ASL Airlines Ireland

The airline was established and started operations in 1972, as Air Bridge Carriers at East Midlands Airport. In September 1992 the name Hunting Cargo Airlines was adopted and in 1997 the transfer of all airline operations to Ireland was completed. In June 1998 the Hunting Group sold its aviation arm to a joint consortium of CMB Compagnie Maritime Belge and Safair (part of the Imperial Group) and the airline was rebranded Air Contractors.

The Imperial Group transferred its 49% shareholding in the company to 3P Air Freighters/Petercam S.A. in 2007.

File:Air contractors logo.svg

Air Contractors acquired French carrier Europe Airpost on 14 March 2008.

{{cite web

|title=Press Release: Acquisition of Europe Air Post by Air Contractors

|work=Air Contractors

|date=14 March 2008

|url=http://www.aircontractors.com/detail.aspx?page=Document&call=News&Item=2118

|access-date=3 August 2009

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708042337/http://www.aircontractors.com/detail.aspx?page=Document&call=News&Item=2118

|archive-date=8 July 2009

}} Following the acquisition of EAP into the ACL group of companies, the group was rebranded ASL Aviation Group, representing the three core activities of the group; Airlines, Support and Leasing.

In 2010 Air Contractors entered a new era with the start of passenger flying on a Boeing 737-300 aircraft in conjunction with its Group partner, Europe Airpost.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

On 4 June 2015, ASL Aviation Group announced that Air Contractors would be rebranded as ASL Airlines Ireland, Europe Airpost as ASL Airlines France, Farnair Hungary as ASL Airlines Hungary and Farnair Switzerland as ASL Airlines Switzerland.{{cite web |url=http://www.aslaviationgroup.com/index.php/media/single/asl-drives-future-growth-with-launch-of-european-airline-brand |title=Ireland based ASL Aviation Group is to launch a new European airline brand, ASL Airlines, as part of its strategy for continued growth in passenger and cargo operations. |publisher=ASL Aviation Group |date=4 June 2015 |access-date=8 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108034653/http://www.aslaviationgroup.com/index.php/media/single/asl-drives-future-growth-with-launch-of-european-airline-brand |archive-date=8 November 2017 |url-status=dead }}

The company announced on 5 February 2016 that it had agreed to buy TNT Airways and PAN Air, on the condition that FedEx's purchase of TNT goes ahead. The sale went through in May 2016.[http://www.globaltrademag.com/global-trade-daily/news/asl-finalizes-acquisition-of-tnt-air-operations globaltrademag.com - ASL Finalizes Acquisition of TNT Air Operations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010214449/http://www.globaltrademag.com/global-trade-daily/news/asl-finalizes-acquisition-of-tnt-air-operations |date=10 October 2017 }} 2 June 2016 TNT Airways became ASL Airlines Belgium and Pan Air became ASL Airlines Spain.[http://www.aslairlines.be/ aslairlines.be - ASL AIRLINES BELGIUM formerly TNT Airways] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206030715/http://www.aslairlines.be/ |date=6 February 2019 }} retrieved 26 June 2016 In early 2017, ASL Aviation Group rebranded as ASL Aviation Holdings.

Subsidiary ASL Airlines Switzerland ceased all operations on 1 February 2018,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/64010-asl-airlines-switzerland-concludes-flight-operations|title=ASL Airlines Switzerland concludes flight operations|website=ch-aviation}} while ASL Airlines Spain ceased all operations in August of that same year.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/airline/PVS|title=ASL Airlines Spain on ch-aviation|website=ch-aviation}}

ASLI maintains crew bases in 10 European countries and has its own maintenance hangar in Shannon, Ireland. The airline's operations span a network of more than 50 regular destinations across Europe, North America and Asia under its own brand name and on behalf of customers such as DHL, Amazon and FedEx.

