Air Sicilia
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| Founded | 1991 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Commenced operations | 1994 | ||||||
Ceased operations | 2002 | ||||||
| Fleet size | 9 (total) | ||||||
| Destinations | 7 | ||||||
| Founder | Luigi Crispino | ||||||
Air Sicilia was an Italian airline founded in 1991 and remained in business until 2002; it was declared bankrupt in January 2003.
History
Air Sicilia was founded in 1991 by Luigi Crispino in Caltagirone to attempt to break Alitalia's domestic market monopoly and commenced operations in 1994 from Milan and Rome to the small island of Lampedusa, located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.[1] The first aircraft in the fleet was an overhauled ATR 42 used from 1994 on flights from Palermo to Rome.[1] Air Sicilia later gained the monthly flight record with turboprop aircraft, a total of 398 hours. Later a second ATR 42 named Peter Pan. Between 1994 and 2001 Air Sicilia had its AOC suspended twice.[1] On June 6, 1996, A leased Fokker F28 named Mary Poppins was added to the fleet in 1996. The real turning point in quality came in 1998, with the arrival of the first of three Boeing 737-200 which allowed the airline to record traffic of over 200,000 passengers. At that time, Air Sicilia served all five Sicilian airports suitable for regular traffic: Catania, Lampedusa, Palermo, Pantelleria, and Trapani. After the cessation of operations Luigi Crispino was trialed for bankruptcy fraud but never was charged after the evidence against him was weak.[2]
Fleet
| Aircraft type | In fleet | In service | Retired | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42 | 4 | 1994 | 2003 | 2 leased |
| Boeing 737-200 | 3 | 1998 | 2001 | 2 more leased in 2001 |
| Fokker F28 | 2 | 1996 | 1998 | both leased |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-87 | 1 | 2001 | 2001 | leased |
Destinations
See also
References
- 1 2 3 "Spariti i soldi di Air Sicilia in cella il patron Crispino - la Repubblica.it". Archivio - la Repubblica.it (in Italian). 2004-05-25. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ↑ "Assolto Luigi Crispino, patron di Air Sicilia". catania.blogsicilia.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
Further reading
- M. & S. Iarossi (curators), Compagnie Aeree (in Italian language), EDAI, Firenze, 1995/96 & 1999/2000 editions
- G. D'Avanzo, Deregulation (in Italian language), "Armi e Politica" no. 5, Casa Editrice Nuove Ricerche, Ancona, 1996
- N. Pedde, Almanacco delle Linee Aeree Italiane 1947-2007 (in Italian language), "Landra Helicus", GAN, Roma, 2007, ISBN 978-88-89640-06-7