| |||||||
| Founded | 26 April 1991 (1991-04-26) (asAir Exel Commuter) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations |
| ||||||
| Ceased operations | 31 January 2005 (2005-01-31) | ||||||
| Hubs | Maastricht Aachen Airport | ||||||
| Secondary hubs | Eindhoven Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Flying Dutchman | ||||||
| Alliance | Wings Alliance (affiliate) | ||||||
| Parent company | KLM (1998–2004) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Maastricht,Limburg,Netherlands | ||||||
| Key people | Harm Prins (CEO) | ||||||
Air Exel was a Dutchairline based inMaastricht in theNetherlands, operating scheduled and chartered flights out ofEindhoven Airport andMaastricht Aachen Airport to several domestic and international destinations.
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The airline was established on 26 April 1991 asAir Exel Commuter on a co-operational base withDutch national carrierKLM.[1] Scheduled flights were launched on 1 May of the same year. As part of the parent's move to integrate the services of its feeders, the company was renamed toKLM Exel in January 1998. On 6 November 2004, the co-operation with KLM ended, and the airline becameAir Exel Netherlands.[2]One month later, in December 2004, Air Exel's Chief Executive Officer, Harm Prins, was arrested on charges of fraud, blackmail, and money laundering. The investigation brought to light financial difficulties with Air Exel, which was subsequently shut down on 31 January 2005.[3]
Upon closure, Air Exel operated scheduled flights to the following destinations:
Over the years, the KLM Exel/Air Exel fleet consisted of the following aircraft types:[4]
| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Total (at closure) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42 | 1998 | 2005 | 2 |
| ATR 72 | 1999 | 2005 | 1 |
| Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia | 1998 | 2005 | 2 |
| Embraer ERJ 145 | 2000 | 2004 | 3 |
Air Exel's fleet consisted of:[5]
| Registration | Type | remarks |
|---|---|---|
| PH-XLC | ATR 42-320 | |
| PH-XLD | ATR 42-320 | |
| PH-XLE | ATR 42-320 | |
| PH-XLH | ATR 72-201F | |
| PH-XLI | ATR 42-320 | |
| PH-XLK | ATR 42-320 | |
| PH-XLL | ATR 42-320 | |
| PH-XLM | ATR 42-320 | |
| PH-BRL | EMB 120RT | |
| PH-XLA | EMB 120RT | |
| PH-XLB | EMB 120RT | as a wreck at Maastricht Aachen Airport until 2022 |
| PH-XLF | EMB 120ER | |
| PH-XLG | EMB 120RT | |
| PH-RXA | E145MP | |
| PH-RXB | E145MP | |
| PH-RXC | E145LR |
