PrivatAir

PrivatAir SA

Company type	Private
Industry	Airline
Founded	1977
Founder	Latsis family
Defunct	December 5, 2018 (2018-12-05)
Fate	Insolvency and ceased operations
Headquarters	Meyrin , Switzerland
Area served	International (including Switzerland, Germany, United States)
Products	Scheduled services, business aviation, pilot and crew training

PrivatAir SA was a Swiss airline based in Meyrin, specializing in the operation of business jets as well as scheduled flights for prominent airlines. Additionally, the company oversaw pilot and crew training programs. PrivatAir possessed air operator certificates both in Switzerland and via its subsidiary PrivatAir GmbH in Germany. On 5 December 2018, the airline declared insolvency and terminated all operations.

History

Established in 1977, PrivatAir began as Petrolair, the corporate flight division under the ownership of the Latsis family. The airline commenced business travel services in 1979 using a Boeing 737-200. By 1989, it had expanded its fleet to include a Boeing 757 and Gulfstream IV and adopted the PrivatAir brand. On June 1, 1995, it was granted a commercial airline license by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation.

In March 2001, the formation of the PrivatAir Group took place, securing ETOPS certification for 180 minutes along with FAA Part 129 Foreign Carrier authorization under the US-Switzerland "open skies" treaty. This approval permitted unrestricted operations across transatlantic and transpacific routes to the United States. At that time, PrivatAir was unique among ad hoc commercial charter operators in holding these certifications.

By February 2002, PrivatAir had completed its private terminal "C3" at Geneva International Airport, designed to provide VIP customer experiences. In October 2012, it became a founding member of AirClub, a corporate jet alliance headquartered in Geneva; by 2018, AirClub comprised eight additional members alongside PrivatAir: ACM Air Charter, Air Alsie, Air Hamburg, Corporatejets, FLYINGGROUP, GlobeAir, London Executive Aviation, and Masterjet.

In May 2003, PrivatAir collaborated with Swissport to launch PrivatPort, a dedicated executive jet handling service. Later that year, in October 2003, its German branch PrivatAir Germany GmbH received JAR – 145 certification from German aviation authorities, which enhanced its operational independence for contracts with Lufthansa and Airbus.

In November 2016, SilverArrow Capital, a British investment company, acquired a controlling interest of 51% in PrivatAir.

In October 2018, German regulators revoked PrivatAir Germany's operating certificate. Subsequently, on 5 December 2018, due to unfavorable business conditions, PrivatAir halted all operations and filed for insolvency for both its Swiss and German entities.

Company overview

PrivatAir was organized into three main sectors: Scheduled Services, Business Aviation, and PrivatTraining.

• Focused on both scheduled and charter operations utilizing medium-sized, long-range jets, PrivatAir’s primary hub was located at Geneva Airport, with additional operational centers established according to contractual obligations, such as Frankfurt Airport for Lufthansa.
• The Business Aviation segment provided a variety of services including Aircraft Management, Sales & Acquisitions, Charter operations, the AirClub corporate jet alliance, PrivatJetFuel for fuel logistics, and Ground Services under the PrivatPort brand.
• PrivatTraining delivered internal safety, security, and customer service training designed to assist private jet operators in complying with industry regulations.

Operations

In addition to private and business charters, PrivatAir managed aircraft operations on behalf of international carriers through long-term agreements.

Between June 2002 and June 2008, PrivatAir operated a direct transatlantic route for Lufthansa connecting Düsseldorf with Newark, featuring an exclusive Business Class cabin. These flights were overseen by the German branch PrivatAir GmbH based in Düsseldorf, which handled both flight operations and maintenance for the company’s fleet, including four Airbus aircraft and three Boeing business jets.

From 2003 until 2008, PrivatAir provided charter services for Airbus between Hamburg-Finkenwerder and Toulouse before this route was transferred to OLT Express Germany. The airline also operated scheduled services for established carriers such as Lufthansa on routes from Frankfurt to Pune and Nairobi, as well as domestic flights for Saudia.

In April 2015, Lufthansa announced it would discontinue the Frankfurt-Dammam service operated by PrivatAir by October 2015. Other destinations previously served on Lufthansa’s behalf included Libreville, Pointe-Noire, Accra, Bahrain, and Tel Aviv; these were all terminated several years prior. The Nairobi route ceased operations on 31 August 2016. PrivatAir also flew for ECAir until that airline halted its activities in October 2016.

From March 2016 through October 2017, PrivatAir operated a Boeing 737 under contract for Scandinavian Airlines, flying between Copenhagen and Boston.

By 2017, following the collapse of Air Berlin, PrivatAir expanded its presence on leisure routes from Germany for airlines such as TUI fly Deutschland and Eurowings. In July 2018, Lufthansa suspended its Frankfurt-Pune service operated by PrivatAir; however, this route was reinstated later that year using Lufthansa’s own aircraft.

Fleet

As of December 2018, the combined fleet of PrivatAir registered in Switzerland and Germany consisted of the following aircraft. Furthermore, PrivatAir managed several business jets from manufacturers including Dassault, Bombardier, and Gulfstream.

Aircraft	In service	Orders	Notes
Airbus A220-100	—	5
Airbus A319CJ	3	—	Operated by PrivatAir Switzerland for Saudia Private Aviation
Boeing BBJ	2	—	Operated by PrivatAir Germany; currently stored
Total	5	5

Historically, PrivatAir’s fleet included a wider variety of aircraft such as the Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 models.