KLM_exel
Air Exel
Defunct regional airline of the Netherlands (1991–2005)
Air Exel was a Dutch airline based in Maastricht in the Netherlands, operating scheduled and chartered flights out of Eindhoven Airport and Maastricht Aachen Airport to several domestic and international destinations.
| |||||||
| Founded | 26 April 1991 (1991-04-26) (as Air Exel Commuter) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations |
| ||||||
| Ceased operations | 31 January 2005 (2005-01-31) | ||||||
| Hubs | Maastricht Aachen Airport | ||||||
| Secondary hubs | Eindhoven Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Flying Dutchman | ||||||
| Alliance | Wings Alliance (affiliate) | ||||||
| Parent company | KLM (1998–2004) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands | ||||||
| Key people | Harm Prins (CEO) | ||||||
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2010) |
The airline was established on 26 April 1991 as Air Exel Commuter on a co-operational base with Dutch national carrier KLM.[1] Scheduled flights were launched on 1 May of the same year. As part of the parent's move to integrate the services of its feeders, the company was renamed to KLM Exel in January 1998. On 6 November 2004, the co-operation with KLM ended, and the airline became Air Exel Netherlands.[2] One month later, in December 2004, Air Exel's Chief Executive Officer, Harm Prins, was arrested on charges of fraud, blackmail, and money laundering. The investigation brought to light financial difficulties with Air Exel, which was subsequently shut down on 31 January 2005.[3]
Upon closure, Air Exel operated scheduled flights to the following destinations:
- France
- Nantes - Nantes Atlantique Airport
- Paris - Charles de Gaulle Airport
- Saint-Étienne - Saint-Étienne–Bouthéon Airport
- Strasbourg - Strasbourg International Airport
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Amsterdam - Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
- Eindhoven - Eindhoven Airport (secondary hub)
- Maastricht - Maastricht Aachen Airport (main hub)
- Norway
- United Kingdom
- Germany
Over the years, the KLM Exel/Air Exel fleet consisted of the following aircraft types:[4]
| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Total (at closure) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42 | 1998 | 2005 | 2 |
| ATR 72 | 1999 | 2005 | 1 |
| Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia | 1998 | 2005 | 2 |
| Embraer ERJ 145 | 2000 | 2004 | 3 |
- "Air Exel Commuter". Airline History. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- "KLM Exel". Airline History. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- "Chief executive Air Exel arrested". 13 December 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
