Contact Air

The airline was founded in 1974 as a tax-break by Gunter Eheim, a German World War II test pilot and later manufacturer of aquarium filters, initially operating chartered passenger services using a small fleet of Dassault Falcon 20 and Learjet{{specify|date=October 2013}} aircraft.{{cite journal|title=World Airline Directory: Contactair Flugdienst|journal=Flight International|date=27 March 1991|page=82|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1991/1991%20-%200764.html|accessdate=15 October 2013}} In 1981, Contact Air became one of the launch customers for the British Aerospace Jetstream, along with US carrier Mall Airways.{{cite journal|title=Jetstream 31 clinches first sales|journal=Flight International|date=13 June 1981|page=1813|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1981/1981%20-%201895.html|accessdate=15 October 2013}} Its first aircraft of that type was delivered in the following year.

In 1984, Contact Air was subcontracted by DLT to operate one of its Jetstreams on scheduled regional flights on behalf of Lufthansa. Subsequently, DLT acquired 24.8 percent of the Contact Air shares.

Having waged the alternative of ordering the ATR 42, Contact Air announced in 1986 that it had chosen the de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 for a fleet enlargement, thus becoming the second European airline to operate that type, after Tyrolean Airways.{{cite journal|title=DHC Scores in Europe|journal=Flight International|date=17 May 1986|page=2|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1986/1986%20-%201094.html|accessdate=15 October 2013}}{{cite journal|title=Canada exports Dash 8-300|journal=Flight International|date=20 August 1988|page=15|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1988/1988%20-%202205.html|accessdate=15 October 2013}} Two years later, Contact Air became the first non-Canadian buyer of the stretched Dash 8-300 version, ordering three aircraft worth $35 million.

In April 1996, Contact Air became a founding member of Team Lufthansa.{{cite journal|title=Directory: World Airlines—Contact Air Flugdienst|journal=Flight International|date=19 March 2002|page=51|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2002/2002%20-%200833.html|accessdate=15 October 2013}} In 2004, this airline association was reorganized as Lufthansa Regional, a Star Alliance affiliate. Henceforth, all Contact Air flights were operated using the Lufthansas branding and flight numbers.

On 29 November 2011, it was reported that Lufthansa would terminate its contract with Contact Air effective 1 October 2012. At that time, the Contact Air fleet consisted of eight Fokker 100, six of which were operated on behalf of Lufthansa out of Stuttgart Airport, with another two being based at Zurich Airport and operated for Swiss International Air Lines.{{cite web|title=Contact Air verliert Lufthansa-Vertrag|url=http://www.airliners.de/contact-air-verliert-lufthansa-vertrag/25816|publisher=airliners.de|language=German|date=29 November 2011|accessdate=15 October 2013}} In May 2012, Contact Air agreed to be taken over by OLT Express Germany, a step which was finalized in September of that year following its approval by the Federal Cartel Office.{{cite web|title=Stuttgarter Contact Air geht in OLT Express Germany auf|url=http://www.aero.de/news-15400/Stuttgarter-Contact-Air-geht-in-OLT-Express-Germany-auf.html|publisher=aero.de|accessdate=15 October 2013|language=German|date=5 July 2012}}

Prior to acquisition the headquarters were in Filderstadt."[https://web.archive.org/web/20120717063823/http://www.contactair.de/index.php?article_id=35&clang=0 Impressum]." Contact Air. 17 July 2012. Retrieved on 7 January 2015. "Contact Air Flugdienst GmbH + Co. Gottlieb-Manz-Straße 2 70794 Filderstadt" Previously they were in Stuttgart."[https://web.archive.org/web/20080413170540/http://www.contactair.de/impressum.php Impressum]." Contact Air. 13 April 2008. Retrieved on 7 January 2015. "Contact Air Flugdienst GmbH + Co. Echterdinger Str. 30 D-70599 Stuttgart (Plieningen)"

File:De Havilland Canada DHC-8-311 Dash 8, Contact Air Interregional (Lufthansa) AN0452539.jpg, 1994.]]

File:Fokker 50, Team Lufthansa (Contact Air Interregional) AN0447439.jpg in Team Lufthansa livery, 2003.]]

File:ATR 42-500, Lufthansa Regional (Contact Air) JP6298705.jpg in Lufthansa Regional livery, 2008.]]

File:Contact Air Fokker 100, D-AFKE (5271550335).jpg in Lufthansa Regional livery, 2010.]]

The scheduled destinations that were served by Contact Air on behalf of Lufthansa included:{{cite journal|title=Directory: World Airlines—Contact Air Flugdienst|journal=Flight International|date=25 March 2003|page=50|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2003/2003%20-%200591.html|accessdate=15 October 2013}}{{cite journal|title=Directory: World Airlines—Contact Air Flugdienst|journal=Flight International|date=23 March 2004|page=56|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2004/2004-09%20-%200178.html|accessdate=15 October 2013}}

Over the years of its existence, Contact Air operated the following aircraft types:{{cite web|title=Contactair fleet details|url=http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Contactair.htm|publisher=airfleets.net|accessdate=15 October 2013}}{{cite web|title=Contact Air fleet details and history|url=https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Contact-Air|publisher=planespotters.net|accessdate=15 October 2013}}

File:090914ContactAir.jpg involved in the emergency landing of Flight 288 shortly after the incident at Stuttgart Airport.]]

• On 6 January 1993, Lufthansa Flight 5634 from Bremen to Paris, which was carried out under the Lufthansa CityLine brand using a Contact Air Dash 8-300 (registered D-BEAT), crashed {{convert|1800|m|ft}} short of the runway of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Four out of the 23 passengers on board died; the four crew members survived. The accident happened as a result of a failed go-around, which had become necessary because the aircraft ahead, a Boeing 747 of Korean Air, had suffered a blown tyre upon landing and the runway had subsequently been closed.{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19930106-0 |title=Accident description of Lufthansa Flight 5634|publisher=Aviation Safety Network |accessdate=28 September 2009}}
• On 14 September 2009, Lufthansa Flight 288 from Berlin to Stuttgart, which was operated by a Contact Air Fokker 100 registered D-AFKE, made an emergency landing at Stuttgart Airport at 10:47 local time due to undercarriage failure. There were no injuries amongst the five crew members and 73 passengers on board.{{cite web|url=http://www.aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20090914-0 |title=Accident description of Lufthansa Flight 288 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |accessdate=28 September 2009}} In the media coverage following the accident, Contact Air was criticised for operating ageing Fokker 100 aircraft, some of which previously had belonged to an airline that had been banned from European airspace over safety concerns.{{cite journal|title=Fliegende Zeitbombe|journal=Der Spiegel|date=21 September 2009|page=125|url=http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=66970465&aref=image040/2009/09/19/ROSP200903901250125.PDF&thumb=false|accessdate=15 October 2013|language=German|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616100758/http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=66970465&aref=image040%2F2009%2F09%2F19%2FROSP200903901250125.PDF&thumb=false|archive-date=16 June 2013|url-status=dead}}

{{Reflist|2}}

{{commons category-inline|Contact Air}}

• [https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.contactair.de Contact Air] (Archive)

{{Portalbar|Germany|Companies|Aviation}}

{{Airlines_of_Germany}}

Category:Defunct airlines of Germany

Category:European Regions Airline Association

Category:Airlines established in 1974

Category:Airlines disestablished in 2012

Category:1974 establishments in West Germany

Category:Lufthansa

Category:Companies based in Stuttgart

Category:German companies established in 1974

Category:German companies disestablished in 2012