In a significant move within the European aviation sector, the Strategic Alliance of Regional Airlines (SARA) was presented today, led by Air Nostrum and CityJet along with seven other sector companies. They form the largest regional aviation group on the continent, employing almost 2,500 people.
Air Investment Valencia, the parent holding of Air Nostrum, owns 80% of SARA‘s shares, while the remaining 20% is held by CityJet shareholders.
The inception of SARA follows a lengthy merger process with Air Nostrum dating back to before the pandemic, even receiving approval from the European Commission, only to be interrupted by the new circumstances. However, earlier this year, they resumed the relevant procedures to advance their integration plans.
In addition to Air Nostrum and CityJet, SARA also comprises CityJet A/S (Danish subsidiary), Hibernian (an airline based in Ireland), ANEM (MRO company), ANTO (crew training center), Air Nostrum Global Services, ARA (services), and Ard Aer (air broker).
«SARA will act as a holding company, assisting and coordinating each individual company of the Group, which will continue to be independent entities, with their own brand and structures. Each of the companies linked to SARA will remain based in its own country and with its own employees, as in the past. This will mean, for instance, that the head office, employees, and economic activity of Air Nostrum will continue to reside in Valencia, maintaining unchanged its trajectory of the last 29 years as a Valencian company», said Carlos Bertomeu, president of Air Nostrum and new chairman of SARA.
«Similarly, the aircraft maintenance company (ANEM) and the crew training centre (ANTO) will continue with all their employees in the facilities they occupy in Valencia. Likewise, CityJet will continue with its headquarters and employees in its bases of Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and the UK following its 30-year-old trajectory. Hibernian will also continue with its current headquarters in Ireland», Bertomeu added.
Pat Byrne, CEO of CityJet and Head of Strategy for SARA, said «this agreement is going to be very beneficial for all of the member companies of SARA. It helps CityJet to strengthen its position both in our Irish head office and our locations in Denmark, Sweden and the UK where we benefit from having nearly 500 employees directly involved in our wet lease agreements with our customer airlines.»
Executives also emphasized that SARA will provide significant synergies in areas such as aircraft maintenance, crew training, or aircraft fleet management, and at the same time, they hope to increase the number of jobs to meet expansion goals reaching a fleet of around 100 aircraft in the next three years.
Air Nostrum figures
- Operates a fleet of 26 CRJ1000, 4 CRJ200, and 6 ATR 72. The average age is 10 years.
- In 2019, before the outbreak of the pandemic, it transported 5.3 million passengers, with an average occupancy rate of 77%.
- Employs 1,450 people.
CityJet figures
- Its fleet consists of 21 CRJ900 and 4 CRJ1000.
- Employs 600 people.
- In 2019, it transported about 5 million passengers for companies like Aer Lingus, Air France, Brussels Airlines, Hop, Lufthansa, and SAS, but after the pandemic, it shifted its focus to the Scandinavian region, providing services only for SAS.
