Mey-Air


Mey-Air Transport A/S, trading as Mey-Air, was a Norwegian charter airline which operated from 1970 to 1974. Owned by shipping owner Hans Otto Meyer, the company flew both smaller ad hoc charter as well as inclusive tour. Initially operating a varied fleet of ten Cessna, Beechcraft, Convair CV-240 and NAMC YS-11, these were largely sold in 1972 to make way for two Boeing 737-200. The company filed for bankruptcy following the demise of the charter market after the 1973 oil crisis.

History

Mey-Air was established as a charter airline in 1970, by shipping owner Hans Otto Meyer. Based at the then secondary Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, it intended both to target the ad hoc as well as the inclusive tour charter market. It initially took over two Convair CV-240 from Meyer, although these were sold in 1970 and 1971. The airline followed up by buying eight aircraft of six different types, consisting of a Cessna 401, a Cessna 402B, a Cessna 421, two NAMC YS-11, two Beechcraft Queen Air, and a Beechcraft King Air 100. These aircraft were quickly sold, and by the end of 1972 only the Cessna 401 was still in service.
During 1970 Mey-Air operated a newspaper services out of Oslo to Copenhagen and onwards to Amsterdam and Paris. The Queenliners were used for this route. The IT market was undergoing a dramatic boom during this period, and in 1971 Mey-Air acquired two Boeing 737-200 for Mediterranean IT flights. Their only later aircraft acquisition was a 1973 purchase of a Cessna 150 and a Convair CV-240.
at Stockholm Arlanda Airport in 1972
Mey-Air showed interest in 1972 in acquiring their concessions to operate the routes out of Skien Airport, Geiteryggen. Despite the bankruptcy of the incumbent, Fjellfly, Mey-Air withdrew their interest in the routes. Starting in December 1972, Mey-Air started a cooperation with Falkereiser to fly Danish tourists to Norway. This agreement would become a liability as Mey-Air was not paid in full and eventually became of creditor of the tour operator after it went bankrupt in 1974. One of the 737s is prominently featured as the hijacked aircraft in the 1974 feature film Ransom.
Following the 1973 oil crisis, Mey-Air was similar to other IT airlines adversely effected. Costs rose while charter rates declines, making it impossible to run with a profit. Mey-Air ceased operations on 22 February 1974 and filed for bankruptcy two days later.

Fleet

The following is a list of aircraft operated by Mey-Air. It contains the model, the accumulated number of aircraft operated, the year built, the year the type first entered service with the airline, and the year the last unit was retired.
ModelQtyBuiltFirst inLast outRef
Convair CV-2402194919691974
Cessna 4011196919701974
Cessna 402B1197019701972
Cessna 4211196919701970
NAMC YS-112196919701971
Beechcraft Queen Air2197019701972
Beechcraft King Air 1001196919701971
Boeing 737-2002197019711974
Cessna 1501196819731974