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| Founded | 2003 | ||||||
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| Ceased operations | 11 August 2012 | ||||||
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| Hubs |
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| Fleet size | 12 | ||||||
| Destinations | 26 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Catania, Italy | ||||||
| Key people | Antonino Pulvirenti (founder, chairman & CEO) | ||||||
Wind Jet S.p.A. was an Italian low-cost airline based in Catania, Italy.[1] It was founded in 2003, following the disbandment of Air Sicilia by current CEO Antonino Pulvirenti, also owner of football team Calcio Catania. On 11 August 2012 the airline ceased operations until further notice due to financial troubles. At that time it was the third-largest Italian airline by passenger numbers, and operated national and European flights primarily from its hub in Catania.
Windjet was established in 2003 and started operations on 17 June 2003. It was 100% owned by the Finaria Group.
On 25 January 2012, Alitalia declared they would start a merger with Wind Jet, as well as with Blue Panorama, another Italian airline.[2] On 12 April 2012, Alitalia chose to pursue the sole acquisition of Wind Jet with a cash payment of between 20 and 30 million €, while abandoning the project of a merger with Blue Panorama Airlines.[3]
By the end of July 2012, the Italian antitrust authority granted Alitalia leave to acquire Wind Jet, but in return Alitalia would have to give up slots on key domestic routes. Faced with this, Alitalia cancelled the plans a few days later in August 2012.[4] As a result, the cash-strapped airline suspended all flights on 11 August 2012, faced with losing their air operator's certificate, leaving 300,000 passengers stranded.[5] The Italian authorities tried to prompt Alitalia to acquire Wind Jet, but they did not succeed.[6]
The charter airline Livingston announced that it would take over several flights of Wind Jet, but it was unclear if they would continue to operate the routes in the future.[7]
The Wind Jet fleet consisted of the following aircraft (as of 23 May 2012):
| Aircraft | In fleet | Orders | Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319-100 | 5 | 0 | 140 | |
| Airbus A320-200 | 7 | 0 | 180 | |
| Total | 12 | 0 |
Companies
Aviation
