Darwin Airline

Darwin Airline
Etihad Regional
IATA ICAO Callsign
F7[1] DWT DARWIN
Founded 2003
Hubs
Secondary hubs
Frequent-flyer program Etihad Guest
Fleet size 10
Destinations 15 (as Etihad Regional)[2]
Company slogan Flying evolution
Headquarters Lugano, Switzerland
Key people Emilio Martinenghi, President[3]
Employees 314 (as of October 2014)[4]
Website etihadregional.com

Darwin Airline is a Swiss regional airline with its head office on the grounds of Lugano Airport in Agno, near Lugano.[5] It operates scheduled domestic and international services throughout some western European countries using the brand name Etihad Regional[6] since January 2014 as well as on behalf of Air Berlin and Alitalia. Its bases are Geneva Airport and Lugano Airport.[7]

History

Early years

A former Baboo DHC-8 in Darwin colors resting at Lugano Airport

Darwin Airline was established on 12 August 2003 and operations started on 28 July 2004. By October 2013 it had 220 employees.[7]

On 25 November 2010, Darwin Airline announced its plans to take over some Baboo operating assets by early 2011. Under the plan, some parts of the combined airline would continue to be marketed under the Baboo name, while Darwin would be able to substantially expand their operations.[8]

At the time of the merger, Baboo had returned its fleet of three leased Embraer E-190 to their lessors and only the remaining two Bombardier DHC-8-Q400 were transferred to Darwin Airline to be used on high-density routes as the 74-seater offered a substantial increase in seats compared to the Saab 2000. Later both DHC-8-Q400 were sold as they had too much capacity for the Darwin Airline's network.

On 2 September 2013, Darwin Airline opened a base at Cambridge with flights to Amsterdam, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Milan Malpensa and its Geneva base using Saab 2000 aircraft.[9] These services were suspended in early 2014 due to low demand.[10]

Cooperation with Etihad Airways

Darwin Airline Saab 2000 in Etihad Regional colors

On 17 November 2013, Etihad Airways announced that it had bought a 33% stake in Darwin Airline. Following completion of the deal, Darwin will use the new brand name Etihad Regional but Darwin will continue to operate as normal and will operate flights for Etihad Regional and the new brand will have the subtitle "operated by Darwin Airline".[11] The first Darwin aircraft featuring the Etihad Regional livery began operating between Lugano and Geneva on 17 January 2014; the airline announced that all ten of its Saab 2000 aircraft would be repainted in Etihad livery by the end of June 2014. Four ATR 72-500s leased to Etihad Regional will be also painted in the new livery as soon as they are delivered to the company.[12]

In early 2014, Etihad Regional leased four ATR 72-500s from Nordic Aviation Capital to expand routes from Geneva.[10]

From the end of March 2014, the airline withdrew its Ancona-Roma Fiumicino and Trapani-Roma Fiumicino routes, as a result of cabotage restrictions, which prevent Swiss aviation companies from operating domestic flights in the European Union. It was previously possible for Darwin Airline to fly these routes thanks to a derogation from the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, however, this was not renewed.[13][14] In January 2014, Darwin Airline also withdrew its Aosta-Roma Fiumicino route even before it had commenced; a result of the same cabotage and the European Union's refusal to make an exception for a Swiss company.[15]

Reduction of operations

In February 2014 Etihad Regional cancelled the planned routes from Berlin to Poznań and Wrocław,[16] as well as the Zagreb-Rome route. By October 2014, several more destinations like Lyon, Turin, and Stuttgart were also cancelled. Additionally, services between Lugano and Zurich, which were flown on behalf of Swiss International Air Lines until 30 October 2014, were also terminated as Swiss cancelled the contract.

In January 2015, it was reported that Etihad Regional faced harsh competition from Swiss International Air Lines, however it was stated that Etihad had no plans to cancel the proposed purchase of a higher stake in Darwin Airline as suggested by some sources.[17] However, by February 2015 the company cancelled further destinations like Linz and Toulouse and also announced they would lay off a fifth of its staff.[18]

On 18 February 2015, Etihad Regional ceased two thirds of its scheduled routes without further notice, amongst them all services to Germany[19] and several to France.[20] The airline will continue to operate some of their domestic and European routes from Geneva and Lugano[19][21] as well as the Italian domestic service from Bolzano to Rome while all services to and from Zürich were cancelled immediately except the domestic service to Geneva.[20] Etihad Regional blamed competitors as well as the Swiss aviation authorities for their failed expansion.[19]

