Lauda Air Luftfahrt GmbH, branded as Lauda Air, was an charter airline headquartered at Vienna Airport in Schwechat. It was owned by Niki Lauda (1949–2019) during much of its existence, later becoming a charter airline subsidiary for leisure operations of Austrian Airlines. On 6 April 2013, Lauda Air ceased to exist and was replaced by Austrian myHoliday, a new brand name that is used for flights and leisure offers provided by Austrian Airlines. Lauda Air; DIE Press; retrieved .
In May 1988, Lauda started its first long-haul flights from Vienna to Sydney Airport and Melbourne via Bangkok.Lauda Air to serve Australia Australian Aviation issue 42 January 1988 page 15 Lauda hit by Australian delays Canberra Times 10 May 1988 page 3 In the 1990s, it started to fly its Sydney and Melbourne flights via Kuala Lumpur and Bali. Daily flights to Dubai, Cuba, and Miami via Munich Airport followed.
In 1992, Lauda established its subsidiary, Lauda Asia Airways, in legal status to Taiwan, like Japan Asia Airways.
At an AAG board meeting in November 2006, plans were approved to retire the Airbus wide-bodied fleet by mid-2007 and to operate with just a Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 fleet. As a result of subsequent fleet cuts, Austrian Airlines suspended some long-haul services and Lauda Air withdrew from the long-haul charter market over the next year.Airliner World; January 2007 This led to a refocus on the short/medium-haul market and led to the addition of a 737-800 to take over most of the charter routes. Lauda Air also had an Italian subsidiary, Lauda Air S.p.A., Lauda Air Annual Report 1995/1996; 24 May 1998 article; Lauda Air; retrieved 6 March 2013. which ended its operations in 2007. 9 Fam 41.2 Exhibit III List of Signatory Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Carriers: INA 217(E) Signatory Transportation Lines. U.S. Department of State website; retrieved on 15 February 2013.
Lauda Air was officially merged into Austrian Airlines on 1 July 2012. All aircraft within the group were transferred to Austrian Airlines on 1 July 2012, to be able to take advantage of Austrian Airlines structure.
The brand was retired at the start of the summer flight schedule on 31 March 2013, and was replaced by "Austrian myHoliday". It is no longer an airline but a brand used to sell Austrian Airlines' own leisure offers.
Bratislava | M. R. Štefánik Airport | ||
Poprad | Poprad–Tatry Airport | ||
+ Lauda Air's Historic Fleet | ||||
Airbus A320-200 | 2 | 2005 | 2008 | Leased from Austrian Airlines. |
BAC One-Eleven | 2 | 1985 | 1986 | Leased from TAROM. |
Boeing 737-200 | 1 | 1985 | 1988 | Leased from Transavia. |
Boeing 737-300 | 2 | 1988 | 2005 | |
Boeing 737-400 | 3 | 1993 | 2005 | |
Boeing 737-600 | 6 | 2000 | 2009 | Transferred to Austrian Airlines. |
Boeing 737-700 | 2 | 2001 | 2010 | |
Boeing 737-800 | 7 | 1998 | 2012 | |
Boeing 767-300ER | 1 | 1989 | 1991 | OE-LAV crashed as Flight 004. |
10 | 2007 | Launch customer with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engine. Six transferred to Austrian Airlines. | ||
Boeing 777-200ER | 3 | 1997 | 2005 | Transferred to Austrian Airlines. |
Bombardier CRJ-100 | 10 | 1994 | 2004 | Relocated to Austrian Arrows. |
Fokker F27 Friendship | 1985 | 1994 | ||
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