Switzerland’s BlueLight Plans Nonprofit Humanitarian Airline

Swiss startup BlueLight (Geneva), which bills itself as the world’s first nonprofit airline dedicated to humanitarian missions, officially launched on October 28, with operations set to begin in 2026. The airline has raised an initial $55 million to acquire and convert three widebody aircraft for humanitarian use.

BlueLight will focus exclusively on transporting medical teams, disaster relief personnel, and humanitarian supplies. Its initial fleet will include a chartered Airbus A340-300 and A321-200(P2F), capable of carrying over 50 tonnes of cargo, 200 aid workers, or serving as an airborne medical unit.

Founded by former Geneva Airport president Pierre Bernheim and WAIR Global CEO Waleed Rawat, BlueLight says it has support from the Swiss federal government and the Canton of Geneva. The airline is in advanced discussions with Airbus, Geneva Airport, and aircraft maintenance provider Joramco.

BlueLight plans to operate on a fixed-rate model without yield management or price fluctuations. The company aims to secure its own Swiss air operator’s certificate (AOC) once operations scale, though it will initially lease aircraft to launch missions.

According to AeroTELEGRAPH, BlueLight was established in April 2025 and will start with two aircraft based in Europe for missions across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, with expansion to the Americas by 2030 and Asia-Pacific by 2035.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com