Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne
IATA ICAO Callsign
YS RAE REGIONAL EUROPE
Founded2001
Ceased operations2013
HubsNantes Atlantique Airport
Frequent-flyer programFlying Blue
AllianceSkyTeam (affiliate)
Fleet size44
Destinations38
Parent companyAir France-KLM
HeadquartersNantes Atlantique Airport, Bouguenais, France
Websiteuk.regional.com

Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne (often shortened to Régional) was a subsidiary airline wholly owned by Air France which connected 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 E190 aircraft in November 2006.[1] It was headquartered in Bouguenais at the Nantes Atlantique Airport.[2]

The airline, along with Brit Air and Airlinair, was fully merged in HOP! since 2017 after a year of negotiation process.[3]

History

On 30 March 2001, Flandre Air, Proteus Airlines, and Regional Airlines merged into Régional.[4]

Régional as of 2006 was upgrading and consolidating its fleet, considering to ally with a turboprop partner as it increasingly turned its focus to its jet operations. The two remaining Saab 2000s were phased out in 2006 and the last of its nine Embraer EMB-120s followed in 2008, marking the exit of all of Régional's turboprop aircraft.[5]

From 31 March 2013, Régional services were operated under the HOP! brand. Régional ceased all flight operations in March 2017 after its merger in HOP!.[3][6]

Fleet

Air France Régional ERJ-145
Former Régional Saab 2000.

The Régional fleet includes the following aircraft in March 2013, the average fleet age is 12.3 years.[7]

Aircraft In service Orders Passengers
Embraer ERJ-135 1 0 37
Embraer ERJ-145 17 0 50
Embraer E170 16 0 76
Embraer E190 10 0 100
Total 44 0

It became the first European operator of the Embraer E190 on 23 November 2006, when the first of six on order was delivered. The 100-seat aircraft would operate domestic and intra-European services in full Air France colours.[1] Régional received its first Embraer E170 of 6 orders, which wears the new Régional logo, on September 2, 2008.

The Embraer E190s 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

The head office of the airline at Nantes Atlantique Airport in Bouguenais

The head office of the airline was located on the grounds of Nantes Atlantique Airport in Bouguenais, near Nantes.[2] The head office was adjacent to the airport hotels.[8] Nantes Atlantique Airport had the head office of Regional Airlines, the largest of the three companies that were merged into the new Régional.[9][10]

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.[11] An investigation by the BEA revealed that the cause of the accident was ice on the wings of the aircraft involved.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 Airliner World January 2007
  2. 1 2 "Contact." Régional. Retrieved on 30 April 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Air France: les salariés de la filière Hop! poursuivent leur grève, des vols annulés". BFM TV (in French). 8 April 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  4. ↑ "History." Régional. Retrieved on 2 May 2010.
  5. ↑ Air Transport Intelligence news, October 2006
  6. ↑ "Air France va fusionner ses filiales régionales sous la bannière Hop !". Les Echos (in French). 16 July 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  7. ↑ "Régional Fleet Details and History". planespotters.net. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "See map." Régional. 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)"
  9. ↑ "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."
  10. ↑ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 3–9 April 2001. 66.
  11. ↑ "Picture: Truck driver killed as Air France Régional Fokker 100 hits vehicle during overrun in Pau". Flight Global. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  12. ↑ "Icing led to Air France Fokker take-off crash: investigators". Flight Global. Retrieved 2 January 2009.

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