OpenSkies
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Predecessor | L'Avion |
| Founded | June 2008 |
| Founder | British Airways (BA European Limited) |
| Defunct | 2020 |
| Fate | Ceased operations due to COVID-19 pandemic; brand merged into Level |
| Headquarters | Rungis , France |
Area served | Europe, United States |
| Products | Air transport services |
| Owner | International Airlines Group (IAG) |
| Parent | International Airlines Group (IAG) |
| Website | www |
OpenSkies was a French airline under the ownership of International Airlines Group (IAG), with its headquarters located in Rungis, close to Paris. The brand was introduced by BA European Limited in June 2008 and subsequently transferred to Elysair (previously known as L'Avion) in April 2009. This full-service airline offered three-class cabin configurations on routes connecting Paris Orly Airport with both Newark Liberty International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in the United States.
Operating a limited fleet tailored for transatlantic flights, OpenSkies prioritized premium customer experience. After the summer of 2018, it discontinued services under its own brand to operate on behalf of IAG's budget airline, Level. The airline ultimately ceased all operations in 2020 as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
History
British Airways sought to lessen its dependence on its hub at Heathrow Airport by establishing flights between the US and European mainland cities.[1] OpenSkies capitalized on the EU–U.S. Open Skies Agreement, which permits carriers based in either the EU or US to operate services between any locations within these regions, although expansion was constrained by limited landing slots at airports such as Heathrow.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Following the 2008 EU-US Open Skies agreement, British Airways launched BA European Limited, operating under the trade name Openskies (initially called "Project Lauren"). It held a UK Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence authorizing passenger, cargo, and mail services on aircraft with seating capacities exceeding 20.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name This licence was temporarily suspended in 2009 during the brand transfer and was later replaced by a French operating certificate.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
OpenSkies commenced its first flight from New York on 19 June 2008 utilizing a Boeing 757 from British Airways’ fleet. In July 2008, British Airways acquired French airline L'Avion for £54 million,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name integrating it into OpenSkies on 4 April 2009. Prospective new destinations included Dublin, Frankfurt, Madrid, Brussels, Rome, and Milan.[2]
Amsterdam became the airline’s third destination in October 2008; Newark was added following L'Avion's merger in April 2009. Nevertheless, economic challenges led to the suspension of New York-JFK to Amsterdam flights in August 2009,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name and the discontinuation of Washington-Paris service came in October 2011.[3]
In January 2010, OpenSkies moved all New York operations from JFK to Newark,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name before reinstating JFK-Orly flights in March 2013.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Additionally, it established a codeshare agreement with American Airlines in 2013.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
On 1 December 2012, OpenSkies became an affiliate member of the Oneworld alliance, allowing British Airways Executive Club members to accrue tier points and miles on its flights.
On 28 November 2017, IAG revealed plans for its low-cost brand Level to begin Paris Orly operations in July 2018 using OpenSkies’ personnel and operating licence. The airline’s IATA code was changed from EC to LV in May 2018. The OpenSkies brand officially ended operations on 2 September 2018, with staff transitioning to Level flights.[4]
FlightGlobal reported that retiring the final OpenSkies aircraft symbolized the brand’s public conclusion.[5] However, operations continued under Level France with crews retrained to operate Airbus aircraft.[5]
On 8 July 2020, IAG announced that OpenSkies would be shut down due to the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air travel demand.[6] Despite this announcement, bookings briefly reopened for flights scheduled between October and December 2020,[7][8] though no services resumed and reservations were ultimately closed permanently.
Level brand destinations
From July 2018 until the suspension of flights in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, OpenSkies operated services on behalf of Level. The airline ceased operations entirely in July 2020:
Former OpenSkies brand destinations
Between June 2008 and September 2018, OpenSkies operated flights under its own branding to the following locations:
OpenSkies maintained partnerships through codeshare arrangements with prominent airlines including:
Fleet
At the time of its closure in July 2020, the OpenSkies fleet operating under the Level name comprised the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | In service |
Orders | Passenger Configuration | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A330-200 | 3 | — | 21 | 293 | 314 | Operated on behalf of Level. |
| Total | 3 | — | ||||
Historical fleet
Prior to September 2018, OpenSkies flew these aircraft types under its own branding:
| Aircraft | Quantity | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 757-200 | 4 | 2008 | 2018 | Comprised two aircraft transferred from British Airways and two formerly operated by L'Avion. |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 1 | 2016 | 2018 | Transferred from the fleet of British Airways. |
Fleet development
In February 2009, British Airways decided against expanding OpenSkies' Boeing 757 fleet beyond the single unit already transferred, choosing instead to sell additional 757s to other buyers. This decision curtailed OpenSkies' planned expansion to six aircraft by year-end.
On April 8, 2016, OpenSkies incorporated a Boeing 767 configured with three classes into its fleet. This aircraft was reassigned from British Airways as they phased out their three-class 767s. Beginning in August 2016, it operated on the Newark–Paris Orly route and also served as a backup aircraft for operational flexibility.
The Airbus A330-200 was introduced in July 2018 under the Level brand as part of preparations for phasing out OpenSkies. Following the discontinuation of the OpenSkies brand on September 2, 2018, one Boeing 757-200 and one Boeing 767-300ER remained outside Level branding; both were subsequently retired and placed into storage. The Boeing 757-200 was eventually acquired by Cabo Verde Airlines.
External links
- Level official website
- Archived version of the OpenSkies site
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- Pages with reference errors
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- Defunct airlines of France
- Airlines founded in 2008
- Airlines ceased operations in 2020
- British Airways
- Companies located in Île-de-France
- Oneworld affiliate members
- Business class carriers
- French firms established in 2008
- French firms closed in 2020
- Airlines closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- French companies disestablished in 2020