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Blue Panorama Airlines

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(Redirected from Blu-express)
Not to be confused with Air Bleu, Airblue, Blue1, Blue Air, JetBlue, Pacific Blue Airlines, or Virgin Blue.
Blue Panorama Airlines
Luke Air
IATA ICAO Call sign
BV[1] BPA[2] BLUE PANORAMA
Founded3 September 1998
Commenced operations26 December 1998
Ceased operationsDecember 2022
Focus cities
Fleet size2
Destinations5
HeadquartersFiumicino, Rome, Italy
Key peopleLuca Patanè (President)
Net income€2.7 Million (2018)
Employees624 (2020)
Websitewww.blue-panorama.com

Blue Panorama Airlines S.p.A. was[4] an Italian airline headquartered in Fiumicino operating scheduled and charter flights mostly to domestic and international leisure destinations.[5] As of late 2021, the airline was in the process to change its brand name to Luke Air[6] also retiring their former Blu-express[7] brand used for domestic and short-haul destinations. Additional business charter flights used to be operated under the name Executive Blue.[8] As of late October 2021, it suspended all operations until further notice[9] and was subsequently liquidated in late 2022.[4]

History

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Blue Panorama Airlines

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Blue Panorama is a private Italian airline operating intercontinental, international, and national charter and scheduled flights.[7][10] It was founded in Rome in 1998 by Franco Pecci,[5] and has been an IATA member since 2002 (IATA code BV).[11][12] Since 2005, Blue Panorama Airlines' Boeing 737 fleet has operated national and international flights for the Blu-Express low-cost division.[13]

In 2012, Alitalia declared interest in a merger with Blue Panorama, as well as with Wind Jet, another Italian airline,[14][15][16][17][18][19] but decided not to proceed with the acquisitions.[20][21] In October 2012, Blue Panorama entered bankruptcy protection.[22][23] This license gave the airline the ability to restructure itself.[24][25][26] On 25 November 2013, Blu-express started flights from Italy to Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza after Belle Air ceased operations there.[27][28]

In January 2014, Blue Panorama Airlines requested to be admitted to extraordinary administration procedure and the abandonment of the composition procedure in continuity.[29] The management of the airline is left to the company's founder. Blue Panorama confirmed that company business and flights are fully operational.[30]

In 2018 the airline came under fire as it has been the policy of Blue Panorama Airlines to charge significant fees to passengers for minor name changes.[31]

Luke Air

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In October 2019, the airline announced it would be changing its name to Luke Air by the end of 2019, revealing a new yellow-blue livery on an Airbus A330-200 which was then due to be delivered.[32] On 7 March 2020, the first A330-200 was delivered. However, the rebranding had yet to take place. In late 2020, Blue Panorama retired their last Boeing 767-300ER.[33] In January 2021, it was announced that the rebrand will go ahead.[34] As of September 2021, the airline's official website had its content changed to Luke Air operated by Blue Panorama Airlines.[6]

On 27 October 2021, the airline announced the suspension of all flights stating financial difficulties in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Blue Panorama went through recurring restructuring proceedings in recent years.[9] Shortly after, it filed for bankruptcy protection.[35] In June 2022, it has been reported that the grounded airline retired both of their Airbus A330-200s leaving them without long-haul capable aircraft.[36]

In December 2022, it has been announced that the airline will be liquidated and not resume operations.[4]

Destinations

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A former Blue Panorama Boeing 737-400
A former Blue Panorama Boeing 757-200
A former Blue Panorama Boeing 767-300ER

Blue Panorama operated a network of Italian domestic destinations branded as blu-express as well as long-haul leisure flights mainly around the Caribbean.[citation needed]

Codeshare agreements

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Blue Panorama Airlines maintained Codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

Fleet

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As of November 2022, the Blue Panorama fleet no longer included any aircraft. The following types have been operated before:[33]

Blue Panorama Airlines former fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A330-200 2 2019 2022[36]
ATR 72-200 1 2015 2015 leased from Avanti Air[33]
Boeing 737-300 2 2000 2000 leased from Sterling European Airlines[33]
2 2002 2003 leased from Ukraine International Airlines[33]
1 2015 2020
Boeing 737-400 16 1999 2020 some leased from Air Horizont and Hapag-Lloyd Flug[33]
Boeing 737-500 1 2013 2016
Boeing 737-800 10 2000 2022
Boeing 757-200 2 2005 2012
Boeing 767-300ER 10 2002 2020
Piaggio P.180 Avanti 3 2009 2014 Operated under the Executive Blue brand.

