Remember These European Leisure Airlines?

Holiday travel has always been big business in Europe and for many decades there have been airlines that existed to ferry passengers to resort airports.

There was a rise in the number of these airlines during the 1960s and 70s as Inclusive Tour vacations became a thing, offering a complete holiday package with flight, hotels and often food included in one affordable price.

Most of the airlines set up to offer these services are now long gone, or have evolved into different carriers.

How many of these do you remember?

Aero Lloyd (Germany)

Photo (c) Aero Icarus

Founded in 1980, Aero Lloyd was a German charter airline based in Frankfurt. It primarily operated leisure flights to Mediterranean destinations, particularly Spain, Greece, and Turkey.

The airline grew steadily throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with a fleet that included the McDonnell Douglas MD-83, Airbus A320, and A321 replacing older Sud Aviation Caravelles and Douglas DC-9s. Despite its popularity, financial struggles led to its sudden shutdown in October 2003, stranding thousands of passengers.

Airtours International (UK)

An Airtours Boeing 757 in the updated livery worn in the late 1990s. Photo (c) Simon Butler

Airtours International was the in-house airline of UK tour operator Airtours (later part of MyTravel), founded in 1991 and based primarily at Manchester Airport. It operated a fleet of Boeing 757s, Airbus A320s, and later McDonnell Douglas DC-10s for long-haul routes. Known for its bright blue livery and role in expanding package holidays, Airtours was rebranded as MyTravel Airways in 2002 before eventually merging into Thomas Cook Airlines in 2008.

Aviaco (Spain)

Aviaco (Aviación y Comercio) was established in 1948 and became Spain’s second-largest airline. Originally focused on domestic routes and charter flights, Aviaco operated a diverse fleet over the decades, including DC-8s, DC-9s, and MD-87s. Based in Madrid and Palma de Mallorca, it served many holiday destinations popular with European tourists. It was absorbed into Iberia in 1999, bringing an end to over 50 years of independent operations.

Conair (Denmark)

Pedro Aragão, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

Conair of Scandinavia was founded in 1964 and operated as the airline division of Danish tour operator Spies. Based in Copenhagen, it flew leisure charters across Europe with aircraft such as the Douglas DC-7, Boeing 720 and later the Airbus A300B4. In 1994, it merged with Scanair (Sweden) to form Premiair, which later became Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia. Conair was well-known for its role in popularising affordable holidays from Denmark and other Nordic countries.

Court Line (UK)

Photo (c) Ralf Manteufel

Court Line Aviation operated between 1960 and 1974, based at Luton Airport. Known for its eye-catching pastel-coloured aircraft and modern branding, it was one of the UK’s first airlines to embrace the inclusive tour model.

Formed out of its previous incarnation, the scheduled carrier Autair, Court Line flew BAC One-Elevens and Lockheed L-1011 Tristars to European sun destinations. It collapsed dramatically in August 1974 following the bankruptcy of its parent company, leaving thousands stranded.

Inter European Airways (UK)

Photo (c) simon butler

Inter European Airways was a Cardiff-based charter airline launched in 1987 by the Aspro travel group. It operated flights to Mediterranean destinations using a small fleet that included Boeing 737-300s, 757s and Airbus A320s. It gained a reputation for good service and grew rapidly until it was acquired by Airtours in 1993. Its identity was short-lived after the merger, but it played a key role in expanding leisure flying from regional UK airports.

LTU (Germany)

LTU (Lufttransport-Unternehmen) was one of Germany’s most recognisable charter airlines, founded in 1955 and based in Düsseldorf. With its bold red and white livery, LTU flew to destinations across Europe, North Africa, and the Americas. Over the years the airline operated a varied fleet including the Lockheed L-1011, Boeing 757/767, and Airbus A330. In 2007, LTU was acquired by Air Berlin, and the brand was retired in 2009 after integration into Air Berlin’s operations.

Sobelair (Belgium)

Sobelair (Société Belge des Transports Aériens) was founded in 1946 and was the charter subsidiary of Sabena. Based at Brussels Airport, it operated holiday flights to Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean using aircraft like the Boeing 707, 737, 767, and later the Airbus A310. Known for its reliability and reach, Sobelair continued operations even after Sabena’s collapse in 2001 but eventually ceased flying in January 2004 following financial difficulties.

Spantax (Spain)

Spantax Convair 990. Photo (c) Simon Butler

Spantax (Spanish Air Taxi) was founded in 1959 and became one of Spain’s most prominent independent charter carriers. Based in Palma de Mallorca, it played a major role in ferrying European tourists to the Balearic Islands.

Spantax operated Convair 990s, DC-8s, Caravelles, and eventually DC-10s. The airline was plagued by accidents and financial woes, leading to its collapse in 1988. It remains a cult favourite among enthusiasts for its unique fleet and history.

Viva Air (Spain)

Photo (c) Aero Icarus

Viva Air was a Spanish charter airline launched in 1988 as a joint venture between Iberia and Lufthansa. Operating out of Palma de Mallorca, it flew to holiday destinations across Europe with a fleet that included Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s. It even had regular slots at London Heathrow for a while!

The airline was known for its bold, colourful livery and aimed to bring fun and affordability to package travel. It ceased operations in 1999 after struggling to remain competitive in the rapidly changing leisure market.

Get the Book

Lost Airline Colours of Europe is a pictorial guide to make of the lost airline and airline liveries from the glory days of air travel in Europe. It features many lost leisure airlines, as well as scheduled and cargo airlines. It also features colour pictures of many classic aircraft types, like the Caravelle, Boeing 727, 737-200, Tupolev Tu-154 and Vickers Viscount.

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Title image: Dean Morley