EUROWINGS (EW), a leading German regional airline, has made aviation history with the first-ever flight-designator code swap, with an Australian airline.
The airline acted to take advantage of a new International Air Transport Association (IATA) resolution (which allows the direct swap code between consenting airlines) when it learned that the designator EW had been re-allocated by IATA from Eastwest Airlines (which had been incorporated into Ansett) to a small Australian commuter, Cape York Air.
Calculating that EW would bring major benefits, while at the same time offering the chance to rid itself of the less desirable code NS - often seen in Europe as standing for National Socialism - Eurowings contacted Cape York Air. At first, the courtship was rebuffed, mainly because Cape York Air had already printed its new code on timetables and advertising matter.
Resistance softened, however, once Eurowings offered compensation, and was broken when more money was put on the table.
Source: Flight International