OpenSkies

File:Open Skies Biz Seat (3118295113).jpg

File:Open Skies Prem+ Seat (3118300855).jpg

British Airways wanted to reduce its dependence on its Heathrow Airport hub by flying between the United States and cities in continental Europe.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/11/04/ccair104.xml&page=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107021913/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/11/04/ccair104.xml&page=2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 November 2007 |title=Battle for Heathrow to NY flights |work=Daily Telegraph |first=Jonathan |last=Russell |date=11 March 2007 |access-date=31 July 2008}} The routes that OpenSkies operated were made possible due to the EU-US Open Skies Agreement, which permits any airline based in the United States or the European Union to operate services to and from any EU or American location. The availability of landing slots limits the impact of the agreement at certain airports, such as London Heathrow Airport.{{cite news |title=BA to launch 'open skies' airline |date=9 January 2008 |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7178673.stm |access-date= 9 January 2008}}

With the creation of an Open Skies agreement between Europe and the United States in March 2008, British Airways started a new subsidiary airline called BA European Limited, trading as Openskies (previously known as "Project Lauren").{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7178673.stm|title=BA to launch 'open skies' airline|work=BBC News|date=9 January 2008|access-date=23 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111095453/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7178673.stm|archive-date=11 January 2013|url-status=live}} which launched originally with a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence. This permitted the airline to carry passengers, cargo, and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.Civil Aviation Authority Official Record Series 2 Number 1849 13 May 2008 – Type A Operating Licence granted from 9 May 2008 The operating licence was suspended on 6 May 2009 for three months following the transfer of the name to Elysair, at BA European's request.[http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/213/1900.pdf UK Civil Aviation Authority Official Record Series 2, Number 1900, 12 May 2009]{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The CAA certificate eventually was surrendered in favour of operating under a certificate issued by the French Ministère de la Transition écologique et solidaire.[http://www.ecologique-solidaire.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/LISTE_DES_COMPAGNIES_FRANCAISES_version_modifiee_18-03-2015.pdf Compagnies aériennes françaises autorisées]{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

OpenSkies' first flight, from New York, was on 19 June 2008, using a single Boeing 757 transferred from the BA fleet. In July 2008 BA bought French airline L'Avion for £54 million.{{cite news |title=British Airways to buy L'Avion for £54m |first=Alistair|last=Osborne |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/2792679/British-Airways-to-buy-LAvion-for-54m.html |newspaper=Daily Telegraph |date=3 July 2008 |access-date=1 March 2013}} BA European's operations merged with L'Avion on 4 April 2009, forming OpenSkies. In 2008, potential future routes for the airline reportedly included Dublin, Frankfurt, Madrid, Brussels, Rome, and Milan.{{cite news | first=Rod | last=Stone | title=British Airways To Start US-Continental Europe Services | date=9 January 2008 | publisher=CNN | url =https://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200801091028DOWJONESDJONLINE000667_FORTUNE5.htm |access-date= 9 January 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080113080558/http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200801091028DOWJONESDJONLINE000667_FORTUNE5.htm |archive-date = 13 January 2008}}

The third destination for Openskies was Amsterdam, when flights began on 15 October 2008, and Newark became an additional destination when L'Avion was integrated into OpenSkies on 4 April 2009. On 24 July 2009, the airline announced that the route from New York-JFK to Amsterdam Schiphol would be suspended as of 16 August, for economic reasons.{{Cite web |url=http://blog.flyopenskies.com/openskies-to-refocus-business-efforts-on-paris-%E2%80%93-new-york-route/ |title=OpenSkies to Refocus Business Efforts on Paris – New York Route |access-date=24 July 2009 |archive-date=29 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729014829/http://blog.flyopenskies.com/openskies-to-refocus-business-efforts-on-paris-%E2%80%93-new-york-route/ |url-status=dead }} On 30 September the airline announced that the Washington to Paris service would be suspended from 29 October.Clabaugh, Jeff. [http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2011/09/30/openskies-suspends-washington-flights.html OpenSkies suspends Washington flights], Washington Business Journal, 30 September 2011, Retrieved 30 September 2011

In December 2009, the airline announced a change of its New York operations: in January 2010, all OpenSkies flights were shifted from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Newark.{{cite web |url=https://www.flyopenskies.com/docs/press/Newark%20Announcement%2012%2016%2009.pdf |title=OpenSkies Announces Schedule Changes in New York |date=16 December 2009 |publisher=OpenSkies |access-date=1 March 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The airline restored service from JFK to Orly on 31 March 2013.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2012/10/23/openskies-restores-jfk-service/1651635/ |title=BA's OpenSkies restores New York JFK service |newspaper=USA Today |date=23 October 2012 |access-date=13 January 2013}} Also in 2013, the airline announced a codesharing agreement with American Airlines.{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/american-airlines-codeshare-openskies-213812405.html |title=American Airlines to codeshare with OpenSkies – Yahoo! News |publisher=News.yahoo.com |date=6 December 2011 |access-date=13 January 2013}}

OpenSkies joined the Oneworld alliance as an affiliate member on 1 December 2012, of which parent British Airways is a founding member. British Airways Executive Club members were then able to claim tier points and BA miles on OpenSkies flights.

