John Nicolaas Block
Encyclopedia
Johan Nicolaas Block was a Dutch
aviation pioneer. He was the co-founder of Martinair
, founder of Transavia and Air Holland
.
John Block was born as the son of a schoolteacher in Amsterdam. After World War II
he applied for a job with KLM but wasn't hired. He joined the Dutch airforce and became an airforce pilot
. After his service he briefly worked with a radio division of the Dutch postal services and obtained his commercial aviation licence. Together with Martin Schröder
he founded Martinair. They introduced leisure travel by plane in the Netherlands. Block left the company in 1965 and shortly after bought the 'sleeping' airline Transavia Limburg which he renamed to Transavia. He build up the airline from scratch and ten years later Transavia had a marketshare of 45% of the Dutch holiday market. After a quarrel with some investors Block left Transavia in 1975.
He went on and founded the small company Jetstar Holland BV in 1977. As such he introduced the use of executive jet travel in the Netherlands. He sold the company soon after to an investment holding and went back to the larger scheme: in 1984 he founded the airline Air Holland that went public in 1989.
Block left Air Holland in 1991 and died in 1994.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
aviation pioneer. He was the co-founder of Martinair
Martinair
For the American cargo airline, see Martinaire.Martinair Holland N.V., operating as Martinair, is an airline headquartered in the TransPort Building on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands. It operates cargo services to over 50 destinations worldwide. Services...
, founder of Transavia and Air Holland
Air Holland
Air Holland was an airline based in the Netherlands. It operated passenger and cargo charters to Africa, Asia and the Mediterranean, as well as dry and wet leasing of aircraft to other airlines. It ceased operations on 25 March 2004. The airline was headquartered in Oude Meer, Haarlemmermeer.-...
.
John Block was born as the son of a schoolteacher in Amsterdam. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he applied for a job with KLM but wasn't hired. He joined the Dutch airforce and became an airforce pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
. After his service he briefly worked with a radio division of the Dutch postal services and obtained his commercial aviation licence. Together with Martin Schröder
Martin Schröder
Johan Martin Schröder is a Dutch pilot and founder of Martinair, the second Dutch airline and the first Dutch air charter company. At the founding in 1958 the company was known as Martin's Air Charter ....
he founded Martinair. They introduced leisure travel by plane in the Netherlands. Block left the company in 1965 and shortly after bought the 'sleeping' airline Transavia Limburg which he renamed to Transavia. He build up the airline from scratch and ten years later Transavia had a marketshare of 45% of the Dutch holiday market. After a quarrel with some investors Block left Transavia in 1975.
He went on and founded the small company Jetstar Holland BV in 1977. As such he introduced the use of executive jet travel in the Netherlands. He sold the company soon after to an investment holding and went back to the larger scheme: in 1984 he founded the airline Air Holland that went public in 1989.
Block left Air Holland in 1991 and died in 1994.