Air Contractors

Infobox_Airline
airline=Air Contractors
logo_size=140
fleet_size=20
IATA=AG
ICAO=ABR
destinations=Chartered and Scheduled
callsign=CONTRACT
parent=Air Contractors Limited
headquarters=Dublin, Ireland
founded=1972
key_people=Hugh Flynn (CEO),
Colin Grant (CFO),
Jon Stratfull (Commercial Manager),
John Rooney (Director of Engineering),
Brendan Smyth (Maintenance Control Centre Manager),
Liam O'Brien (Technical Services Manager),
John Rawl (Ground Operations Director)
headquarters=Dublin, Ireland
website= http://www.aircontractors.com

Air Contractors (Ireland) Limited is a freight airline based in Dublin, Ireland. It operates scheduled freight services within Europe, mainly on behalf of postal organisations and express parcel operators. It also operates ad hoc charters throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Its main base is Dublin Airport, with hubs at London Stansted Airport, Charles de Gaulle International Airport, Paris and Glasgow International AirportFlight International 27 March 2007] .

History

The airline was established and started operations in 1972 as AirBridge Carriers at East Midlands. The name Hunting Cargo Airlines was adopted in September 1992 and then changed to Air Contractors following the acquisition of the airline by Compagnie Maritime Belge (51%) and Safair (49%) in June 1998, and a move to Ireland. It has expanded as a group to include aircraft leasing (BAC Support and Leasing in Southend, UK) and maintenance (Air Contractors Engineering, previously called Aeroscot, Edinburgh, UK). Air Contractors acquired French carrier Europe Airpost on 14th Mar 2008. Following the acquisition of EAP into the ACL group of companies the group was rebranded ASL Aviation Group, ASL representing the three core activities of the group; Aircraft, Services and Leasing. The former BAC companies were also rebranded as ACL Aircraft Support (ACLAS) and ACL Aircraft Trading (ACLAT)to promote their lineage as part of the Air Contractors brand.

Routes

Air Contractors fly a number of cargo routes for different freight integrators. Below are a few examples:

Glasgow - Stansted - Dublin - Glasgow (ATR72)

Manchester - Stansted - Birmingham - Paris CDG - Birmingham - Manchester (ATR72)

Shannon - Dublin - Paris CDG - Shannon (ATR42)

Prague - Paris CDG - Prague (ATR42)

The Hercules regularly visits Bournemouth airport (EGHH)

3 ATR72 operating in Sweden

1 ATR42 opereating for DHL

Fleet

The Air Contractors fleet includes the following aircraft (at December 2007): Fact|date=April 2007

Five of the ATR 42 and five of the ATR 72 aircraft are leased from and operated for FedEx Feeder, the regional freight arm of FedEx Express. [Airliner World, September 2005]

References

External links

* [http://www.aircontractors.com/ Air Contractors]
* [http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Air%20Contractors.htm Air Contractors Fleet and Age]
* [http://www.abrvirtual.com/ Air Contractors Virtual (ABR Virtual)]