Air Nostrum is a Spanish airline. It is a subsidiary of the country’s national airline, Iberia, which operates scheduled routes. Air Nostrum was founded in 1994 in the city of Valencia by a small team of around ten people. It has grown rapidly to become one of Spain’s leading airlines. It is also one of Europe’s leading airlines. AEROAFFAIRES tells you all about its history in air transport and presents its fleet of aircraft, the terms and conditions for passengers and their flight bookings.
History of Air Nostrum
The 90s: the development of the Air Nostrum airline
- 1994: The new airline Air Nostrum was created in the port city of Valencia in south-east Spain. The aim of this young company was to become one of the leaders in private regional aviation. The company makes its first flights with a Fokker 50, on routes between the cities of Valencia and Bilbao in Northern Spain.
- 1996: The Spanish company grows and expands its fleet of aircraft. By the end of the year, it had 7 Fokker 50 aircraft and was carrying a large number of passengers.
- 1997: A dozen new aircraft were added to the fleet. The airline also acquired its first ATR 72-500 regional jets from the aircraft manufacturer ATR.
That same year, Air Nostrum formed an airline alliance with Iberia. These airlines became partners. Air Nostrum is an exclusive franchise of this Spanish national airline. It will operate regional flights for Iberia. At the start of this alliance between the two airlines, flights were operated under the name Iberia Regional Air Nostrum. - 1998: The airline adds a new type of aircraft to its fleet: a CRJ 200ER from Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. This aircraft, which seats 50 passengers, will be used in part for long-haul international flights.
- 1999: Following its collaboration with Iberia, Air Nostrum joins the Oneworld alliance, the largest alliance of airlines.
The 2000s: a strategic turning point for Air Nostrum
- 2000: Air Nostrum makes a colossal investment of over 800 million euros. The aim of this investment? To completely renew their fleet of 44 aircraft. This made Nostrum the first airline in Europe to have so many modern aircraft.
- 2005 and 2010 : In each of these two years, Air Nostrum added jets with greater passenger capacity to its list of aircraft. A CRJ 900 in 2005 and a CRJ 1000 in 2010. The latter can carry up to 90 and 100 passengers respectively. Air Nostrum’s aim is to reduce the cost of flying per passenger by increasing the capacity of its aircraft.
- 2013 : Until this year, the Spanish airline is working to develop connectivity and competitiveness at Madrid airport (Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas).
- 2014 : Air Nostrum consolidates its skills in providing flights and connections in niche markets. The company’s targets are routes with medium or low demand. The airline operates both domestic and international flights to and from Madrid. It is unlikely to have a flight with this airline from Paris. It also operates routes under the PSO (Public Service Obligation) regime. But once again it operates so-called “off-peak” flights, which complement the flights offered by Iberia.
- That same year, the airline‘s current CEO, Carlos Bertomeu, also became the company’s majority shareholder.
Air Nostrum in figures :
In a few figures, here is what characterises the air transport company today:
- 75,000: the number of flights the company operates every year.
- 5.2 million passengers travel with Air Nostrum every year.
- 500 million: this is the airline’s annual turnover.
- 1450 : the number of employees at the Spanish airline.
- 85 million: the total number of passengers carried by Air Nostrum since its creation in 1994.
Air Nostrum’s activities
Air Nostrum does not fly to very popular destinations and times. This airline offers routes that complement those offered by the Spanish carrier Iberia.
Air Nostrum therefore operates on behalf of this national airline.
The airline offers both direct and return flights to a large number of destinations.
Generally, it covers medium-haul and long-haul flights. Some 200 flights are operated daily to around 50 airports across 7 countries in Europe and North Africa. The Spanish airline is also a pioneer in movements between Madrid airport and various destinations in France.
Air Nostrum’s awards
Finally, in addition to the many positive aspects of the company (such as its extensive flight coverage with a large number of destinations served), Air Nostrum also stands out for the quality of its services. With Air Nostrum, there are no complaints. In fact, it is the only regional airline in Europe that can boast of winning awards. It has won the ERA (European Regional Airline Association) award 8 times (including 6 gold medals). This award recognises the best airline of the year.
The ERA also awards the gold medal for sustained excellence. Air Nostrum was awarded this prize for the quality of its services.
Finally, in 2011, the company received what could be compared to the Oscar of aviation. This is the ‘Flight’ award. It ranks Air Nostrum as the best regional airline in the world.
These awards are due in particular to the excellence of the services offered on board. In fact, some flights offer access to a business class cabin with all the associated excellent services.
Finally, to build loyalty among its most regular customers, Air Nostrum offers the Iberia programme (Iberia Plus). Frequent flyers will then have access to numerous advantages:
- cost reductions on journeys
- access to VIP airport lounges.
Air Nostrum’s fleet of aircraft
The Spanish airline has a fleet of almost fifty aircraft of 4 different types. These are made by Bombardier and ATR. Depending on the model, these regional aircraft can accommodate between 50 and 100 people. In business aviation, they are ideal for chartering group flights, for sports teams or for company seminars.
CRJ 1000:
This is the latest model to be added to the airline’s fleet. It can carry 100 people on short-haul and medium-haul routes with a maximum range of 2,761 km. This aircraft model is an extension of the CRJ 900, and can carry more passengers. Finally, this aircraft is described by its manufacturer as polluting 30% less than other similar aircraft. This makes it an economical aircraft and a good alternative for taking advantage of certain low-cost flights.
CRJ 900:
This is the shorter version of the CRJ 1000. It can accommodate up to 90 passengers in its cabin. This aircraft, which entered service in 2003, is ideal for short and medium-haul routes, with a maximum range of 3,100 km.
CRJ 200 :
This model completes the family of Bombardier aircraft in the Air Nostrum fleet. Incidentally, this aircraft was the first jet on the commercial aviation market with 50 seats on board. The CRJ 200 is a turbojet with a maximum range of 2,700 km. It is a smaller version of the 2 aircraft mentioned above. Like them, it is perfectly suited to short- and medium-haul routes.
ATR 72-600:
ATR’s twin turboprop aircraft can carry up to 78 passengers. It is an extension of another ATR model, the ATR 42. Finally, the ATR 72-600 is the latest version of the ATR 72. This regional aircraft covers short and medium distances, with a maximum range of 1,400 km.
Baggage arrangements with Air Nostrum
When you travel with Air Nostrum, before you board your flight with the national airline, there are a few rules to be observed regarding hand baggage and checked baggage. For your hand baggage, you must comply with the following dimensions: 45 cm x 35 cm x 20 cm, weighing no more than 8 kilos. Hold baggage must not weigh more than 23 kg. However, a surcharge will be applied for baggage weighing up to 32 kilos. Above this weight, your baggage may not be accepted on board. Finally, your baggage must be clearly labelled. For any additional requests, we advise you to contact the airline.
AEROAFFAIRES flies you with the airline Air Nostrum
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