Airline Name
AerisIATA: SH / ICAO: AIS / Callsign: FRANCE CHARTER
Country of Origin
France
Aircraft Types Used (from those available in WoA)
B733 (737-300) (6 operated),Final livery,
Earlier livery,
B763 (767-300) (2 operated),
Alternative variant,
Operated 2 ex-Toulouse International 737-200 Adv’s likely never repainted before they were sent for scrap so I’ve not added them here.
Why should this airline be added?
****Aeris was the rebranded name for Air Toulouse International. The carrier attempted to modernise its fleet and pivot its business model but ultimately fell victim to the volatile aviation market of the early 2000s.In June 1999, an investment group backed by the American fund DSP Partners acquired the struggling Air Toulouse International. The new management immediately rebranded the company as Aeris, adopting a customer-focused slogan: “La compagnie qui vous aime” (The airline that loves you). They initially decided to cancel all scheduled flights to focus purely on the charter market for major French tour operators like FRAM and Nouvelles Frontières. To comply with stricter European noise and pollution regulations, Aeris retired the aging Boeing 737-200s and replaced them with more efficient Boeing 737-300 and Boeing 767-300 aircraft. In 2002, Aeris acquired the airline Westair and reported revenues of approximately 135 million euros. In June 2003, the company launched a low-cost subsidiary called Aeris Express to compete for domestic traffic from Paris-Orly to southern French cities like Toulouse and Nice.
The launch of the low-cost division proved to be a fatal financial error. Aeris entered a crowded market dominated by established players like Air France and rising giants like EasyJet. While aiming for business travellers, the airline struggled to fill its planes, often seeing only 60% seat occupancy. The French government set a deadline in August 2003 for the airline to raise 15 million euros in fresh capital. Despite seeking domestic and foreign investors, Aeris failed to meet these requirements. On 7 November 2003, the Toulouse Commercial Court placed the company into liquidation, and all operations ceased the following day.
It would be another great charter addition for the game with a lovely livery and which would be a fun option for players to choose on routes to their airports.