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 16 July 2004, a Boeing 767-300ER operating as Flight 1504 experienced an uncontained engine failure on takeoff from Rome-Fiumucino Airport. The plane returned and conducted a successful emergency landing. Investigation revealed that a high-pressure fuel hose leaked approximately 700 kilograms (1,500 lb) of fuel into the engine's nacelle during taxi, which ignited upon takeoff.[39][40]
  • On 22 September 2018, a Blue Panorama Spanish pilot, Emilio Leone, was arrested by Albanian police as his colleagues reported him for trying to fly the aircraft intoxicated.[41]
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "IATA - Airline and Airport Code Search". iata.org. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  2. ^ "Elenco delle imprese titolari di licenza di trasporto aereo". enac.gov.it. Archived from the original on 22 April 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  3. ^ Bartłomiej Morga. "Blue Panorama zbazuje w Polsce dwie maszyny. Obsłuży rejsy dla Itaki". Pasazer.com. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  4. ^ a b c ch-aviation.com - Italy's Blue Panorama, EGO Airways to be liquidated 23 December 2022
  5. ^ a b "Blue Panorama Airlines". Archived from the original on 2014-11-02. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  6. ^ a b blue-panorama.com retrieved 28 September 2021
  7. ^ a b "Blu Express - ch-aviation.com". ch-aviation. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  8. ^ fonte: Executive Blue web site[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ a b ch-aviation.com - Italy's Blue Panorama suspends flight operations 27 October 2021
  10. ^ "Profile on Blue Panorama Airlines - CAPA - Centre for Aviation". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  11. ^ IATA. "IATA - Current Airline Members". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  12. ^ "Blue Panorama Airlines". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  13. ^ UBM Information Ltd. 2015 (6 December 2012). "Blu Express to Start Rome – Moscow Service from April 2013". Routesonline. Retrieved 7 June 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "Alitalia plans merger with Blue Panorama and Wind Jet". Reed Business Information Limited. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  15. ^ "Alitalia to merge with Wind Jet and Blue Panorama Airlines". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  16. ^ "Airline merger The integration of Blue Panorama, Wind Jet and Alitalia - eTurboNews.com". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  17. ^ "Alitalia, Blue Panorama and Wind Jet plan to merge". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  18. ^ "Alitalia moves ahead with a merger with Blue Panorama and Wind Jet". World Airline News. February 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  19. ^ "Alitalia plans merger with Blue Panorama and Wind Jet". Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  20. ^ "Integration of Wind Jet operations with Alitalia receives board approval". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  21. ^ "Avionews.com - Alitalia will integrate Wind Jet: operation approved". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  22. ^ "Italy's Blue Panorama enters bankruptcy protection". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  23. ^ N. Tchallabes. "volaspheric". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  24. ^ "Blue Panorama Airlines enters into bankruptcy protection and reorganization". World Airline News. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  25. ^ N. Tchallabes. "volaspheric". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  26. ^ "Blue Panorama applies for bankruptcy protection, continues operations". ch-aviation. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  27. ^ Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso. "Albania, Belle Air stops flights". Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  28. ^ Business Traveller. "Belle Air ceases operations - Business Traveller". Retrieved 7 June 2015. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  29. ^ "Avionews.com - Blue Panorama confirms business continuity and that its flights are fully operational". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  30. ^ "Blue Panorama Airlines enters administration, in negotiations with an 'international investor'". D.
  31. ^ "Another added fee: Airline required passenger to pay extra to add a middle name". Star Tribune. 27 July 2018.
  32. ^ austrianaviation.net - "Blue Panorama becomes Luke Air" (German) 26 October 2019
  33. ^ a b c d e f "Blue Panorama Airlines Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  34. ^ ch-aviation.com - Italy's Blue Panorama proceeds with rebranding 6 January 2021
  35. ^ ch-aviation.com - Italy's Blue Panorama applies for bankruptcy protection 1 November 2021
  36. ^ a b ch-aviation.com - Italy's Blue Panorama retires both A330s 3 June 2022
  37. ^ "Route Map". www.albawings.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-22. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  38. ^ "Blue Panorama Airlines". Aeropuertos.Net (in Spanish). 11 June 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  39. ^ "Accident Boeing 767-3G5ER EI-CXO, 16 Jul 2004".
  40. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Air accident real voice recording and flight data". YouTube.
  41. ^ "Ekskluzive/ Rinas, shmanget tragjedia në avionin me 200 pasagjerë, kapet i dehur piloti i Blue Panorama - Shqiptarja". Shqiptarja.com.
  42. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "John Legend - Show Me (Official Video)". YouTube.
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Media related to Blue Panorama Airlines at Wikimedia Commons

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