Flash Airlines
{{Short description|Defunct Egyptian airline}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2009}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Flash Airlines
| logo = Flash Airlines logo.png
| logo_size = 195
| fleet_size = 2
| destinations =
| IATA = —
| ICAO = FSH
| callsign = FLASH
| parent = Flash Group
| company_slogan =
| founded = 1995 (as Heliopolis Airlines)
| ceased = March 2004
| headquarters = Cairo, Egypt
| key_people =
| bases = Sharm el-Sheikh Int'l Airport
}}
Flash Airlines was a private charter airline operating out of Cairo, Egypt that was part of the Flash Group tourism company. The airline operated two Boeing 737-3Q8 aircraft manufactured in 1993 on non-scheduled commercial passenger flights on both international and domestic routes.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}}
History
File:Flash Airlines Boeing 737-3Q8 SU-ZCD retouched.jpg at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris (2003)]]
The airline was established in 1995 as Heliopolis Airlines. It received its certificate of operation from the Egyptian authorities in 1996. It became a member of the Flash group in 2000. During that year Flash Airlines had one 737-300 with another that joined in 2002."[https://web.archive.org/web/20001213233300/http://www.flashtour.com/airline.htm Flash Airlines]." Flash Tour. 13 December 2000. Retrieved on 1 June 2009.
In 2002, Swiss aviation authorities performed a surprise inspection on SU-ZCF, a Flash Airlines Boeing 737-300. They discovered missing pilot oxygen masks, a lack of oxygen tanks, and inoperable cockpit instruments. The Swiss grounded the aircraft until Flash repaired the plane. Several days later, Switzerland banned Flash. Poland also banned Flash, while tour operators in Norway ceased contracting. In early 2004, SU-ZCF crashed while operating Flash's Flight 604 from Sharm el-Sheikh to Paris via Cairo. The subsequent investigation exposed poor safety measures and pilot disorientation, which led to the demise of Flash.
Fleet
=Flash Airlines=
The Flash Airlines fleet consisted of the following aircraft during operations:{{Cite web |url=https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Flash-Airlines |title=Flash Airlines Fleet |access-date=8 July 2010 |archive-date=10 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610231446/http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/Flash-Airlines |url-status=live }}
| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0 auto;" |
| Aircraft
! Registration ! Delivered ! Exited ! Fate |
|---|
| Boeing 737-3Q8
| align=center|SU-ZCF | 22 July 2001 | 3 January 2004 | Crashed as Flash Airlines Flight 604 |
| Boeing 737-3Q8
| align=center|SU-ZCD | 16 February 2002 | 5 March 2004 | Became N271LF with ILFC |
=Heliopolis Airlines=
The Heliopolis Airlines fleet consisted of the following aircraft before merging into Flash group:[http://airfleets.net/flottecie/Heliopolis%20Airlines.htm Heliopolis Airlines Fleet]
| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0 auto;" |
| Aircraft
! Registration ! Delivered ! Exited ! Fate |
|---|
| Airbus A310-222
| align=center|SU-ZCC | 27 October 1997 | 26 August 1999 | Became N453FE with FedEx Express |
| Boeing 737-3Q8
| align=center|SU-ZCE | 21 April 2000 | 17 May 2000 | Became N221LF with ILFC, later became SU-ZCF |
| Boeing 737-3Q8
| align=center|SU-ZCF | 23 June 2001 | 22 July 2001 | Stayed as SU-ZCF with Flash Airlines |
| Boeing 737-3Q8
| align=center|SU-ZCD | 16 February 2000 | 27 August 2000 | Stayed as SU-ZCD with Ecoair International |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-83
| align=center|SU-ZCA | 23 August 1996 | 13 February 1998 | Became HK-4137X with Avianca, involved in the Air Algérie Flight 5017 crash |
Accidents and incidents
{{Main|Flash Airlines Flight 604}}
- On 3 January 2004, Flash Airlines Flight 604, operated by a Boeing 737-300 registration SU-ZCF, crashed into the Red Sea shortly after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh. All passengers and crew died. As a result of the crash, Flash Airlines went out of business in March 2004.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/*/ Flash Group official website] (now known as Flash International)
{{Portal bar|Egypt|Aviation|Companies}}
{{Airlines of Egypt}}
Category:Defunct airlines of Egypt
Category:Airlines established in 1995
Category:Airlines disestablished in 2004
Category:2004 disestablishments in Egypt
Category:Defunct charter airlines
Category:Egyptian companies established in 1995