Mey-Air
{{Infobox Airline
| airline = Mey-Air
| founded = 1970
| ceased = 1974
| IATA = none
| ICAO = MT
| callsign = MARITIME
| destinations =
| key_people = Hans Otto Meyer
| bases = Oslo Airport, Fornebu
| fleet_size = 4
}}
Mey-Air Transport A/S, trading as Mey-Air, was a Norwegian charter airline which operated from 1970 to 1974. Owned by shipping owner Hans Otto Meyer, the company flew both smaller ad hoc charter as well as inclusive tour (IT). Initially operating a varied fleet of ten Cessna, Beechcraft, Convair CV-240 and NAMC YS-11, these were largely sold in 1972 to make way for two Boeing 737-200. The company filed for bankruptcy following the demise of the charter market after the 1973 oil crisis.
History
File:Mey-Air Beech 99A.jpg at Tampere–Härmälä Airport in 1971]]
Mey-Air was established as a charter airline in 1970,{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1974/1974%20-%200472.html |title=World Airline Directory – Mey-Air Transport |journal=Flight International |date=21 March 1974 |page=42 |accessdate=24 August 2015}} by shipping owner Hans Otto Meyer.{{cite news |title=Fjellfly-konsesjon får konsekvenser |last=Helskog |first=Svenn |date=7 April 1972 |page=11 |work=Verdens Gang |language=Norwegian}} Based at the then secondary Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, it intended both to target the ad hoc as well as the inclusive tour charter market. It initially took over two Convair CV-240 from Meyer, although these were sold in 1970 and 1971.Hagby: 287Hagby: 288 The airline followed up by buying eight aircraft of six different types, consisting of a Cessna 401,Hagby: 306 a Cessna 402B, a Cessna 421,Hagby: 305 two NAMC YS-11,Hagby: 231 two Beechcraft Queen Air,Hagby: 220Hagby: 221 and a Beechcraft King Air 100.Hagby: 311 These aircraft were quickly sold, and by the end of 1972 only the Cessna 401 was still in service.
During 1970 Mey-Air operated a newspaper services out of Oslo to Copenhagen and onwards to Amsterdam and Paris. The Queenliners were used for this route.{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1973/1973%20-%200773.html |title=World Airline Directory – Mey-Air Transport |journal=Flight International |date=22 March 1973 |page=463 |accessdate=24 August 2015}} The IT market was undergoing a dramatic boom during this period,{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1973/1973%20-%202558.html |title=Inclusive tours come of age |journal=Flight International |date=11 October 1973 |page=607 |accessdate=24 August 2015}} and in 1971Hagby: 231 Mey-Air acquired two Boeing 737-200 for Mediterranean IT flights. Their only later aircraft acquisition was a 1973 purchase of a Cessna 150 and a Convair CV-240.Hagby: 207
File:Mey-Air 737-2H5 LN-MTD.jpg at Stockholm Arlanda Airport in 1972]]
Mey-Air showed interest in 1972 in acquiring their concessions to operate the routes out of Skien Airport, Geiteryggen. Despite the bankruptcy of the incumbent, Fjellfly, Mey-Air withdrew their interest in the routes. Starting in December 1972, Mey-Air started a cooperation with Falkereiser to fly Danish tourists to Norway.{{cite news |title=Opplev vinter-Norge for 375 kroner |date=27 November 1972 |page=6 |work=Verdens Gang |language=Norwegian}} This agreement would become a liability as Mey-Air was not paid in full and eventually became creditor of the tour operator after it went bankrupt in 1974.{{cite news |title=Millonkrav mot Falke-reiser |date=26 September 1974 |page=10 |work=Verdens Gang |language=Norwegian}} One of the 737s is prominently featured as the hijacked aircraft in the 1974 feature film Ransom (known in North America and some countries as The Terrorists).{{cite web |url=http://impdb.org/index.php?title=Ransom |title=Ransom |publisher=Internet Movie Plane Database |accessdate=25 August 2015}}
Following the 1973 oil crisis, Mey-Air was, similar to other IT airlines, adversely affected. Costs rose while charter rates declined, making it impossible to run with a profit.{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1974/1974%20-%200542.html |title=European charter failures |journal=Flight International |date=4 April 1974 |page=420 |accessdate=24 August 2015}} Mey-Air ceased operations on 22 February 1974 and filed for bankruptcy two days later.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}
Fleet
File:Mey-Air Beech 100 Sipilä.jpg]]
File:Mey-Air NAMC YS-11A LN-MTA.jpg]]
The following is a list of aircraft operated by Mey-Air. It contains the model, the accumulated number of aircraft operated (which may exceed the peak count), the year built, the year the type first entered service with the airline, and the year the last unit was retired.
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+Mey-Air aircraft ! scope=col | Model ! scope=col | Qty ! scope=col | Built ! scope=col | First in ! scope=col | Last out ! scope=col class=unsortable | Ref(s) |
| scope=row | Convair CV-240 |
|---|
| scope=row | Cessna 401 |
| scope=row | Cessna 402B |
| scope=row | Cessna 421 |
| scope=row | NAMC YS-11 |
| scope=row | Beechcraft Queen Air |
| scope=row | Beechcraft King Air 100 |
| scope=row | Boeing 737-200 |
| scope=row | Cessna 150 |
{{clear}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
Bibliography
{{commons category|Mey-Air}}
- {{cite book |last=Hagby |first=Kay |title=Fra Nielsen & Winther til Boeing 747 |location=Drammen |publisher=Hagby |language=Norwegian |year=1998 |isbn=8299475201 |url=http://www.nb.no/nbsok/nb/e38c175e6746f06628c09886091e4707}}
{{Airlines of Norway}}
{{Portal bar|Aviation|Companies|Norway}}
Category:Airlines established in 1970
Category:Airlines disestablished in 1974
Category:Defunct airlines of Norway
Category:Norwegian companies established in 1970