012, Polish OLT Express abruptly suspended all operations.

In August 2012, Dutch firm Panta Holdings acquired both OLT Germany and Contact Air; Panta also controls Denim Air and Maas Air Leasing. Both subsidiaries operate Fokker aircraft models; Maas Air Leasing leased two Fokker 100s to Contact Air. The wet-lease contract with Swiss International Air Lines was scheduled to conclude in March 2013.

Facing financial difficulties, OLT Express Germany halted operations on 27 January 2013 and filed for bankruptcy protection two days later.

Destinations

As of January 2013, OLT managed the following routes. Note that all flights to the islands had been handed over to the independent operator OFD Ostfriesischer-Flug-Dienst since 2011.