Air Alsace

Société Air Alsace S.A. was a regional airline with headquarters at Colmar-Houssen Aerodrome, close to Colmar city, France.

Air Alsace

VFW-614
Commenced operations	1962
Ceased operations	1981
Operating bases	Colmar-Houssen Aerodrome
Headquarters	Colmar, France
Key people	Jean Risser (CEO)
Employees	220 (1982)

History

Fokker F.27 Friendship

Aérospatiale Corvette and Fokker F.28 Fellowship in full Air France colors

Air Alsace was estabilished in August 1962 and began air taxi operations from Colmar-Houssen Aerodrome airport later on in that same year using two Piper Navajo light aircraft. From June 1974 it began to operate passenger scheduled routes. In March 1975 it took over fellow Air Vosges and its fleet of Cessna 401 and Cessna 402.

The growth in traffic and destinations required the adoption of larger and longer-range aircraft such as the Nord 262 and the Fokker F.27 Friendship twin turboprops. The next step was the adoption of jetliners, starting from the small Aérospatiale Corvette to the more capacious VFW-614 in April 1976 and the even the larger Fokker F.28 Fellowship.

The growth of the airline attracted the attention of Air France on whose behalf services to Amsterdam, Brussels, Cologne, Rome and Strasbourg were started. Flights to London Gatwick and Milan were later added. However, the financial results were not positive and the airline decided to rely on a more solid partner - TAT - Touraine Air Transport - which acquired the majority shareholding at the beginning of 1981. Despite this, Air Alsace ceased operations during the following year.

Fleet

Fokker F.27 Friendship in the first livery

Aérospatiale Corvette in the first Air France pool colours

• Aérospatiale Corvette
• Cessna 401 & Cessna 402
• Piper Navajo
• Nord 262
• Fokker F.27 Friendship
• VFW 614
• Fokker F.28 Fellowship

Further reading

• "Informations Air Alsace" (in French language), Colmar, January 1977
• Hengi, B.I. (2000). Vergangen, Vergessen, Vorbei [Airlines Remembered: Over 200 Airlines of the Past, Described and Illustrated in Colour]. Neil Lewis, translator. Leicester, England: Midland Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-091-3.