Air Algérie (Arabic: الخطوط الجوية الجزائرية; transliterated: al-Khutut al-Jawiyah al-Jazaa-iriyah) is the national flag carrier airline of Algeria. Based in Algiers, the airline is the third-largest in Africa, carrying over 3.5 million passengers a year. It now flies thirteen Next-Generation Boeing 737, making it one of the largest operators of that model type in North Africa. Currently its fleet includes four Boeing 737-600 and ten Boeing 737-800. Another 2 Boeing 737-800 joined the fleet in August 2006.
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| Founded | 1947 | ||||||
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| Hubs | Houari Boumedienne Airport | ||||||
| Focus cities | Rabah Bitat Airport | ||||||
| Alliance | Arab Air Carriers Organization | ||||||
| Fleet size | 49 | ||||||
| Destinations | 72+5 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Algiers, Algeria | ||||||
| Key people | Mohamed Tayeb Benouis, Director General | ||||||
| Website | http://www.airalgerie.dz | ||||||
Air Algerie offers extensive connectivity both North and South to Europe and West Africa, as well as East and West to the Middle East and the Gulf Region. It operates domestic and international services, as well as charter, air taxi and agricultural flights. Air Algérie operates frequent services from Algiers domestic airport (adjacent to Algiers International) to the major business centers of Annaba, Constantine and Oran. Less frequent services run from Algiers, Oran, Constantine and Annaba to the other less important commercial centers and gateway oases such as Ghardaia and Ouargla, as well as important oil towns such as In Amenas and Hassi Messaoud.
Air Algerie is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization.
History
Air Algérie was founded in 1947 as the Société algérienne de construction aéronautique (SACA)-Air Algérie. On May 23, 1953, it merged with the Compagnie air transport to form the Compagnie générale de transports aériens (CGTA)-Air Algérie. In 1962 the company become Air Algérie (Entreprise nationale d'exploitation des services aériens) and was nationalised in 1972. It employs 8,530 staff and has a 49% holding in Tassili Airlines.
About Air Algerie
Air Algerie is a joined-stock company SPA with a capital of 29.000.000.000. DA.
Its experience comes from its ancestor « the CGT » (General company of Transport ), created in 1947 with a network mainly directed towards France.
Air Algerie covers a network of 96.000 kms , which represents 2.4 Earth circumference. More than 3.000.000 passengers and nearly 20.000 tones cargo are carried every year by the Company on international network as well as on the domestic network. Air Algerie operates flights to 37 towns in 24 countries in Europe , Middle East , Maghreb and Africa. The international network is supported by a domestic network which connects 31 towns.
In 2003 , the number of daily flights in peak periods reached 120 flights . Air Algerie has generated almost five (05) billion available seat- kilometre (ASK) and performed 3.3 billion revenu passenger- kilometre (RPK) .
The sales network is composed of 150 agencies in Algeria and abroad , linked to the booking system and distributed through GDS to which Air Algerie has subscribed.
The programme of fleet renewal started on a sustained rythm , allows the company to purchase e new fleet , complying with Air Industry requirements and standards . A transfer of maintenance activities to the new maintenance base , recently acquired , will allow the company to confirm its know-how by endowing the JAR 145 Certificate.
Air Algerie has contributed since more than 50 years to establish Air Transport Industry in Algerie. The company’s different structures lead to perpetuate the great work performed by generations of Aviators.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES - Oil Charters . - Omra and Hadj Charters carrying pilgrims to the Holy Places of Islam. - A Catering Center , which offers to our costumers a great number of hotel services.
Organization
Air Algerie is a Joint Stock Company . The shares totally are owned by the Algerian State. Its Board of Directors is presided by Mr M’hamed Tayeb BENOUIS , Chairman and Managing Director of Air Algerie. Air Algerie is in charge of the following activities : - Passengers carriage - Cargo carriage . Air Algerie is organized so that to perform a number of functions and activities as follows : - The main Air transport functions such as Flight Operations, Maintenance, Transport and Commercial functions. - The supporting activities such as Logistics and catering , as well as the coordinating activities such as Finance , Human Resources , Legal Affairs , Computering and Telecommunications.
On Board Service
For Your Entertainment
A selection of national newspapers is supplied by our flight attendants , as well as Tassili magazine , specially made for your intention.
Drinks and meals are planned according to the flight time and its duration . However , refreshments can be served up. If you made a request when booking , carefully studied menus especially cooked according to your culinary preferences or dietetic requirements will be served. Don’t forget to request customized meals. For your children , the stewardess can warm up your baby’s feeding bottle . You can also ask for a special children menu when booking.
Inflight Shopping
Air Algerie has selected]] to your intention a wide range of perfums , fragrances , tobacco and alcohols ; You can buy them free of tax. File:Http://www.dreamerstar.com/untitled.bmp
Destinations
See full article: Air Algérie destinations
New Routes
The airline inaugurated a nonstop service from Constantine, Algeria to Grenoble, France in June 2006. It now operates 1 weekly flight on Mondays using a Boeing 737-800. It is also planned that the airline will inaugurate nonstop service from Algiers Houari Boumedienne Airport to Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Beijing International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport starting in 2007. The flights will be operated by an Airbus A330-200.
Fleet
The Air Algérie fleet consists of the following aircraft (at september 2006):
| Type | Number | Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A310-300 | 2 | 216 | |
| Airbus A321-200 | 1 | 182 | |
| Airbus A330-200 | 5 (2 on order) | 269 | |
| Airbus A340-600 | (2 on order) | 329 | |
| Airbus A350-800 | (10 on order) | ||
| Boeing 737-600 | 4 | 102 | |
| Boeing 737-800 | 10 (4 on order) | 144/166 | |
| Boeing 777-200ER | (1 on order) | 312 | |
| Boeing 787-800 | (2 on order) | 232 | |
| ATR 72-500 | 8 | 56 | |
| Cessna 208B Grand Caravan | 7 | 14 | |
| Raytheon Beech King Air 100 | 2 | 12 |
The Air Algerie average fleet age is 8.6 years in September 2006.
Fleet Cargo
- 2 Lockheed C-130 Hercules
- 2 Fokker F27-400M
- 1 Boeing 737-200
Both C-130's and one Boeing 737-200 are used for cargo operations.
Air Algérie average fleet age is 8.9 years old in July 2006.
Incidents & Accidents
The wing of a Boeing 737-600 (registered 7T-VJQ) en route Oran-Seville hit the runway while landing at Seville on March 18,2006 following the collapse of the right main landing gear.
Air Algérie Flight 6289 crashed 6 March 2003 at 3:45 p.m. local time (1445 GMT) as a result of engine failure shortly upon takeoff from southern Algerian city of Tamanrasset for a scheduled passenger flight to the Algerian capital Algiers. 97 passengers and 6 crew members died in this accident, and only one passenger survived.
On August 13th, an Air Algerie Lockheed Hercules cargo plane enroute Algiers-Frankfurt crashed near Piacenza, Italy, while in the vicinity of thunderstorms, killing all 3 crew.