Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne

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Régional
250px
IATA ICAO Callsign
YS RAE REGIONAL EUROPE
Founded 2001
Hubs Nantes Atlantique Airport
Frequent-flyer program Flying Blue
Alliance SkyTeam (affiliate)
Fleet size 44
Destinations 38
Parent company Air France-KLM
Headquarters Nantes Atlantique Airport, Bouguenais, France
Website uk.regional.com

Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne, or Régional for short, is a subsidiary airline wholly owned by Air France which connects hubs at Paris, Lyon to 49 airports in Europe. The airline operated in Air France livery, retaining its name in small titles and logo on the front fuselage and engines. It became the first European operator of the Embraer 190 aircraft in November 2006.[1] It was headquartered in Bouguenais at the Nantes Atlantique Airport.[2]

History

On 30 March 2001, Flandre Air, Proteus Airlines, and Regional Airlines merged into Régional.[3]

Régional is upgrading and consolidating its fleet, considering to ally with a turboprop partner as it increasingly turns its focus to its jet operations. The 2 remaining Saab 2000s were phased out in 2006 and the last of its 9 Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias followed in 2008, marking the exit of all of Régional’s turboprop aircraft.[4]

From 31 March 2013, Régional services are operated under the HOP! brand.

Destinations

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Fleet

The Régional fleet includes the following aircraft in March 2013, the average fleet age is 12.3 years.[5]

Aircraft In service Orders Passengers
Embraer 135 1 0 37
Embraer 145 17 0 50
Embraer 170 16 0 76
Embraer 190 10 0 100
Total 44 0

It became the first European operator of the Embraer 190 on 23 November 2006, when the first of six on order was delivered. The 100 seat aircraft will operate domestic and intra-European services in full Air France colours.[1] Régional received its first Embraer 170 of 6 orders, which wears the new Régional logo, on September 2, 2008.

The Embraer 190s are part of a new order over the Air France-KLM group with another 18 further options. All Fokkers have been transferred to KLM Cityhopper. The last propeller aircraft Embraer EMB 120 left the fleet on October 10, 2008 replaced by the ERJ-135

Head office

File:RegionalHQNantes.JPG
The head office of the airline at Nantes Atlantique Airport in Bouguenais

The head office of the airline is located on the grounds of Nantes Atlantique Airport in Bouguenais, near Nantes.[2] The head office is adjacent to the airport hotels.[6] Nantes Atlantique Airport had the head office of Regional Airlines, the largest of the three companies that were merged into the current Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne.[7][8]

Incidents and accidents

  • On 25 January 2007, Air France Flight 7775 from Pau to Paris, operated by Régional, crashed shortly after take-off. All 54 passengers and crew escaped from the Fokker 100 although one person was killed on the ground.[9] An investigation by the BEA revealed that the cause of the accident was ice on the wings of the aircraft involved.[10]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Airliner World January 2007
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Contact." Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne. Retrieved on 30 April 2010.
  3. "History." Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne. Retrieved on 2 May 2010.
  4. Air Transport Intelligence news, October 2006
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. "See map." Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne. Retrieved on 2 May 2010. "Sur le périphérique, prendre la sortie "Porte de Grande Lieu", direction Aéroport Nantes-Atlantique. A environ 2,5 km en arrivant à aéroport, prendre au rond-point à gauche, traverser la voie ferrée puis prendre au deuxième rond-point à gauche. Les bâtiments de Régional se trouvent au bout de 'impasse (passer derrière les hôtels)"
  7. "Air France fusionne trois de ses compagnies régionales." Les Echos #18280. 16 November 2000. Page 30. Retrieved on 2 May 2010. "Nantes, où est basé Regional Airlines, la plus importante des trois compagnies, sera le siège de la nouvelle entité."
  8. "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 3–9 April 2001. 66.
  9. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links