In 1950 an aviation enthusiast with a small piece of farmland near a town in the south of Denmark had a dream.
Ingolf Nielsen built a landing strip and set about buying and selling aircraft across the German border just a few kilometres away. At the same time he launched what was to become Europe's first specialist regional airline.
Today, Cimber Air (Hall 3, F1) is a thriving operator and part of an aviation group offering maintenance, repair and overhaul, data services and leasing from that same small town, Sonderborg on the island of Ans. 
Hangars
The old family home is still occupied by a Cimber Air pilot; the original terminal building is now the office of the Cimber Air Support business. The old hangers look the same from the outside but inside is a temperature controlled storage facility holding millions of dollars worth of ATR spares.
Ten kilometres down the road is the new Sonderborg airport. But some things never changes. Jorgen Nielsen, son of the founder and now president of Cimber Air, owns and lives in the farm house on the airport.
Nielsen is committed to building on his father's vision. And it is very much a family business.
There's Jorgen running the airline with its fleet of two ATR42-300s, three ATR42-500s, 12 ATR72s and seven Bombardier CRJ200LRs. His brother Hans Ingolf heads Cimber Air Data with its aircraft maintenance planning and inventory control systems and their sister Lone Koch is group marketing manager.
The name Cimber comes from a Viking tribe in the north of Denmark. The company's logo shows the famous Viking helmet reflecting the tribe's reputation as tough warriors happy to invade new territories.
Nielsen says that's why the company is at the Paris air show for only the second time in its 55-year history.
"The group has expanded beyond the airline with five separate businesses working within the group. We see a great opportunity to meet people at Paris and show them what we are doing," he says.
One rapidly expanding part of the business is Cimber Air Maintenance Centre (CAMC), specialising in the ATR42. As the launch customer for the type, Cimber has developed a wealth of experience on it and its derivatives.
Now with the CRJ in the fleet the independent business is offering its capabilities to other operators.
Former British Airways manager Dave Plumpton heads the business. "We are on course to complete some 52,000 manhours in heavy maintenance this year - a 35% increase on last year," he says.
Doubled
The team of engineers has almost doubled in size over the past year to 78 and Cimber is facing the challenge of recruiting more.
"We have just about seen everyone in Denmark with the right experience and we are keen to encourage more licensed and non-licensed technicians to think about a career with us in southern Denmark," Plumpton says.
"It's a great quality of life and there are plenty of work challenges too."
CAMC has seen strong repeat business from customers such as Air Wales and Air Atlantique and is now seeing new business coming in, thanks to a revival in demand for the ATR aircraft.
As well as Sonderborg, CAMC is looking at expanding its line activity at nearby Billund airport and at its main hub in Copenhagen.
Plumpton is keen to emphasise the independence from Cimber Air but says that many customers find comfort in the fact that the group is both an operator and a maintenance operator "with some 20 years supporting the type".
Plumpton sees a lot of opportunity: "If it has ATR attached to it then we want to be part of it," he says.
"We are working with airlines and new start-ups. We want to nurture those relationships rather than make a quick buck. We are building on repeat business and not one-offs.
"We are at the centre of Europe and we know there are 112 ATRs operating within 2h of Sonderborg. Half don't have maintenance facilities. By offering a service based on quality, cost and delivery we will succeed."
Doubled
The geographic angle is something that Carl Pedersen, managing director of the Cimber Air Support business, is also keen to pursue. Cimber Air Support offers a supply of consumables, repair, overhaul services as well as providing component exchange services.
The close proximity to the burgeoning eastern European states is a big opportunity. "There are a lot of issues with customs holding up spares in some of those countries," Pedersen says.
The services business is also eyeing opportunities across the Atlantic.
With FedEx having declared support for the ATR, Pedersen sees an opportunity for the Viking raiders to set up a base on the east coast of the USA. Cimber is in talks with operators and hopes to make an announcement within months.
ALAN PEAFORD
Source: Flight Daily News