On 28 November 2017, IAG announced that its low-cost airline brand Level would launch flights in July 2018 from Paris Orly Airport, which would be operated by staff that were currently employed by OpenSkies and using the airline's air operator's certificate. In preparation for the change, OpenSkies' IATA code was changed from EC to LV in May 2018. The OpenSkies brand ceased to operate on 2 September 2018, after which all its staff began to operate Level flights.{{cite web|url=https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/275952/level-outlines-s18-operations-new-routes-from-paris-orly/|title=LEVEL outlines S18 operations: New routes from Paris Orly|last=Liu|first=Jim|website=Routesonline|publisher=Informa Markets|date=28 November 2017|access-date=16 September 2020}}

FlightGlobal stated that the retirement of the last OpenSkies branded aircraft "marked the end of the OpenSkies brand, from a public-facing perspective."{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/openskies-retires-final-boeing-after-last-767-fligh-451757/|last=Kingsley-Jones|first=Max|title=OpenSkies retires final Boeing after last 767 flight to Newark|publisher=Flight Global|date=2018-09-07|access-date=2019-03-02}} OpenSkies began operating as Level France, with the same employees since operating under a new brand, with flight crew retrained to fly Airbus aircraft.

On 8 July 2020, IAG reported the shutdown of OpenSkies due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation and passenger demand.{{cite web |title=IAG Subsidiary Level France to Shut Down |url=https://www.frequentbusinesstraveler.com/2020/07/iag-subsidiary-level-france-to-shut-down/ |website=frequentbusinesstraveler.com |access-date=2020-07-09 |date=2020-07-09}} Following IAG's announcement however, reservations for flights operated by the airline were reopened at a later date for services resuming in October 2020,{{cite web|url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/94885-spains-level-to-restart-scheduled-flights-in-late-3q20|title=Spain's LEVEL to restart scheduled flights in late 3Q20|website=ch-aviation|date=2 September 2020|access-date=16 September 2020}} later postponed to December 2020,{{cite web|url=https://www.air-journal.fr/2020-10-20-level-un-retour-a-paris-debut-decembre-5223381.html|title=Level: un retour à Paris début décembre?|trans-title=Level: a return to Paris in early December?|first=François|last=Duclos|website=Air Journal|date=20 October 2020|access-date=2 January 2021}} though operations ultimately never resumed and reservations were later closed.

{{Main|Level (airline brand)#Long-haul destinations}}

Starting in July 2018, OpenSkies began the operation of flights to the following destinations on behalf of Level, until the grounding of its aircraft and suspension of operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, followed by the airline's closure in July 2020:

Starting in June 2008, OpenSkies operated scheduled flights to the following destinations under its own brand name until September 2018:

OpenSkies had codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

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• American Airlines
• British Airways

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File:Airbus A330-200 - F-HLVM - Level.jpg operated for Level]]

File:2010-06-30 B757 OpenSkies F-HAVN EDDF 02.jpg]]

File:OpenSkies Boeing 767-336(ER) F-HILU approaching Newark Airport.jpg]]

The OpenSkies fleet, which was operated under the Level brand, consisted of the following aircraft at the time the airline was shut down in July 2020:{{cite journal|title=Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)|journal=Airliner World|issue=October 2019|page=14}}

OpenSkies previously operated the following aircraft types under its own brand name until September 2018:

In February 2009, British Airways announced that it would not transfer additional 757s to its OpenSkies subsidiary by the end of 2009 beyond the one already transferred, as originally planned, but instead would sell them to a third party. OpenSkies was originally to expand to six aircraft by the end of 2009, but BA said this plan had been cancelled.{{cite news |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/02/09/322255/ba-expects-to-sell-757s-next-winter-use-a320s-instead.html |title=BA expects to sell 757s next winter, use A320s instead |first=David |last=Kaminski-Morrow |publisher=Flight International |date=9 February 2009}}

On 8 April 2016, Openskies announced the addition of a Boeing 767 aircraft in a three-class configuration, transferred from parent British Airways which was retiring its 3-class 767 fleet.[http://www.air-journal.fr/2016-04-08-un-boeing-767-pour-openskies-5161074.html Openskies to add 767 to fleet] The aircraft, which was assigned to the Newark – Paris Orly route on select days, entered service in August 2016.{{cite journal|title=OpenSkies|journal=Airliner World|issue=October 2016|page=7}} It also provided OpenSkies with a spare aircraft.[http://airlineroute.net/2016/04/18/ec-767-aug16/ OpenSkies Schedules 767 Service Entry from late-August 2016]

In July 2018, the Airbus A330-200 was introduced to the OpenSkies fleet, branded as Level in preparation for the retirement of the OpenSkies brand. At the time of OpenSkies' brand retirement on 2 September 2018, the airline operated one Boeing 757-200 and one Boeing 767-300ER not under the Level brand. Both aircraft were initially ferried to storage and retired on 3 September 2018, while the 757–200 (MSN-25808) was later taken over by Cabo Verde Airlines.

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category-inline|OpenSkies}}

• [http://www.flylevel.com/ Official website of Level]
• {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.flyopenskies.com/|title=OpenSkies}}

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Category:Defunct airlines of France

Category:Airlines established in 2008

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Category:Airlines disestablished due to the COVID-19 pandemic