Helvetic Airways


Helvetic Airways is a Swiss regional airline headquartered in Kloten with its fleet stationed at Zurich Airport. It operates flights to destinations in Europe and Northern Africa, mainly leisure markets, on its own behalf, as well as scheduled flights on behalf of Swiss International Air Lines and Lufthansa, using their fleet of Embraer 190s and Embraer 190-E2s.

History

Helvetic Airways was established in the autumn of 2003, as a rebranding and extension of the existing airline Odette Airways, to serve destinations in South-Eastern Europe. Switzerland's first budget carrier began operating in November, with a Fokker 100 flying to three destinations. By 2004, the fleet had grown to seven aircraft.
In December 2006, the carrier unveiled a new look for its aircraft. Since then, all the Fokker 100s have livery in red-white-silver grey colours, with the Swiss cross on the tailfin.
In October 2010, the Swiss news media announced a new base in Bern Airport.
On 18 February 2013, in the 2013 Belgian diamond heist, eight men armed with automatic weapons and dressed in police uniforms seized 120 small parcels, containing an estimated $50 million worth of diamonds from a Helvetic Airways Fokker 100 passenger plane, loaded with passengers preparing for departure to Zurich. The men drove two vehicles through a hole they had cut in the airports perimeter fence to Flight LX789, which had just been loaded with diamonds from a Brink's armoured van. The men were able to execute the operation within five minutes with no injuries and without firing a shot.
In December 2014, Helvetic Airways began to take over seven Embraer 190s, which were freed by Niki changing their fleet.
Since March 2016, there is a wet lease contract with Lufthansa for the route Zurich-Munich.
In 2018, Swiss International Air Lines expanded its partnership with Helvetic Airways, announcing that it will deploy up to eight Helvetic Airways Embraer E190-E2 aircraft or similar equipment on its route network, from 2019 onwards.
On 14 June 2019, the last Helvetic Airways Fokker 100 left the fleet.
In October 2019, the carrier took delivery of its first Embraer E190-E2 aircraft.

Destinations

Scheduled destinations as of September 2019: Not included are the routes served for Swiss International Air Lines, as well as Lufthansa on a long-term wet-lease contract.
CountryCityAirportNotesRefs
CyprusLarnacaLarnaca International Airport Charter
FinlandKuusamoKuusamo Airport
FranceBordeauxBordeaux–Mérignac Airport
FranceCalviCalvi – Sainte-Catherine Airport
FranceLourdesTarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport Charter
GermanyRostockRostock–Laage Airport
GreeceHeraklionHeraklion International Airport Charter
GreeceKosKos International Airport Charter
GreecePrevezaAktion National Airport Charter
GreeceRhodesRhodes International Airport Charter
IrelandLimerickShannon Airport
ItalyOlbiaOlbia Costa Smeralda Airport
KosovoPristinaPristina International Airport Charter
North MacedoniaOhridOhrid "St. Paul the Apostle" Airport Charter
North MacedoniaSkopjeSkopje International Airport Charter
NorwayTromsøTromsø Airport, Langnes Charter
SpainJerez de la FronteraJerez Airport
SpainPalma de MallorcaPalma de Mallorca Airport
SwitzerlandBernBern Airport
SwitzerlandSionSion Airport
SwitzerlandZürichZürich Airport

Fleet

Current fleet

The Helvetic Airways fleet includes the following aircraft, as of July 2020:

Historic fleet