A former shareholder in Debonair Germany has setup an airline to operate on the Mönchengladbach-Munich route using 48-seat turboprops. UK-based Debonair pulled out of the German domestic market in December after signing a wet-lease deal with Lufthansa.
European Air Express (EAE) is operating twice-daily flights using two Fokker 50s leased from Denim Air. It may add a third frequency during the summer season.
"There was no reason to cancel this route except that Debonair signed a deal with Lufthansa. For that reason I made a decision of my own to start the airline," says EAE chief executive Peter Hauptvogel. He previously held 49% of Debonair Germany and was the carrier's managing director. Hauptvogel has a 20% share in EAE. A majority stake is held by executive jet operator Vibro.
EAE is targeting a 65% average load factor by the end of the year. It believes up to 60,000 passengers a year will use the service. Additional domestic routes will be looked at once the service is established, says Hauptvogel.
Source: Flight International
