XL Airways

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
This article or section may contain an inappropriate mixture of prose and timeline.
Please help convert this timeline into prose or, if necessary, a list.
XL Airways
Image:XL Airways logo.png
IATA
JN		ICAO
XLA		Callsign
EXPO
Founded1994 as Sabre Airways
HubsLondon Gatwick Airport
Manchester Airport
Glasgow International Airport
Charles de Gaulle International Airport
Focus citiesNewcastle Airport
Bristol International Airport
East Midlands Airport
Birmingham International Airport
Cardiff International Airport
Humberside Airport
London Stansted Airport
Dublin Airport
Belfast International Airport
Fleet size12
DestinationsVaries
Parent companyXL Leisure Group
HeadquartersCrawley, England, UK
Key peopleDFO James Scott
CEO Phil Wyatt
Chairman Peter Owen
Website: http://www.xl.com
Image:Air.malta.xl.a320-200.arp.jpg
Air Malta Airbus A320-200, operated on behalf of XL
Image:Excelairways.b737-400.tf-elv.bristol.arp.jpg
Boeing 737-400 (in old livery) takes off
Image:Xl b737-800 g-oxlc arp.jpg
Boeing 737-800 in current livery

XL Airways is an English charter and scheduled airline with headquarters in Crawley, Sussex, near London Gatwick Airport. It is part of the XL Leisure Group. XL Airways is a trading name for XL Airways UK Limited. The airline provides short-haul and long-haul charter services predominantly to leisure destinations from its three bases at London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow. The airline also operates services from Newcastle, Bristol, East Midlands, Birmingham, Cardiff, Humberside, London Stansted and Belfast.[citation needed]

Two other airlines within the group use the XL Airways branding; XL Airways France and XL Airways Germany.

XL Airways UK Limited holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, which permits it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

The airline was established in 1994 as Sabre Airways and started operations on 17 December 1994. The name Excel was adopted following the acquisition in November 2000 of a 67% stake by Libra Holidays Group, and subsequently increased. In March 2004 the Avion Group (now Eimskipafélag Íslands) completed the purchase of 40.5% of the Excel Airways Group.

In March 2006 Excel Airways signed an agreement with GE Commercial Aviation Services for the lease of two Next-Generation Boeing 737-900ER (Extended Range) aircraft. These will be the first examples of the latest variant of the Boeing 737 aircraft to operate in the UK when delivered in May 2008.

The airline acquired three Boeing 747-300 aircraft following the merger of sister company Air Atlanta Europe in May 2006. The aircraft were operated for Travel City Direct between the UK and Orlando, however they have left the fleet in November 2007 following expiration of their leases.

On 30 October 2006, members of management bought-out XL Leisure Group from Avion Group. XL Leisure Group consists of Excel Airways Group in the UK, Star Airlines France and Star Europe in Germany.

The XL.com website and aircraft branding was adopted by the Excel Airways Group in November 2006 as part of a major brand relaunch. Sister airlines in Germany and France were also rebranded.

[edit] Destinations

[edit] XL Airways Ireland

Since May 2007 XL Airways has operated flights from Dublin, Cork and Knock which are marketed through XL Holidays as XL Airways Ireland. The inaugural flight operated from Dublin to Palma on 1 May. Flights are offered to the following destinations: [1].

From Dublin:

From Cork:

From Knock:

[edit] Incidents and accidents

  • 16 July 2003 - Excel Airways Boeing 737-800 (G-XLAG) with 190 passengers and seven crew took off from Manchester Airport while vehicles were working near the end of the runway. Despite the crew being told the runway was operating at reduced length, they took off from a runway intersection with reduced length using a reduced thrust setting calculated for the assumed normal runway length. The aircraft lifted off over the vehicles, missing them by 56 ft (17 m), according to the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch report. Six safety recommendations were made. [2]
  • 4 November 2004 - The left wing of an Excel Airways Boeing 767-200 (G-SATR) struck the right horizontal stabiliser of a stationary bmibaby Boeing 737-300 while both aircraft were awaiting departure from Manchester Airport. The investigation concluded that the Excel 767 Captain, who bore primary responsibility for collision avoidance, misjudged the available separation due to a combination of physiological limitations, distractions and a false assumption regarding his Air Traffic Control clearance. [3]

[edit] Awards

[edit] Fleet

The XL Airways UK fleet includes the following aircraft (as of January 2008) [4]:

AircraftNumber in Fleet
Boeing 737-8009 (plus 5 out on winter-leases to other operators[5])
Boeing 767-300ER2

Aircraft Orders:

[edit] Sponsorship

For the 2007-2008 football season, XL Airways are the sponsors of West Ham United F.C. [6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ XL.com 2 December 2007
  2. ^ Report No: 3/2006. Report on the serious incident to Boeing 737-86N, G-XLAG, at Manchester Airport on 16 July 2003. UK AAIB. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  3. ^ Boeing 767-204, G-SATR and Boeing 737-37Q, G-ODSK. UK AAIB. Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
  4. ^ Civil Aviation Authority Aircraft Register
  5. ^ XL Airways Fleet. jethros fleet listings. Retrieved on 20087-01-03.
  6. ^ West Ham United - Club Partners

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Airlines of the United Kingdom
Image:Civil Air Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
v • d • e
Lists relating to aviation
GeneralTimeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines
MilitaryAir forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable incidents and accidentsMilitary aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths
RecordsFlight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft
de:XL Airways UK

fr:Excel Airways id:XL Airways pl:XL Airways

Retrieved from "http://india.smashits.com/wikipedia/XL_Airways"
Views
Personal tools

Toolbox