AeroLyon

AeroLyon, also styled Aerolyon, was a French long-haul airline based in Lyon. Established in October 1996, it began flying in December of the same year and operated until May 2002. The airline connected several French airports—including Lyon, Paris, Brest, Nantes, and Bordeaux—with destinations in the Caribbean, the West Indies, and other French overseas territories. Its network reflected the travel-market orientation of its owner, the French tourism company Nouvelles Frontières, which also controlled Corsairfly. The airline was built around a small wide-body fleet rather than a large independent network. In 1996, it leased a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 from ChallengAir. A second DC-10 joined the fleet in 1999, followed by a third aircraft in 2002. The fleet never exceeded three DC-10s, making AeroLyon a compact operator by the standards of long-haul aviation. In addition to its own scheduled operations, the company performed services for other air carriers, extending its role beyond a narrowly defined branded passenger network. AeroLyon's corporate position changed during the ownership transition involving Nouvelles Frontières. When TUI AG acquired Nouvelles Frontières in 2000, AeroLyon might theoretically have come under TUI's control. In practice, TUI took control of Corsairfly instead, and AeroLyon did not become the principal airline asset of the enlarged group. The airline subsequently remained a small and financially vulnerable operator. AeroLyon ceased flying in May 2002 and was declared bankrupt in August 2002. A proposed revival was later advanced by Aeroplus L'Air, an organization run by Jean-Marie Gras, using a single Airbus A340. In December 2002, however, a court in Lyon rejected the rescue plan, concluding that it presented excessive risk. The decision ended the possibility of restarting the airline. After its collapse, two of its former aircraft were scrapped, while one of the aircraft delivered in 1997 was placed in storage. AeroLyon therefore remained a short-lived French long-haul airline whose identity was closely tied to Nouvelles Frontières, a very small DC-10 fleet, and leisure-oriented services to overseas destinations.

Small French leisure-oriented long-haul airline serving overseas and Caribbean markets.

Product categories. Scheduled long-haul passenger air transport · Airline services operated for other carriers