Enimex

Enimex was an Estonian airline headquartered in Tallinn and based operationally at Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport. Established in August 1994, it began flying on 26 September of the same year. Rather than operating primarily as a large scheduled passenger carrier, Enimex focused on a mixture of cargo services, passenger charter flights, and wet-lease operations, supplying aircraft and crews for other operators or contracts in international markets. The airline's operating history was closely associated with turboprop aircraft suited to regional, cargo, and short-field work. Its fleet included Antonov An-28 aircraft, an Antonov An-72, and BAe ATP aircraft. The combination of cargo flying, charter work, and wet leasing gave Enimex a flexible business model, but it also exposed the company to the operational and regulatory challenges of a relatively small carrier flying varied missions and aircraft types. Enimex experienced several serious accidents during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In November 1999, an Antonov An-28 operating a cargo flight crash-landed in Poland without fatalities, although the aircraft was written off. In November 2001, an Enimex-operated Antonov An-28 crashed near Kärdla Airport in Estonia during an attempted landing in poor weather; two passengers died. In April 2002, an Antonov An-72 was written off after a hard landing at Wamena in Indonesia, again without fatalities. In February 2003, an Antonov An-28 crashed shortly after takeoff from Tallinn on a cargo service, killing two of the three crew members. Following the 2001 Kärdla accident, the later 2003 accident, and other reported irregularities, Estonia's Civil Aviation Administration cancelled Enimex's licence to conduct passenger flights in March 2006. This materially constrained the airline's passenger business, although the available reference material does not establish the precise scope or duration of any remaining cargo or non-passenger activity. All flight operations ceased on 14 June 2008. At closure, the fleet reportedly consisted of one Antonov An-72 and one leased BAe ATP. Enimex is therefore best understood as a former Estonian specialist air operator rather than a continuing mainstream passenger airline. Its historical significance lies in its role in Estonia's post-independence aviation sector, its international cargo and wet-lease activity, and the regulatory and safety events that preceded the end of its operations.

Enimex was founded in Estonia in August 1994 and commenced operations on 26 September 1994. Based in Tallinn, with its main operational base at Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport, the airline developed as a small specialist carrier. Its activities included cargo flights, passenger charter services, and wet-lease operations conducted for customers in international markets. The carrier operated aircraft from the Antonov An-28 and Antonov An-72 families, as well as BAe ATP turboprops. These aircraft supported the airline's mix of regional, cargo, charter, and contract flying. Enimex's business was consequently different from that of a conventional network airline: its work depended on individual contracts and operational assignments rather than a broad published schedule of passenger routes. The company suffered a series of significant accidents. On 29 November 1999, an Antonov An-28 registered ES-NOF, flying cargo from Oslo toward Budapest with a stop at Szczecin, crash-landed in Poland. There were no fatalities, but the aircraft was destroyed. On 23 November 2001, an Antonov An-28 registered ES-NOV was operated on ELK Airways Flight 1007 and crashed into trees approximately 1.5 kilometres from Kärdla Airport while attempting to land in bad weather. Fourteen passengers and three crew members were aboard; two passengers died. The investigation attributed the accident to pilot error. A related legal case lasted nine years before being closed on public-interest grounds. On 21 April 2002, an Enimex Antonov An-72, ES-NOP, sustained damage in a hard landing at Wamena, Indonesia. A minor fire followed, and the aircraft was eventually written off. No fatalities were reported. On 10 February 2003, an Antonov An-28 registered ES-NOY crashed shortly after takeoff from Tallinn's Lennart Meri Airport while operating a scheduled cargo flight to Helsinki. The aircraft came to rest about 300 metres from the runway, and two of the three crew members died. After the Kärdla accident, the 2003 cargo accident, and other reported irregularities, Estonia's Civil Aviation Administration cancelled Enimex's passenger-flight licence in March 2006. The available reference material does not provide a complete account of the airline's remaining regulatory permissions or commercial activity after that decision. Enimex ultimately stopped all flight operations on 14 June 2008. At the time of closure, its fleet was reported as one Antonov An-72 and one leased BAe ATP. Enimex is now a defunct Estonian airline whose history reflects both the opportunities and operational risks faced by small post-Soviet and post-independence European air carriers.

• 2008

  Flight operations end

  [1]Enimexen.wikipedia.org

  Enimex stopped all flight operations on 14 June 2008.

• 2006

  Passenger-flight licence cancelled

  [1]Enimexen.wikipedia.org

  Estonia's Civil Aviation Administration cancelled the airline's licence to conduct passenger flights.

• 2003

  Tallinn cargo-flight crash

  [1]Enimexen.wikipedia.org

  An Enimex An-28 crashed shortly after takeoff from Tallinn on a cargo flight to Helsinki, killing two of the three crew members.

• 2002

  Wamena hard-landing accident

  [1]Enimexen.wikipedia.org

  An Enimex Antonov An-72 was written off after a hard landing at Wamena, Indonesia. No fatalities were reported.

• 2001

  Kärdla Airport accident

  [1]Enimexen.wikipedia.org

  An Enimex-operated An-28 crashed near Kärdla Airport during an attempted landing in poor weather, killing two passengers.

• 1999

  Cargo An-28 crash-lands in Poland

  [1]Enimexen.wikipedia.org

  An Enimex An-28 operating a cargo flight crash-landed in Poland. No one was killed, but the aircraft was written off.

• 1994

  Enimex established

  [1]Enimexen.wikipedia.org

  The airline was established in Estonia in August 1994.

• 1994

  Commercial operations begin

  [1]Enimexen.wikipedia.org

  Enimex began operations on 26 September 1994.

A flexible regional and specialist air operator serving cargo, charter, and wet-lease requirements rather than a large scheduled passenger network.

• Air freight · 1994

  Cargo air transport

  Enimex operated cargo flights using aircraft suited to regional and short-haul freight work, including the Antonov An-28 and Antonov An-72. The airline's cargo activity included international missions and scheduled services such as the Tallinn–Helsinki operation involved in the 2003 accident.

• Charter aviation · 1994

  Passenger charter flights

  Passenger charter flying was one of Enimex's core activities during its operating period. The business provided non-scheduled passenger transport rather than a large regular route network. Passenger operations were curtailed after Estonia's aviation regulator cancelled the airline's passenger-flight licence in 2006.

• Aircraft leasing and contract operations · 1994

  Wet-lease operations

  Enimex supplied aircraft and operational capability through wet-lease arrangements, in which an aircraft is provided together with crew and associated operating services. These assignments formed part of the airline's international specialist-carrier model.

• 2008

  Cessation of all flight operationsStrategy

  Background

  After the loss of its passenger-flight licence and a period marked by several accidents and regulatory difficulties, Enimex continued operating only until June 2008.

  Action taken

  The airline stopped all flight operations on 14 June 2008.

  Aftermath

  Enimex became a defunct airline. Its reported closing fleet consisted of one Antonov An-72 and one leased BAe ATP.

  Source

• 2006

  Passenger-flight licence cancellationOther

  Background

  Following a serious accident and other reported irregularities, Estonia's Civil Aviation Administration reviewed Enimex's passenger operations.

  Action taken

  The regulator cancelled Enimex's licence to carry out passenger flights in March 2006.

  Aftermath

  The decision ended the airline's authorised passenger-flight activity, although the available reference does not specify the exact extent of any subsequent cargo or other operations.

  Source

1. 1Enimexen.wikipedia.org