LatCharter
Encyclopedia
SmartLynx Airlines is an airline
based in Mārupe
, Mārupe municipality
, Riga Region
, Latvia
., operating ad hoc passenger charter flights across Europe
and to Africa
and Asia
, as well as business and VIP charters, most of them out of Riga International Airport
. As of March 2007, the airline had 100 employees.
and Harco Air) were acquired over the next years. The Tupolev fleet was replaced with the larger Yakovlev Yak-42
in April 2001, and the first modern Airbus A320
(though second-hand from Ansett Australia
) entered the fleet in December 2003. In July 2006, Loftleiðir
, the aircraft lease arm of Icelandair Group
, acquired a majority 55% shareholding in the LatCharter stock, with a commitment to buy the remaining shares in the future. In 2007, commemorating the airline's 15th anniversary, it was renamed SmartLynx Airlines.
aircraft with an average age of 19.6 years, seating either 173 or 180 passengers in an all-economy class
cabin layout.
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 Mārupe
Mārupe
Mārupe is a village in and the centre of Mārupe municipality, Latvia....
, Mārupe municipality
Mārupe municipality
Mārupe municipality is a municipality in Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by reorganization of Mārupe parish the administrative centre being Mārupe....
, Riga Region
Riga Region
Riga Region , officially Riga Planning Region is one of five planning regions of Latvia, situated in the central part of Latvia, in and around the metropolis of Riga and along the shores of the Gulf of Riga. The state institution was founded on 12 October 2006, based on the creation of the region...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
., operating ad hoc passenger charter flights across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, as well as business and VIP charters, most of them out of Riga International Airport
Riga International Airport
-Cargo airlines:*DHL Express*Inversija*RAF-Avia*Sprintair*TNT NV*Transavibaltika*UPS-Traffic statistics:Riga International Airport is one of three notable airports in Latvia. The other two are Liepāja International Airport and Ventspils Airport. Riga International Airport's biggest air carrier is...
. As of March 2007, the airline had 100 employees.
History
The privately owned company was established in 1992 by four professional pilots and one flight engineer as LatCharter (the name derived from Latvia) and started operations in 1993 using a leased Tupolev Tu-134B. Another two aircraft of the same type (originally belonging to LatavioLatavio
Latavio was an airline based in Riga International Airport , Riga, Latvia. It was founded in 1992, after emerging from Aeroflot. The fleet generally consisted of Soviet made Aeroflot airplanes.-History:...
and Harco Air) were acquired over the next years. The Tupolev fleet was replaced with the larger Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42
The Yakovlev Yak-42 is a 100/120-seat three-engined mid-range passenger jet. It was designed as a replacement for several obsolete Aeroflot jets as a mid-range passenger jet...
in April 2001, and the first modern Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
(though second-hand from Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
) entered the fleet in December 2003. In July 2006, Loftleiðir
Loftleiðir
Loftleiðir HF, internationally known as Icelandic Airlines or Loftleiðir Icelandic, was a private Icelandic airline headquartered on the grounds of Reykjavík Airport in Reykjavík, which operated mostly trans-atlantic flights linking Europe and America, pioneering the low-cost flight business...
, the aircraft lease arm of Icelandair Group
Icelandair Group
Icelandair Group hf is an Icelandic travel industry corporation, the owner of the airline Icelandair and numerous other travel industry companies...
, acquired a majority 55% shareholding in the LatCharter stock, with a commitment to buy the remaining shares in the future. In 2007, commemorating the airline's 15th anniversary, it was renamed SmartLynx Airlines.
Fleet
As of November 2011, the SmartLynx Airlines fleet consists of 6 Airbus A320Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft with an average age of 19.6 years, seating either 173 or 180 passengers in an all-economy class
Economy class
__FORCETOC__Economy class, also called coach class , steerage, or standard class, is the lowest class of seating in air travel, rail travel, and sometimes ferry or maritime travel....
cabin layout.