Altair (airline)

Altair was a charter airline based in Italy which operated from 1981 till 1985.

History

Altair was one of the attempts to establish a charter airline during the 1980s, a period when Alitalia still strongly opposed such initiatives. However, in the meantime, in 1979, a law had been passed that favored and regulated the charter sector in Italy. The company was established in late 1980, with headquarters in Reggio Emilia and management in Rome. The CEO was Antonio Conti, while the technical director was captain Eliseo Pasanisi, a seasoned pilot who was its driving force. The goal was to focus on the Mediterranean and Central and Northern Europe destinations. Agreements had been signed with tour operators in Spain and Great Britain. In reality, most of the initial flights were operated from Malpensa, Bergamo, and Bologna to London (Gatwick) on behalf of the tour operator Mondadori Viaggi. For the fleet, the focus was on the SE-210 Caravelle, of which three Series III aircraft were purchased at a reasonable price from the French company Air Inter. They were refitted with 98 seats in a single class.

The initial base of operations was established at Venice's Marco Polo airport, but Bologna Borgo Panigale airport soon became the main hub. Flights began from there on March 1, 1981. In 1983, three more Caravelles series 10 were acquired by Finnair, and two more series III were leased from Air Inter. Meanwhile, Pegasus Holidays had acquired a 70% stake.

Despite having being purchased at an attractive price, operating the Caravelles proved increasingly costly. Furthermore, the bankruptcy of some tour operators led to a sudden reduction in operations while British airlines in the sector were increasingly gaining strength. In 1983, a Caravelle was destroyed during takeoff from Milan's Malpensa airport. Operations continued for another two years, but the decline in business became constant while debts mounted. The company ceased operations on April 15, 1986.

Fleet

In the years Altair fleet consisted of the following Caravelles:

Incidents and accidents

• July 2, 1983 Caravelle F-BHRS leased from Air Inter since May 7, 1983. Engine fire during takeoff from Milan Malpensa Airport. Landed and 89 passengers evacuated. The aircraft was declared destroyed due to the severe damage sustained.

Curiosity

Coming from the ranks of the Italian Air Force, Eliseo Pasanisi was what one could undoubtedly define as a character. He had been hired by Alitalia in 1961. From then on, his career was multifaceted and complex: SAV-Aeropa chief pilot (early 1970s), pilot for S.A.M and later Itavia (late 1970s), personal pilot for the head of state of the Comoros, Ali Soilih (deposed in 1978), and instructor in Libya (1979). After his Altair experience, the pilot disappeared for several years, but rumors circulated that he was flying a Yak 40 between Liberia and Sierra Leone, during the years when these two nations were torn apart by civil wars. Then, in the early 2000s, in Pisa he presented the project of an airline that would have operated regional and charter flights. The provisional name was Antares (the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius). Some connection with Altair (the brightest star in the constellation Aquila)? Nothing happened.

Further reading

• “World Airline Directory” supplement, ‘’Flight International’’ weekly magazine, U.K., years from 1981 till 1986
• G. D'Avanzo, I Lupi dell’Aria (in Italian language), STH Publishing, Roma, 1992,
• N. Pedde, Almanacco delle Linee Aeree Italiane 1947-2007 (in Italian language), "Landra Helicus", GAN, Roma, 2007,