Air Contractors
Encyclopedia
Air Contractors Limited is a freight airline
. It operates scheduled freight services throughout Europe on behalf of major integrators such as FedEx Feeder and DHL Express. ASL Aviation Group Limited, which controls Air Contractors, has its head office at No.3 Malahide Road, Swords, County Dublin
, Republic of Ireland
.
(51%) and Safair
(49%) in June 1998, and a move to Ireland. It has expanded as a group to include aircraft leasing (ACL Aviation Support and Aircraft Trading both based in Southend, UK) and maintenance (Air Contractors Engineering, previously called Aeroscot, Edinburgh, UK).
Air Contractors has operated several types of cargo aircraft including the Boeing 727
and Airbus A300
, as well as a number of turboprop platforms in support of its clients operations.
Air Contractors is a one of the largest operators of ATR42/72 series of turboprop aircraft, providing services to a range of clients, the largest of which being Fedex Express.
Air Contractors is the only operator of a civil registered Lockheed L-100 Hercules aircraft in Europe. The aircraft, EI-JIV, is based at East Midlands airport in the UK.
Air Contractors acquired French carrier Europe Airpost
on 14 March 2008. Following the acquisition of EAP into the ACL group of companies, the group was rebranded ASL Aviation Group, representing the three core activities of the group; Airlines, Support and Leasing.
colours.
It also operates the Airbus A300-B4 fleet on behalf of DHL with a main operational base of Leipzig in Germany.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
. It operates scheduled freight services throughout Europe on behalf of major integrators such as FedEx Feeder and DHL Express. ASL Aviation Group Limited, which controls Air Contractors, has its head office at No.3 Malahide Road, Swords, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
History
The airline was established and started operations in 1972, as AirBridge Carriers at East Midlands Airport. The name Hunting Cargo Airlines was adopted in September 1992 and then changed to Air Contractors, following the acquisition of the airline by Compagnie Maritime BelgeCompagnie Maritime Belge
-History:The CMB was founded in 1895 under the name Compagnie Belge Maritime du Congo . At the request of Leopold II of Belgium and with support from British investors, a maritime connection was opened with Congo Free State. On 6 February 1895 the CMB ship Léopoldville was the first to leave port...
(51%) and Safair
Safair
Safair is an airline based in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa. Operator of one of the world's largest fleets of civil Lockheed L-100 Hercules cargo aircraft, it also conducts aircraft chartering, leasing and sales, contract operations and leasing services, flightcrew leasing and...
(49%) in June 1998, and a move to Ireland. It has expanded as a group to include aircraft leasing (ACL Aviation Support and Aircraft Trading both based in Southend, UK) and maintenance (Air Contractors Engineering, previously called Aeroscot, Edinburgh, UK).
Air Contractors has operated several types of cargo aircraft including the Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
and Airbus A300
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
, as well as a number of turboprop platforms in support of its clients operations.
Air Contractors is a one of the largest operators of ATR42/72 series of turboprop aircraft, providing services to a range of clients, the largest of which being Fedex Express.
Air Contractors is the only operator of a civil registered Lockheed L-100 Hercules aircraft in Europe. The aircraft, EI-JIV, is based at East Midlands airport in the UK.
Air Contractors acquired French carrier Europe Airpost
Europe Airpost
Europe Airpost is an airline based in the Bâtiment Le Séquoia in Tremblay-en-France. It operates mail and cargo flights for the postal service and newspapers dispatch during the night and scheduled and charter services for other airlines and tour operators by day thanks to its fleet of Boeing...
on 14 March 2008. Following the acquisition of EAP into the ACL group of companies, the group was rebranded ASL Aviation Group, representing the three core activities of the group; Airlines, Support and Leasing.
Destinations
Air Contractors has a short-haul operation from Dublin, with short-haul services also from London-Stansted, Manchester and Paris-Charles de Gaulle. All services are operated for FedEx Feeder with some aircraft painted in FedExFedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
colours.
It also operates the Airbus A300-B4 fleet on behalf of DHL with a main operational base of Leipzig in Germany.
Fleet
The Air Contractors fleet consists of the following aircraft (at 7 September 2010):| Aircraft | In Fleet | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300B4-203F Airbus A300 The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS... |
13 | Operating for DHL Aviation DHL Aviation DHL Aviation is a division of DHL Express responsible for providing air transport capacity. It is not a single airline but refers to several airlines owned, co-owned or chartered by DHL Express... |
| ATR 42-300 ATR 42 -Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.... |
2 | Leased to Mistral Air Mistral Air Mistral Air srl is a cargo airline based in Rome, Italy. It operates scheduled cargo services on behalf of TNT Global Express and Poste Italiane. It also undertakes flight training... |
| ATR 42-300F ATR 42 -Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.... |
5 | Operating for FedEx Express |
| ATR 42-500 ATR 42 -Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.... |
7 | Operating for CSA Czech Airlines |
| ATR 72-200 ATR 72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology... |
12 | 3 leased to Aer Arann Aer Arann Aer Arann is a regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. Aer Arann operates scheduled services from Ireland and the Isle of Man to destinations in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, with a fleet of 18 aircraft. Aer Arann has expanded from a single aircraft to Ireland's third largest airline... |
| ATR 72-200F ATR 72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology... |
2 | Operating for Amapola Flyg Amapola Flyg Amapola Flyg is a cargo airline based in Stockholm, Sweden. It operates freight services on behalf of the Swedish Post Office, Jetpak and MiniLiner from Maastricht Aachen Airport, various MiniLiner bases in Italy and its main base at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport.... |
| C130 Hercules C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport... |
1 | Leased |
| Boeing 737-300 | 1 | Operating for Europe Airpost Europe Airpost Europe Airpost is an airline based in the Bâtiment Le Séquoia in Tremblay-en-France. It operates mail and cargo flights for the postal service and newspapers dispatch during the night and scheduled and charter services for other airlines and tour operators by day thanks to its fleet of Boeing... |
| Total | 43 |
See also
- FedEx Express
- Transport in IrelandTransport in IrelandMost of the transport system in Ireland is in public hands, either side of the Irish border. The Irish road network has evolved separately in the two jurisdictions Ireland is divided up into, while the Irish rail network was mostly created prior to the partition of Ireland.In the Republic of...