Oyonnair : airline company

Oyonnair is a French airline founded in 1989. The company, which carries passengers in French airspace, was set up by its CEO and founder Michel Maradan, an aeronautics enthusiast. One of his main aims was to help SMEs and SMIs develop. So with our captain and his flight crew, let’s take off immediately and non-stop for a tour of this aeronautical industry operating in the French civil aviation market.

The origins of the airline Oyonnair

It all began in 1983. At the time, Michel Maradan was CEO of the DTP group in the town of Izernore in the Ain region. He had been passionate about the world of aeronautics since his early childhood. He obtained his pilot’s licence that year. He now flies regularly from the Oyonnax flying club in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region. For a year, Mr Maradan flew visual flights, i.e. daytime flights with visibility and no technical assistance from the aircraft. The following year, he continued to do visual flights, but the weather was more capricious, so he couldn’t fly as much as he wanted. Finally, in his third year of flying, he thought about changing planes because visual flights were becoming too dangerous in bad weather – the airworthiness was poorer and the landing perilous.

In 1989, he decided to found his own airline: Oyonnair. His aim was to promote the taxi plane business and participate in the development of on-demand aviation in his region. That year, the company was approved as a Public Passenger Transport company and obtained its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in accordance with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This enabled Michel Maradan to start his air transport business and join the many other airlines on the market.

The history of the French airline Oyonnair

This new airline invested in its first private jet for its fleet. It was a twin-engine Piper PA 30 with 8 seats. The pilot he recruited to fly it unfortunately had an incident, without any damage, but which caused him to jump ship. In 1990, Mr Maradan acquired a twin turboprop from the aircraft manufacturer Beechcraft: a Beechcraft C90 capable of carrying up to 9 passengers. He chose this model because it had a greater range than the first aircraft in his fleet. Its aim is to develop its air traffic and connect more distant destinations to make them regular destinations. It will therefore have more possibilities to offer in terms of connections.

At the same time, in order to be able to fly the C90, the CEO recruited a young pilot by the name of Daniel Vovk. Vovk will manage the aircraft and the flights, as well as instructing other pilots.

During this period, Mr Maradan continued to fly and obtained a licence to carry out instrument flights in airspace from the aviation authorities. With radio certification, he also became a professional pilot. He now carries out piloting and air navigation missions for his own airline. But also on business trips to develop his company!

In the early days, the airline’s CEO wanted to set up his offices in the town of Oyonnax, so naturally he called his company Oyonnair. However, the town’s aerodrome was not equipped for IFR flights in compliance with the aviation code (instrument flight rules, which differ from VFR: visual flight rules). So he moved to the neighbouring town of Bourg-en-Bresse. He had the promise of the Bourg aerodrome that he would soon be equipped to carry out IFR flights. However, a few years later, in 1993, the chairman of Oyonnair decided to move to Lyon-Bron. Oyonnair currently has its head office there.

This was when its business aviation activities really took off. It will also have hangars and workshops to carry out maintenance operations on the company’s aircraft.

At the end of the 90s, the company struggled a little to stay on course, but still managed to stand out and prosper.

In 2003, the airline decided to acquire a new aircraft:

We decided to move up a gear, so I sold our Beechcraft to a friend and aviation enthusiast, Francis Brochon, who became a partner, and invested in a more recent Beechcraft, the 350 twin turboprop with 9 seats, equipped with a stretcher for medical repatriation. From that point onwards, we started to work with major insurance companies.

Explains Michel Maradan.

Today, the French airline operates throughout France and abroad. It has established itself in airport cities such as Lyon (its head office), Paris Le Bourget, Rennes in Brittany and Marseille during the summer months. The company therefore has hubs in all 4 corners of France, which is a strength for its deployment.

Citation Mustang – Photo credit: Cessna – Textron Aviation

What are Oyonnair’s shares?

Oyonnair’s main missions

Oyonnair is an airline which currently specialises in private flights on request and corporate aviation (for business trips, seminars or incentives, for example, long-haul or otherwise). It also carries out a range of aeronautical activities such as medical flights and air freight flights for the transport of goods. With its various air transport missions, the airline offers very comprehensive services on demand. This is the very principle of business aviation.

On-demand flights

Oyonnair serves many destinations in Europe and around the Mediterranean basin. With access to over 600 airports, you’re guaranteed to find a flight that matches your criteria. What’s more, with its own fleet, the company, its pilots and its aircraft are on call at all hours so that you can take off as quickly as possible, whatever the time of your request. In terms of procedures, with these tailor-made flights there are no boarding constraints, so you access the business terminal and don’t have to wait in the major airports. This mode of transport is very fast and efficient, especially for developing companies for whom time is money. And while the price of a private jet is certainly less affordable than a low-cost aircraft, you’ll make huge savings outside the flight itself. The company’s CEO emphasises this point and sees it as a strength in democratising business aviation:

Doesn’t a round trip during the day cost more when you have to pay for the road, the hotel, the taxis, when you have to stay on site?

Sanitary flights

The national airline operates medical flights. These include medical repatriations for Covid 19 patients, for example, but also other types of medical flights. In fact, Oyonnair regularly operates EMS flights. These are requested by hospitals and other medical establishments. Often operated on an emergency basis, aircraft need to be ready very quickly. Oyonnair therefore guarantees 24-hour availability of its private jets. Finally, the company also transports organs for transplants. Naturally, the private jets chartered for this type of mission are fully equipped with medical equipment. As Mr Maradan explains:

Medical repatriation was the beginning of our real start-up as a real company with pilots and a fairly strong business. The transport of organs is a new outlet for the company, and a welcome one at a time of crisis.

Oyonnair’s fleet of aircraft

Oyonnair has its own fleet of business aircraft, with 2 different models: the Citation Mustang and the Piaggio Avanti.

Cessna Citation Mustang: the company owns 3 of these aircraft, which can carry 4 passengers. This private jet is a real workhorse, as it is fast, economical and can connect two destinations quickly over short distances. The company’s Citation Mustang private jets are also available in a medical version. They can accommodate a single pilot, the necessary medical equipment and 2 accompanying passengers.

Piaggio avanti médicalisé — Photo credit: Oyonnair

Piaggio Avanti: the company has 3 of these private jets carrying up to 8 passengers. Nicknamed the Ferrari of the air, this business jet performs very well on regional flights and is very popular with business aviation. Like the Mustang, the Piaggio Avanti can also be chartered for medical evacuations. Its cabin can accommodate 2 stretchers with 3 passengers (or one stretcher with 5 passengers), as well as all the necessary medical equipment.

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Now you know a little more about this French airline. AEROAFFAIRES can charter all types of aircraft, and will respond to your request any time, any day! Contact us on +33 1 44 09 91 82 or complete our online quote.