Who Are They? 10 European Charter Airlines You May Have Never Heard Of - Part 2

Do you recognize these airlines, and do you know what aircraft types they operate?


Photo: MarcelX42 via Wikimedia Commons

You may think you are an expert in identifying airlines and know all about the aircraft types that make up their fleets. But let's see how good your knowledge really is! Here is the second part of Simple Flying's list of a select range of European-based charter airlines that you may be less familiar with (or may have never even heard of).

The busy European summer continues

As we saw in Part One of this article, several charter airlines are operating across European skies this summer whose names may be less than commonplace. However, operating Airbus and Boeing aircraft and flying thousands of holidaymakers off on their annual getaway to the sun, these might be niche operators, but they can still boast significant operations.

So far, in Part One, we have examined the carriers Air Horizont, Airseven, AlbaStar, Animawings, and Electra Airways. In the second part of this two-part article, Simple Flying presents the second set of five lesser-known European leisure airlines you may have never heard of.

ETF Airways

Based at Zagreb Airport (ZAG) in Croatia, ETF Airways (LI/ EZZ) was founded in November 2020 and operated its first summer season in 2021, utilizing two Boeing 737-800s on charter flights from several European countries to holiday destinations along the Adriatic coast of Croatia. The airline now operates three of the type on charter flights and ACMI contracts (all leased in).

The carriers' first Boeing 737-800 aircraft, registered 9A-LAB, is named 'Voyager,' with the second (9A-ABC) being named 'Enterprise' - both alleged to be a nod to the spacecraft names in the television and movie franchise Star Trek.

Ahead of commencing operations, ETF Airways signed a deal with Kosovan tour operator MyWings to base an aircraft in Pristina, Kosovo, to operate flights from there to several European destinations on behalf of MyWings.

In late 2021, ETF Airways won a wet lease contract flying on behalf of French leisure airline Corsair using one of its 737-800s on daily round-trips between Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.

For the summer of 2022, ETF Airways signed a lease agreement with Transavia Airlines of the Netherlands to operate both of its aircraft on behalf of the Dutch carrier from Eindhoven and Rotterdam airports to various Mediterranean destinations.

In April 2022, a third aircraft joined the ETF Airways fleet (9A-KOR) and followed the Star Trek theme of its sisterships by being given the name 'Discovery.'

Heston Airlines

Heston Airlines (HN/HST) is a Lithuanian charter airline based in Vilnius, Lithuania. The carrier began operations in 2021. Heston Airlines does not operate scheduled passenger operations but offers passenger and cargo charter flights on behalf of other airlines, tour operators, and ACMI operations.

The airline is the leading player in the Heston Aviation Group, a consolidated group of companies focused on aviation assets leasing, trading, maintenance, repair, and overhaul. The airline operates Airbus 320 and Airbus 330, providing short and long-term services worldwide.

For the summer 2023 season, the airline operates a fleet of 15 aircraft comprising 10 Airbus A320s, 2 A321s, and 3 A330-200s. The latter tend to be used on long-haul charter services to destinations in the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, further afield, and high-density operations within Europe.

One aircraft (LY-PLW) is flying exclusively on behalf of German airline Condor daily between Dusseldorf and Palma de Majorca this summer. The other two are currently leased to Uzbekistan Airways.

Heston Airlines is also a significant partner in Marabu Airlines, with three aircraft leased to the Estonian startup for the 2023 summer season (see below).

Marabu

Marabu Airlines (DI/MBU) is an Estonian charter airline based in Tallinn, Estonia. The carrier operates passenger charter flights from Hamburg and Munich in Germany to various leisure destinations. Marabu is described as a partner airline of Condor, the sizeable German charter airline.

Martabu was founded in December 2022, when Attestor Capital, the 51% owner of Condfor, announced it would start an Estonian-registered carrier, with operations beginning in the 2023 summer season. On 15 April 2023, Marabu's first aircraft, registered ES-MBU, flew the airline's first service from Munich to Palma de Majorca.

For the summer of 2023, Marabu is operating a fleet of five A320s and a single A321 from Munich and Hamburg to popular holiday destinations in Portugal, Spain, the Balearic and Canary Islands, Sardinia, Croatia, Greece, and Egypt. It also operates a single Boeing 737-800 leased from Ukrainian airline SkyUp.

Jettime

Jettime (JTD), previously known as Jet Time, is a Danish charter airline headquartered in Kastrup, Denmark. The carrier has its main base at Copenhagen Kastrup Airport (CPH).

The airline was initially founded under the name Jet Time by a group of Danish investors, operating its first flight in 2006. In July 2020, the airline announced that it had filed for bankruptcy due to serious financial issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

However, in July 2021, the airline resumed operations under a new company, Jettime. The former company's assets were transferred to Jettime, along with Jet Time's CEO, several key employees, and five of Jet Time's Boeing 737 aircraft. Jettime also was issued a new Air Operators Certificate by the Danish authorities.

For the summer of 2023, Jettime is operating an all-Boeing 737 fleet, comprising ten Boeing 737-700s plus a single 737-800 on IT flights originating from various Danish airports. The airline also operates private charter flights and undertakes ACMI contracts for other European airlines.

Trade Air

Croatian passenger and cargo charter airline Trade Air (C3/TDR) was originally founded in April 1994 and is based at Zagreb Airport, Croatia. The carrier is privately owned and operated its first cargo flights in May 1995 using a Let L-410 turboprop.

In 2004, the airline added a pair of Foker 100s to its fleet, operating passenger charter flights for the first time. In November 2007, Trade Air operated flights with their Fokker 100 aircraft in Australia, transporting journalists as one of two dedicated carriers for the Australian Federal elections.

In the summer of 2013, Trade Air started scheduled Croatian domestic flights as part of a Public Service Obligation contract, and in the spring of 2016, Trade Air introduced its first Airbus A320 to the fleet. By 2020, the company had operated flights on behalf of over 60 airlines in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia.

Now operating a passenger charter fleet of one Airbus A319 and four A320s, the airline undertakes IT flights and ACMI contracts across Europe and beyond. According to the airline's website, it has operated 6,512 flights carrying 371,000 passengers in the past two years./ It has also flown to 213 destinations worldwide in that time.

As a sideline to its passenger charter business, the company continues to operate a single Saab SF340 on passenger and freight charters across Europe under the 'Sprint Air' brand.

In summary

As we end our journey through some of the less well-known leisure operators across Europe, how many were you familiar with?

The aviation landscape across Europe is littered with the wreckage of leisure airlines that have tried and failed to carve a niche for themselves over the years. Even today, there remains no shortage of those willing to try to succeed in the European charter market where so many others have failed.

Alongside the European ACMI giants such as SmartLynx, Avion Express, HiFly, Titan Airways, and soon-to-operate UK-based Ascend Airways, the market is becoming evermore crowded, with airlines wanting their share of the pie. Indeed, many on our list have only commenced operations since the end of the pandemic.

Only time will tell how long the leisure airline market can remain this crowded and whether there is enough demand to satisfy the abundant current supply of capacity across the European skies.