AirSea Lines

AirSea Lines was an airline based in Gouvia, Corfu, Greece. It was the first scheduled services seaplane operator in Greece in recent years. Its main base was Gouvia Marina[1] The airline ceased operations in 2009, citing bureaucratic and infrastructure hurdles.

AirSea Lines
IATA ICAO Callsign
- - -
Founded2004
Ceased operations2009
HubsGouvia Marina
Fleet size2
Destinations9
HeadquartersCorfu, Greece
Websitehttp://www.airsealines.com/
AirSea Lines DHC-6-300 Twin Otter

History

In 2007 AirSea Lines expanded its network into the Aegean from Attica, using the port of Lavrio (instead of the preferred location of Piraeus) citing insufficient infrastructure at Piraeus for seaplane operations. The expansion to the Aegean Sea was unsuccessful which the airline attributed to infrastructural hurdles that prevented them from basing their aircraft at Piraeus. The company was forced to retreat back to its routes in the Ionian Sea.[2][1][3]

In April 2008 it was announced that the airline will be ceasing operations altogether, citing bureaucratic hurdles. The airline affirmed that it was impaired by incoherent regulations between the Civil Aviation Authority (which regulates civil aviation) and the Merchant Marine Ministry (which regulates commercial shipping). The airline blames slow bureaucratic procedures that did not resolve this problem in time, rendering AirSea Lines a loss-making venture.[2][4]

As of 2009, one of AirSea Lines' aircraft is flying for Harbour Air Malta, others are in maintenance or for sale, and the company's website is now defunct.

While it is currently unknown if AirSea Lines will be operating in the future, the airline opened the door for other seaplane carriers, notably ArGo Airways.[5]

AirSea Lines briefly operated under the name Pegasus Aviation.[6]

Destinations

As of October 2008 AirSea Lines operated services to the following scheduled destinations:[1]

 Italy
 Greece

From May 2010 AirSea Lines will also operate in Kefalonia, Greece in a new route

Fleet

As of August 2006 the AirSea fleet included:[7]

References
  1. AirSea Lines website Archived 15 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 December 2006
  2. Τα υδροπλάνα της AirSea Lines "φεύγουν" από την Ελλάδα Archived 2 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine www.capital.gr 30 October 2008
  3. Airliner World January 2007
  4. "Αποθαλασσώνουν" τα υδροπλάνα της AirSea Lines Rab Capital και Fidelity Archived 24 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine www.capital.gr 18 April 2008
  5. "ArGo Airways". Archived from the original on 7 May 2009. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
  6. "Pegasus Aviation Limited". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  7. Flight International, 3–9 October 2006
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