Swiss startup airline flyBAIR will launch in July

Swiss startup was delayed by two months because of COVID-19 pandemic.

Swiss startup airline flyBAIR will launch on July 18 with two initial routes from Swiss regions to Mallorca (Spain) after a two-month delay caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

Bern-based flyBAIR originally planned to start operations in May 2020, offering flights to Jerez (Spain), Olbia (Italy),  (Greece), the Greek islands of Crete, Kos and Rhodes, as well as the Spanish Balearic Islands of Mallorca and Menorca. A further link was planned between the Swiss city of Sion and Mallorca.

FlyBAIR planned to serve the routes using an Embraer 190 E1, operated by Swiss carrier Helvetic.

However, on March 27, FlyBAIR CEO José González said the launch had been “proactively postponed,” after a significant fall in bookings as the COVID-19 crisis took hold in Greece, Italy and Spain.

In an update on June 12, FlyBAIR said it will now perform its inaugural flights on July 18, initially serving Mallorca from Bern and Sion.

The start-p has also revised its network plans for July-October 2020. Flights to Crete and Rhodes will now launch in mid-August, followed by Jerez, Kos, Menorca and Preveza from September 2020.

A further service, between Bern and Olbia, was also planned for summer 2020. This route has been put on hold.

Bern airport operator Flughafen Bern is flyBAIR’s largest shareholder, holding 15.3% of the company’s shares.