{{Multiple image

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| image1 = ASL Airlines Ireland, EI-STO, Boeing 737-43Q SF (27288914988).jpg

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| caption1 = ASL Airlines Ireland Boeing 737-400F

| image2 = Hannover Airport ASL Airlines Ireland Amazon Air Boeing 737-86Q(SF)(WL) EI-AZE (DSC08041).jpg

| caption2 = ASL Airlines Ireland Boeing 737-800(BCF) In Amazon Air livery

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The ASL Airlines Ireland fleet consists of the following aircraft as of January 2025;{{cite web |url=https://www.iaa.ie/commercial-aviation/aircraft-registration-2/latest-register-and-monthly-changes-1 |title=Latest Register and Monthly Changes |date=30 September 2017|publisher=Irish Aviation Authority |access-date=4 October 2017}}

File:ASL Airlines Ireland - ATR 72-202(F) - EI-SOA - Cologne Bonn Airport-6734.jpg

Aircraft that have been in the ASL Airlines Ireland fleet in the past.

In June 2021, ASL Aviation Holdings announced an order with Boeing for up to 20 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) aircraft - 10 firm orders and 10 options at the Paris Air Show.{{Cite web |title=ASL Aviation Holdings Confirms It Will Exercise Options for 10 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters – ASL |url=http://www.aslaviationholdings.com/strongasl-aviation-holdings-confirms-it-will-exercise-options-for-10-737-800-boeing-converted-freighters-strong/ |access-date=2022-07-25 |language=en-US}} This was extended to an additional 20 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF) in March 2022.{{Cite web |title=ASL Aviation Holdings Confirms Up To 20 More Boeing 737-800BCF Aircraft – ASL |date=31 March 2022 |url=http://www.aslaviationholdings.com/asl-aviation-holdings-confirms-up-to-20-more-boeing-737-800bcf-aircraft/ |access-date=2022-07-25 |language=en-US}} ASL's order, including options brings the number of 737-800BCF to 40 aircraft. Eleven aircraft operate for ASL Airlines Belgium,{{Cite web |title=Welcome to the new addition in the ASLB fleet: OE-IWB (B737-800BCF) |url=https://www.aslairlines.be/news/2021/07/27/welcome-to-the-new-addition-in-the-aslb-fleet-oe-iwb-(b737-800bcf) |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=www.aslairlines.be}} ASL Airlines France,{{Cite web |date=2020-12-10 |title=First ASL Airlines B737-800BCF Enters Service In France |url=https://newsroom.aviator.aero/first-b737-800bcf-on-french-aoc-and-first-aircraft-in-asl-bcf-programme/ |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=AVIATOR |language=en}} ASL Airlines Ireland{{Cite web |title=ASL prepares for Amazon 737 operations |url=https://cargofacts.com/allposts/business/strategy/asl-prepares-for-amazon-737-operations/ |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=ch-aviation |date=20 October 2020 |language=en}} and ASL joint venture, K-Mile Asia.{{Cite web |date=2021-11-03 |title=AirAsia's Teleport serves e-commerce demand with own-controlled 737 freighter |url=https://aircargoworld.com/news/airasias-teleport-serves-e-commerce-demand-with-own-controlled-737-freighter/,%20https://aircargoworld.com/news/airasias-teleport-serves-e-commerce-demand-with-own-controlled-737-freighter/|website=Air Cargo World|access-date=2022-07-25 |language=en-US}} ASL Airline Ireland has taken delivery of 8 of these aircraft as of January 2025.

{{Reflist}}

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• {{official website|http://www.aslairlines.ie/ }}
• [http://www.aslaviationholdings.com/ ASL Aviation Holdings]

{{Portal bar|Ireland|Companies|Aviation}}

{{Airlines of the Republic of Ireland}}

{{DHL Aviation}}

{{IATA members|europe}}

Category:Airlines of the Republic of Ireland

Category:Airlines established in 1972

Category:Cargo airlines

Category:Companies based in Swords, County Dublin