Isla Air Express

Isla Air Express

IATA ICAO Call sign — MCA COASTAL CLIPPER[1]
Founded	2019
Fleet size	1
Destinations	6 (proposed)
Headquarters	Palma De Mallorca, Spain
Key people	Sergio Núñez-Cacho Solans (CEO)
Website	www.islaair.com

Isla Air Express is a start-up regional airline based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The airline intends to set up a network of inter-island routes within the Balearic Islands using DHC-6 Twin Otter floatplanes operated under the AOC of Mediterranean Coastal Airlines.[2]

History

The airline was established in 2019.[3] One of the founders is Klaus Dieter Martin, who was previously the CEO of European Coastal Airlines.[4] The airline started operating test flights between the islands in November 2024, after obtaining permits from the Balearic Port Authority [es] and the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency.[5] The seaplanes will be operated by Maltese sister airline Mediterranean Coastal Airlines.[2]

Destinations

Initially, the airline is set to operate flights between the port areas of Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza, with flights to Formentera and Mahón (Menorca) to be added in a later stage.[6] Flights to the Spanish mainland (Valencia and Alicante) are also planned.[2]

Fleet

The Isla Air Express fleet is set to consist of de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter float planes.[3] The first, registered as 9H-PALMA, was delivered in June 2023.[7] A second Twin Otter, registered as 9H-IBIZA is set to join the fleet in late 2024.[8]

Isla Air Express fleet

Aircraft	In service	Orders	Passengers
DHC-6-300 Twin Otter	1	1	—

References

1. "Section 1. Aircraft Company/Telephony/Three−Letter Designator Encode" (in Spanish). Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
2. Peters, Luke (7 November 2024). "New Spanish seaplane operator Isla Air Express prepares to begin flights". Aerotime. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
3. Pol, Antoni (17 February 2019). "Una compañía balear propone vuelos interinsulares con hidroaviones". Última Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 February 2019.
4. "Hydroplanes in Ibiza: the failed precedent in Croatia due to safety problems of one of the partners of Isla Air Express". La Voz de Ibiza (in Spanish). 10 November 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
5. Fernández, Fernando (5 November 2024). "Isla Air Express inicia sus vuelos de prueba con hidroaviones entre Palma e Ibiza". Última Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 November 2024.
6. Castellanos, Sara (6 November 2024). "Vuelos de prueba con hidroaviones conectan Palma e Ibiza: una 'rara avis' en el cielo de una nueva compañía aérea". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 November 2024.
7. Ruiz Collado, J.L. (28 June 2023). "La aerolínea que quiere conectar Ibiza y Palma con hidroaviones realiza su primer vuelo de prueba". Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 November 2024.
8. Whitaker, Greg (11 August 2024). "Isla Air Express conducts Twin Otter test flights". Aviation Business News. Retrieved 20 November 2024.

External links

• Official website