Italian Airline Meridiana joins the Association of European Airlines

The Association of European Airlines, representing Europe’s major airlines, has expanded its membership with Meridiana.

The Association of European Airlines, representing Europe’s major airlines, has expanded its membership with Meridiana.

Privately owned Meridiana, part of the Meridiana S.p.A Holding Group, based in Olbia (Sardegna, Italy) celebrates this year its 50th anniversary this year. To date it is the second largest carrier in Italy.

Meridiana offers a wide range of flights and leisure type destinations from the main Italian airports.

The company was set up with the name of Alisarda on March 29, 1963 by Aga Khan Prince Karīm al-Hussaynī with the aim of promoting tourism in Sardinia. Scheduled flights commenced in 1964.

In 1989, 35% of new stock was released to new shareholders to strengthen the company and the name Meridiana was adopted on 3 May 1991. The first international services were operated later in 1991 to Barcelona, Paris, London and Frankfurt.

At the end of February 2010, Meridiana fly was inaugurated, the second largest carrier in Italy, from the merger of two air transport players: Eurofly, a Company specialising in charter services to long haul holiday destinations and Meridiana, scheduled carrier with an extensive national and European network, with the primary objective of connecting the main Italian airports with the two largest islands Sardinia and Sicily.
In October 2011 Meridiana fly also completely acquired the properties of Air Italy, a chartered Italian carrier which definitively joined the Group and now operates connections on behalf of Meridiana.

On 16 January 2013 The Board of Directors of Meridiana S.p.A. acknowledged the agreement for the purchase by Meridiana S.p.A. of all the Meridiana fly ordinary shares held by the former shareholders of Air Italy Holding S.r.l. Today the group is run by Meridiana S.p.A. Holding wich controls 89% of Meridiana fly including 100% of Air Italy, the remaining part is quoted to the Milan stock Exchange but an OPA[clarification needed] has recently launched to be delisted.

The Board of Directors of Meridiana fly named Board Member Roberto Scaramella, who is also the Aviation Director of AKFED[clarification needed], as the new CEO. A similar resolution has also been passed by the Board of Directors of Air Italy.

In April 2013, when Air Italy merged was completed, Meridiana Fly changed its brand name, back to the shorter Meridiana.

Today[when?] Meridiana offers a wide range of flights and leisure type destinations: with regard to the national and international short and medium haul scheduled flights, from the main Italian airports, it is possible to reach Sardinia (Olbia, Alghero and Cagliari), Sicily and Naples as well as major holiday destinations in the Mediterranean or in Egypt such as the Canary Islands, Greece and the Red Sea while the principal long range destinations, mainly serviced from Milan Malpensa and/or Rome Fiumicino, are the Maldives, Mauritius, Kenya, Zanzibar, Madagascar, Cuba, Santo Domingo and Brazil. The airports of Olbia – Costa Smeralda, Cagliari, Catania, Naples and Verona with Milan and Rome are the airports of reference in Italy.

Meridiana has a fleet of 27 aircraft consisting of 10 McDonnell Douglas MD82, 7 Airbus A320, 3 Boeing 737-700, 2 Boeing 737-300 WL, 2 Boeing 737-800, 1 Boeing 767-200, 2 Boeing 767-300.

“Meridiana is very pleased to join AEA in this very special year of its 50th anniversary. We believe that the group of European airlines can continue shaping a more sustainable competitive arena. The European airline industry, after many years of open sky operations, is now facing new competitive challenges but we have strong confidence in the role that AEA plays at industry and institution level and we are eager to actively contribute to it” said Mr Roberto Scaramella, CEO of Meridiana.

“We are delighted that Meridiana has joined the Association of European Airlines”, said Mr Athar Husain Khan, CEO of AEA. “With its network of domestic destinations in Italy as well as European services and intercontinental flights as well as with its experience in aircraft maintenance, Meridiana will certainly add further clout to the voice of the AEA. We welcome Meridiana in the AEA family and looking forward to working together with this dynamic Italian airline“

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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