Wind Jet
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Predecessor | Air Sicilia |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Antonino Pulvirenti |
| Defunct | 2012 |
| Fate | Ceased operations; attempted acquisition by Alitalia failed |
| Headquarters | Catania , Italy |
Area served | Italy, Europe |
Key people | Antonino Pulvirenti (CEO) |
| Products | Passenger air transport (low-cost carrier) |
| Parent | Finaria Group |
Wind Jet S.p.A. was a budget airline based in Catania, Italy, operating as a low-cost carrier. Established in 2003 by CEO Antonino Pulvirenti, who also owned the football club Calcio Catania, the airline was created following the demise of Air Sicilia. By 2012, Wind Jet ranked as Italy’s third-largest airline in terms of passenger volume, offering domestic and European services primarily from its main base at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport.
History
Operations commenced on 17 June 2003 under full ownership of the Finaria Group.
On 25 January 2012, Alitalia revealed intentions to merge with both Wind Jet and Blue Panorama. However, by 12 April 2012, Alitalia revised its strategy to focus solely on acquiring Wind Jet, proposing an investment between 20 and 30 million € and withdrawing from talks with Blue Panorama.
In late July 2012, Italy’s antitrust regulators gave conditional approval for Alitalia’s takeover of Wind Jet, mandating that Alitalia surrender certain slots on important domestic routes. Following this, Alitalia canceled the acquisition in August 2012. As a result, Wind Jet ceased all flight operations on 11 August 2012 due to financial instability and the threat of losing its operational license, leaving approximately 300,000 travelers stranded. Efforts by Italian authorities to arrange an Alitalia takeover were unsuccessful.
After Wind Jet’s shutdown, the charter carrier Livingston announced plans to take over some of Wind Jet’s routes, although the future of these services remained uncertain.
Fleet
As of 23 May 2012, Wind Jet’s aircraft roster included:
| Aircraft type | Number in service | Orders pending | Seating capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319-100 | 5 | 0 | 140 |
| Airbus A320-200 | 7 | 0 | 180 |
| Total | 12 | 0 |
Incidents and accidents
- On 24 September 2010, Wind Jet Flight 243, operated by an Airbus A319-132 with registration EI-EDM, undershot the runway at Punta Raisi Airport, Palermo, Italy during a night approach amid a thunderstorm and windshear. The aircraft sustained irreparable damage upon striking the localizer antenna; both main landing gear assemblies collapsed, necessitating evacuation via emergency slides. Approximately twenty passengers suffered mainly minor injuries including cuts, bruising, whiplash, and shock; one individual experienced a dislocated shoulder. The incident was investigated by the Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo. Initially attributed by Wind Jet to windshear effects, subsequent findings identified pilot error as the primary cause since the crew continued descending below decision altitude without visual runway contact. The pilots faced legal proceedings in 2013 and both sought expedited trial processes.
External links
- Official website
- Official website (archive)
- Official website (archive)
- ch-aviation Windjet Fleet