Airline Name
Hispania Lineas Aereas (Hispania Lineas Aereas S.A.)IATA: XF (formerly HI) / ICAO: HSL / CALLSIGN: SUNBEAM/HISPANIA [sources vary]
Founded and commenced operations in 1982 (Aug.), ceased operations in 1989 (Jul. 15th)
(Financial difficulties)
Country of Origin
Spain, Europe ()
Main Hub(s): Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI)
Aircraft Types Used (from those available in WoA)
(For this airline, most aircraft types operated are already available in WoA - or are planned to be.)Aircraft operated (already in-game/planned):
Boeing 737 (-200 Adv, -200C, -300, B732/B732C/B733) - 11 former.
(2/1/8 of each variant, respectively.)
(Pictured below: Boeing 737-200 Adv EC-DXV - later broken up, known as PK-YTI at end of its life)(Pictured below: Boeing 737-200C EC-DZB - later scrapped, known as N218TA at end of its life)
(Pictured below: Boeing 737-300 EC-EBX - now known as N331CK, stored)
Before moving to the next type, here’s an interesting hybrid livery between Hispania and UK-based Orion Airways:
(Pictured below: Boeing 737-300 EC-ELV - later scrapped, known as N696SW at end of its life)
Anyways, moving on now:
Boeing 757 (-200, B752) - 3 former.
(Pictured below: EC-EMV - now known as N920FD)Aircraft operated (not in-game):
McDonnell Douglas DC-8 (-61, DC86) - 1 former.
(Pictured below: C-GMXB - later broken up, known as N923BV at end of its life)This aircraft carried Nationair’s general livery and titles, as Hispania leased this aircraft from them for only a few months, from July to September of 1988.
Now, as for the final aircraft type:Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle (10B1R, S210) - 4 former.
(Pictured below: EC-CIZ - later scrapped, known as SE-DEB at end of its life)Hispania actually had an older livery they had featured on this type, though I wasn’t sure if there were any other examples of it on their other aircraft:
(Pictured below: Ditto, in earlier livery rendition)
Why should this airline be added?
Hispania was a Spanish charter airline of the 1980s, based out of Palma de Mallorca (PMI), and during its time connected Spain with various other European countries, such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (though I couldn’t find a route map to determine which airports they visited in specific). As time went by, the airline began to expand, first with 737-200s which replaced the Caravelles, and later added on the -300 and the 757-200, and even leased out a DC-8 for a brief period.However, with these new additions came more costs on the airline, notably those of leasing prices, which began to weigh the economics of the airline down. Air Europa would try to intervene in 1988 and nearly purchased the airline; however, this appeared to have failed (I’m not sure of any specifics as to why), and in July of 1989 the airline ceased operations.
Anyways, I’d say that this airline should be added because, in spite of its rather short life and history, it has quite a varied fleet, a great livery, and could fit well with the upcoming 737 Original / Classic generation additions, making for awesome event material for European airports - or possibly even a future Spanish airport, such as PMI itself.
Beyond the 737s though, it would also provide a good new livery for the 757, plus if the historic DC-8 and Caravelle are added in the future, then this airline would further benefit from such additions, and allow for its full, quite varied fleet to be seen in-game.SOURCES:
Hispania Lineas Aereas’ Planespotters.net page
Hispania Lineas Aereas’ Wikipedia page
Hispania Lineas Aereas’ Wikipedia page (Spanish)