Corsairfly
Encyclopedia
Corsair S.A. trading as Corsairfly, is an airline
based in Rungis
, France
. It is currently the second largest French airline after Air France
and operates international scheduled and charter services to 62 European destinations, the French overseas territories, Africa and North America. Its main base is Orly Airport, Paris
n Rossi family and was acquired by Nouvelles Frontières, a French tour operator, in 1990 and the name was changed to "Corsair". Worldwide traffic rights were obtained in 1991. In 2000 TUI AG
, one of the world's leading tour operator groups, took over Nouvelles Frontières. In 2004, Corsair aircraft were repainted with the colours of TUI, blue fuselage with the TUI-logo, like its sister airlines. At the end of 2005 the TUI Group
, decided to rename all its affiliated airlines TUIfly. As an interim step Corsair aircraft were repainted with Corsairfly markings, although all airlines in the group are expected the common TUIfly brand by 2008.
The airline holds the record for most seats on a passenger aircraft (587 seats, on its Boeing 747-400
s).
Beginning in 2008, the airline announced that it would look forward to expand its medium-haul network to the Mediterranean and its long-haul network to Canada and the United States (where it regularly flew in the 1990s), including the establishment of codeshare agreements with Air Canada
. The first destination in this expansion was Miami in June 2010, but the rest of the plan was later abandoned due to a change in the airline's strategy.
, the refurbishment of all aircraft cabins, leaving the charter flights market, and consolidation of routes (including dropping Kenya, Dominican Republic, Québec City, Moncton, Israël). As of October 2010, the plan was pending union approval.
, Marseille
and Toulouse
To be reconfigured 36/496
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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...
based in Rungis
Rungis
Rungis is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France, in the département of Val-de-Marne.It is best known as the location of the large wholesale food market serving the Paris metropolitan area and beyond, the Marché d'Intérêt National de Rungis, said to be the largest food market in the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is currently the second largest French airline after Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
and operates international scheduled and charter services to 62 European destinations, the French overseas territories, Africa and North America. Its main base is Orly Airport, Paris
History
The airline was established in 1981 and started operations on 17 May 1981 as Corse Air International. It was founded by the CorsicaCorsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
n Rossi family and was acquired by Nouvelles Frontières, a French tour operator, in 1990 and the name was changed to "Corsair". Worldwide traffic rights were obtained in 1991. In 2000 TUI AG
TUI AG
TUI AG is a German multinational travel and tourism company headquartered in Hanover. Until 2001 it was an industrial and transportation company named Preussag AG, which in the mid-1990s decided to reinvent itself as a tourism, shipping, and logistics company...
, one of the world's leading tour operator groups, took over Nouvelles Frontières. In 2004, Corsair aircraft were repainted with the colours of TUI, blue fuselage with the TUI-logo, like its sister airlines. At the end of 2005 the TUI Group
TUI AG
TUI AG is a German multinational travel and tourism company headquartered in Hanover. Until 2001 it was an industrial and transportation company named Preussag AG, which in the mid-1990s decided to reinvent itself as a tourism, shipping, and logistics company...
, decided to rename all its affiliated airlines TUIfly. As an interim step Corsair aircraft were repainted with Corsairfly markings, although all airlines in the group are expected the common TUIfly brand by 2008.
The airline holds the record for most seats on a passenger aircraft (587 seats, on its Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
s).
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
. The first destination in this expansion was Miami in June 2010, but the rest of the plan was later abandoned due to a change in the airline's strategy.
Future
On 27 May 2010, Corsairfly announced a plan called "Takeoff 2012", aimed to modernise the airline. This plan includes a reduction of workforce by 25%, the replacement of 3 Boeing 747-400 by 2 Airbus A330-300 from TUI AGTUI AG
TUI AG is a German multinational travel and tourism company headquartered in Hanover. Until 2001 it was an industrial and transportation company named Preussag AG, which in the mid-1990s decided to reinvent itself as a tourism, shipping, and logistics company...
, the refurbishment of all aircraft cabins, leaving the charter flights market, and consolidation of routes (including dropping Kenya, Dominican Republic, Québec City, Moncton, Israël). As of October 2010, the plan was pending union approval.
Destinations
Corsairfly operates most of its flight from its hub at Paris-Orly although occasionally some flights do fly from other major French cities such as LyonLyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
and Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
Fleet
The Corsairfly fleet consists of the following aircraft (at July 2011):To be reconfigured 36/496
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