On 11 March 2015, Darwin Airline confirmed it would start operating some of their Saab 2000s on behalf of Air Berlin, in which Etihad Airways also holds a stake, from April 2015.[22] On 29 March 2015, it was also been announced that Darwin Airline will operate all of its four ATR72 on several domestic routes for Alitalia, in which Etihad Airways also holds a stake.[23]

In November 2015, SkyWork Airlines announced the termination of their ACMI contract with Darwin by December 2015 due to crew shortage at Darwin.[24] The operations on behalf of Air Berlin also ended by 30 April 2016, as Air Berlin started to operate two of the three routes itself while the third one ceased.[25]

Destinations

Darwin Airline Saab 2000 in the airline's own livery
Interior of a Darwin Airline Saab 2000

Destinations operated as Etihad Regional

As of April 2016, Darwin Airline operates the following routes using the Etihad Regional brand:[2]

France
Germany
Italy
Spain
Switzerland

Destinations operated for Alitalia

Italy

Fleet

Darwin Airline ATR 72-500 in Etihad Regional livery

As of December 2015, the Darwin Airline fleet includes the following aircraft:[28]

Darwin Airline Fleet
Aircraft Amount Orders Passengers Notes
ATR 72-500 4 — 72 operated for Alitalia
Saab 2000 7 — 50 4 operated as Etihad Regional
1 operated for Alitalia
Total 11 — —

References

  1. ↑ "IATA - Airline and Airport Code Search". iata.org. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 "etihadregional.com". Etihad regional.
  3. ↑ "etihadregional.com". Etihad regional.
  4. ↑ http://www.etihad.com/Documents/PDFs/Corporate%20profile/Fast%20facts/Q4-2014-Eng.pdf
  5. ↑ "Contatti." Darwin Airline. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
  6. ↑ "Etihad Regional reduziert VIE-DRS". austrianaviation.net.
  7. 1 2 "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 3 April 2007. p. 71.
  8. ↑ "Switzerland's Darwin to take over Baboo operations". Flight International. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
  9. ↑ "Darwin Airline verbindet Leipzig mit Amsterdam und Paris". airliners.de.
  10. 1 2 "Etihad Suspends Cambridge Ops". Airliner World: 6. May 2014.
  11. ↑ "Dubai Airshow: Etihad Rebrands Swiss Carrier Darwin With 33% Stake". Gulf Business.
  12. ↑ Etihad and Qatar Airways Enter New Territory, Aviation Week & Space Technology, 27 January 2014, p. 31
  13. ↑ RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera. "News -RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera".
  14. ↑ di Massimiliano Bona. "L’Europa toglie due rotte alla Darwin". Alto Adige.
  15. ↑ "Ticinonline - Volo Aosta-Fiumicino, Darwin bocciata". 17 January 2014.
  16. ↑ "Darwin Airline shelves Berlin Tegel route launch plans". ch-aviation.com.
  17. ↑ "Etihad Regional will not be put off by “aggressive actions of competitors": Hogan". Arabian Business.
  18. ↑ "Jeder fünfte Arbeitsplatz weg: Etihad Regional baut Stellen ab - aeroTELEGRAPH". aeroTELEGRAPH.
  19. 1 2 3 "Etihad Regional streicht erneut Flüge". austrianaviation.net.
  20. 1 2 "Netz wird um zwei Drittel verkleinert: Etihad Regional zieht aus Zürich ab - aeroTELEGRAPH". aeroTELEGRAPH.
  21. ↑ https://www.etihadregional.com/en-us/flight-cancellation/
  22. ↑ "Fix: Air Berlin setzt auf Saab 2000". austrianaviation.net.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Alitalia adds new domestic links with Darwin ATR72s". ch-aviation.com.
  24. ↑ flyskywork.com - Minor amendments to winter flight schedule 2 December 2015
  25. ↑ airberlin.com - Flightplan / GDS retrieved 16 December 2015
  26. ↑ "ETIHAD Regional Adds Venice – Paderborn Service from July 2016". airlineroute. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  27. ↑ "ETIHAD Regional Adds Sion Service May – Sep 2016".
  28. ↑ "Darwin Airline". ch-aviation.com.

External links

Media related to Darwin Airline at Wikimedia Commons

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