Amelia snatches EU PSO routes from Lufthansa, Air France

Amelia (NL, Paris Le Bourget) has announced it is taking over Public Service Obligation (PSO) routes from Strasbourg, France, to Munich, Germany and Amsterdam Schiphol, Netherlands on April 9. The routes were operated by Lufthansa and Air France respectively for the past three years.

They form part of 154 PSO routes in the European Union in terms of which member states may subsidise carriers on routes deemed vital for the economic development of the region they serve.

Lufthansa has been operating the PSO route between Strasbourg and Munich under a subsidy of EUR1,132,666.67 euros (USD1,248,322.23) since April 9, 2019. Its contract expires on April 8, 2022.

The French regional airline has also secured a three-year contract for the same period to operate the PSO route between Strasbourg and Amsterdam, previously operated by Air France under a subsidy of EUR1,994,666,67 (USD2,198,179.12) with 45-seater E145s.

Invitations to tender for both routes were published in the Official Journal of the EU on June 7, 2021. Amelia will hold the new three-year contract until April 9, 2025.

In a statement, Amelia said the routes were vital for Members of Parliament and staff of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, or for Europeans in transit to Amsterdam and Munich.

Amelia would operate 5x weekly on both PSO routes with 49-seater E145s.

“With these two new routes, Amelia confirms its position as a key player in the French regional sky and now has five regular routes under its flag. After having established itself on the French territory, the company is now seizing the opportunity to develop its regular network on a European scale,” the airline said.