Oct 20 2012

Historical CRJ Operators – Styrian Spirit

This is one in an ongoing series of articles on Winglets that will summarize past airlines and other operators of CRJ aircraft that are no longer in existence.

Styrian Spirit LogoStyrian Spirit – Styrian Airways GmbH & Co KG

  • IATA Code: Z2
  • ICAO Code: STY
  • Callsign: STYRIAN
  • Austrian airline offering charter and scheduled services
  • Also operated CRJ-200s under Salzburg Spirit and Slovenian Spirit colour schemes
  • Operated 2003-2006
  • Number of CRJs Operated: 1 CRJ-700, 4 CRJ-200s
  • Order for 1 CRJ-900 cancelled before delivery
  • Option for 1 CRJ-700 cancelled
Styrian Spirit Route Map

Styrian Spirit Route Map

Styrian Spirit was an airline based in Graz, Austria, the capital of Styria which began service on March 24, 2003. The airline operated both scheduled and character services within Europe. The airline also operated as Slovenian Spirit and Salzburg Spirit on routes to and from Salzburg and Maribor, Slovenia with two CRJ-200s painted in Salzburg Spirit and Slovenian Spirit titles, but otherwise basic Styrian Spirit colours. On March 24, 2006, the airline abruptly canceled all of its flights and later announced it was declaring bankruptcy. At the time, Styrian Spirit operated a fleet consisting of one CRJ-700 and four CRJ-200s. After the airline’s closure, the fleet were repossessed and leased onto other carriers. As an additional note, the planned CRJ-900 would have displayed Carinthian Spirit titles.

Airports served By CRJs

The following list is all of the airports Styrian Spirit served.

  • GRZ – Graz, Austria
  • SZG – Salzburg, Austria
  • KLU – Klagenfurt, Austria
  • DBV – Dubrovnik, Croatia
  • TXL – Tegal Airport, Berlin, Germany
  • STR – Stuttgart, Germany
  • DUS – Dusseldorf, Germany
  • CDG – Paris, France
  • KRK – Krakow, Poland
  • LTN – London-Luton Airport, England
  • MBX – Maribor, Slovenia
  • ZRH – Zurich, Switzerland

CRJ Fleet

Styrian Spirit operated a total of four CRJ-200s and a single CRJ-700 during its operational life. Of the four CRJ-200s, one, OE-LSE, MSN 7990, was painted with Salzburg Spirit titles. Another CRJ-200, OE-LSD, MSN 7329, was painted with Slovenian Spirit titles. The other two CRJ-200s wore the standard airline colour scheme as did the single example of the CRJ-700 that the airline operated. At the time of the airline’s closure, it held an order in 2006 for a single example of the CRJ-900 to be added to its fleet during that year in Carinthian Spirit titles, but this event never occurred. One option was also held for an additional CRJ-700 but this was never converted to an order.

The following CRJ aircraft were operated by Styrian Spirit:

CRJ-200 Fleet

OE-LSE (To: D-ASBA)          MSN 7990          CRJ-200LR

OE-LSS (To: N208BC)          MSN 7283          CRJ-200LR

OE-LSC (To: N299BS)          MSN 7299          CRJ-200LR

OE-LSD (To: N329BS)          MSN 7329          CRJ-200LR

CRJ-700 Fleet

OE-LSF (To: D-ALTE)         MSN 10217          CRJ-702

Canadair Regional Jet RJ200LR MSN 7990 OE-LSE in service with Styrian Spirit Salzburg Spirit Titles (Mr. CRJ Collection)

Canadair Regional Jet RJ200LR MSN 7990
OE-LSE in service with Styrian Spirit
Salzburg Spirit Titles
(Mr. CRJ Collection)

 

Canadair Regional Jet RJ200LR MSN 7329 OE-LSD in service with Styrian Spirit Slovenian Spirit Titles (Mr. CRJ Collection)

Canadair Regional Jet RJ200LR MSN 7329
OE-LSD in service with Styrian Spirit
Slovenian Spirit Titles
(Mr. CRJ Collection)

 

Canadair Regional Jet RJ200LR MSN 7299 OE-LSC in service with Styrian Spirit (Photo By: Martin Štěpánek / planes.cz)

Canadair Regional Jet RJ200LR MSN 7299
OE-LSC in service with Styrian Spirit
(Photo By: Martin Štěpánek / planes.cz)

 

Canadair Regional Jet RJ702 MSN 10217 OE-LSF in service with Styrian Spirit (Mr. CRJ Collection)

Canadair Regional Jet RJ702 MSN 10217
OE-LSF in service with Styrian Spirit
(Mr. CRJ Collection)

 

Before the airline ceased operation, an order was placed for a single CRJ-900 with Bombardier. The aircraft was to be registered as OE-LSG, but an airframe was never assigned to the airline nor was any aircraft painted in Styrian Spirit’s colour scheme. As part of the promotion by Bombardier of this order, an artist’s conception was released showing a CRJ-900 in the airline’s colour scheme in flight.

Artist's Concept Artwork of a CRJ-900 in full Styrian Spirit colour scheme

Artist’s Concept Artwork of a CRJ-900 in full Styrian Spirit colour scheme

Oct 19 2012

ARJ21 program continues to make progress in testing

ARJ21 Evacuation TestUpdating the reports on the ARJ21 regional jet program, a series of milestone tests have been passed over the last few months but have not been widely reported.

On September 21, 2012, 90 passengers and four crew members evacuated an aircraft in 57 seconds, well within the 90-second evacuation requirement.

The program has also completed water ingestion tests, airspeed calibration, natural icing, engine nacelle anti-icing and crosswind validation tests.

Chengdu Airlines was due to take delivery of its first aircraft by the end of 2011, but ongoing delays in the certification process have resulted in the aircraft  not being delivered until at least the middle to late 2013 timeframe

Oct 17 2012

Flybe to operate all Finnair Embraer 190s

Finnair_logoAnnounced on October 16th, 2012, Finnair and Flybe have signed an agreement which will have Flybe operate Finnair’s Embraer 190 aircraft as of October 28, 2012.

Under the agreement, Finnair will transfer the operation of its twelve 100-seat Embraer 190 aircraft to Flybe and Flybe will operate these aircraft for Finnair as contract flights. Finnair will continue to be responsible for sales, marketing and customer support for these flights.

This decision by Finnair is part of an ongoing drive by the airline to reduce its ongoing costs in various sections of the company, with the goal of decreased annual costs of 140 million euros by 2014.

Some of the previous changes have included a partnership agreement with LSG Sky Chefs Group in which LSG assumed full responsibility for Finnair Catering Oy from August 1, 2012 onwards and the outsourcing of Finnair’s engine and component services to SR Technics from the third quarter of 2012. The airline also has returned four Airbus 320s to their lessor in 2012, and subleased five Embraer 170 aircraft to replace them.

Further changes in Finnair’s structure are expected to be announced before the end of 2012.

Oct 16 2012

Assembly of First CSeries aircraft FTV-1 Underway

FTV-1 Nose SectinoBombardier announced on October 15th, 2012 that  the assembly of the first CSeries flight test vehicle,  FTV1, was finally underway after receiving the cockpit and various sections of the plane’s fuselage. Bombardier indicated that it remains on track for the first CSeries flight by the end of 2012.

FTV-1 carries the MSN 50001, but the registration is not known at this time. While the integrated testing of the aircraft’s various systems continues, Bombardier said it had also received the first composite wings for the its static test airframe from Belfast. Strength and fatigue testing is expected to begin on the test airframe this fall, as the program drives towards the prototype’s first flight.