| Airline | Crossair Europe |
|---|---|
| Iata | QE |
| Icao | ECC |
| Callsign | CIGOGNE |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Commenced | 1998 |
| Ceased | 28 March 2005 |
| Bases | EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg |
| Frequent flyer |
|
| Parent | |
| Headquarters | Saint-Louis, Haut-Rhin, France |
Crossair Europe (also known as European Continental Airways) was an airline headquartered on the grounds of EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg in Saint-Louis, Haut Rhin, France, near Basel, Switzerland.[1] It operated scheduled services to destinations in Italy and France.
History
In 1998, Crossair launched Crossair Europe, as a subsidiary airline, operating flights from the French side of EuroAirport to circumvent challenges of European Union restrictions on Swiss air traffic and routes.[2][3][4] Initial flights were offered to Marseilles, Milan and Venice, starting in April 1998.[5] Swissair held a majority stake of 60% in the new airline, whilst Crossair retained 40%.[6] Initially Crossair Europe operated dry-lease Saab 340B aircraft, later moving to the larger Saab 2000 models.[7] The airline helped boost Crossair's 1998 passenger total to a record 4.43 million.[8] In combination with Crossair, Swissair boosted destinations served from Basel to 71 in 2000 (up from 39 Crossair destinations in 1990).[9]
When Swissair became Swiss International Airlines, Crossair Europe remained owned by the new airline as the 99.9% shareholder.[10] In March 2005 it was announced that Crossair Europe would be closed by the end of the month and their routes were taken over by Swiss.[11][12]
Livery
Crossair Europe utilized a similar livery to Crossair, predominantly white aircraft with red and blue icons across the fuselage. The tailfin however, retained the red of the Swiss national flag, but replaced with a white arrow, with a European Union star circle behind. The airline also later utilized planes with a "Eurocross" branding across the fuselage, with the European Union flag given prominence on the tail.
Fleet
During its eight-year existence, Crossair Europe operated the following aircraft:[citation needed]
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saab 340B | 3 | 1998 | 2005 | |
| Saab 2000 | 1 | 2004 | 2005 | Operated for Swiss International Air Lines. |
See also
References
- ^ World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 23–29, 2004. 58.
- ^ "CROSSAIR EUROPE DEBUT". aviationweek.com
- ^ "Crossair bases new sister in France". flightglobal.com
- ^ "Crossair launches Basel hub". independent.ie
- ^ "CROSSAIR EUROPE DEBUT". aviationweek.com
- ^ "Swissair looks for shares in Air Portugal and links with Air One". flightglobal.com
- ^ Air Finance Annual. United States: Cornell University. 1998. p. 147. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ "The big squeeze". flightglobal.com
- ^ Knorr, Andreas & Arndt, Andreas (28 September 2003). "Swissair’s Collapse –An Economic Analysis". Institut für Weltwirtschaft und Internationales Management. Universitat Bremen. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ Mo Iler, Claudia; Pompel, Wilhelm; Schuckert, Marcus (November 15, 2006). Luftverkehr Eine ökonomische und politische Einführung. Germany: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 157. ISBN 9783540327530. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ CH-Aviation 26 March 2005 Archived 2005-04-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Volume 67". Aviation News. UK: HPC Publishing. 2005. Retrieved 8 January 2026.