Air Europa has revised its involvement in its regional subsidiary, Air Europa Express, focusing on feed within the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean.
Air Europa Express began operations in early 1997 as a 50:50 joint venture between Air Europa and Canary Islands start-up Canarias Regional Air (CRA). It initially operated its leased British Aerospace ATP fleet to feed Air Europa services within the Balearics, as well as to mainland Spain. Later, a second operation was set up within the Canaries.
Air Europa managing director Juan Saez says that the airline has taken over the Balearic operation, and substantially reduced its involvement in the Canaries.
"We have split the two divisions up and now hold 100% of Air Europa Express operating in the Balearics," says Saez. "We now have just 10% of the Canaries division, which is still temporarily called Air Europa Express," he adds.
The Balearic-based Air Europa Express division, which operates from Palma, Majorca, has five ATPs in operation, while the Canaries operation, headed by CRA founder Juan Socastro, has four ATPs, which now carry additional "Canarias Regional Air" titles. The two fleets are leased from British Aerospace Asset Management Turboprops, which is quietly confident that the each will require more ATPs.
Socastro, a Canary Islands resident, conceived the idea of a new Canaries-based regional to improve services between the islands. These routes had been operated by Iberia's loss-making Binter Canarias division. Significantly, Iberia recently disclosed that it was looking to shed its holding in the Canaries-based airline.
Source: Flight International
