Malév Express
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| Founded | 2002 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 11 July 2002[1] | ||||||
| Ceased operations | 1 May 2005[2] | ||||||
| Hubs | Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Duna Club | ||||||
| Parent company | Malév Hungarian Airlines | ||||||
| Headquarters | Budapest, Hungary | ||||||
MALÉV Express (also known as MAx[3]) was a short lived Hungarian airline and a subsidiary of MALÉV Hungarian Airlines, which was founded in 2002 and shut down in 2005.[4] The company was created to operate short-haul regional flights on behalf of MALÉV to the countries bordering Hungary, other countries close to Hungary, and some destinations in the Balkans.
MALÉV Express was established due to a new strategy of MALÉV of increasing marketshare in Central and Eastern Europe. Initially, fleet consisted of a small number Bombardier CRJ-200s. According to their plans, MALÉV Express flights would feed passengers from smaller markets into Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, connecting onwards on MALÉV flights, as well as its KLM/ Northwest code-sharing partners.[5] Long-term plans included that if MALÉV Express passenger traffic increased, Fokker 70s would also be leased alongside CRJs.[6]
On the original plans, Bombardier Aerospace would deliver MALÉV Express four aircraft, but in the end only two were delivered.[7][8] When it commenced operations in July 2002, MALÉV Express launched daily flights to Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Prague and Skopje, and from 16 September to Venice, Odesa, Timișoara and Bologna.[6][8][9]
Although MALÉV Express initially seemed profitable, with high load factors soon after commencing operations,[10] it became loss-making not long after. Passenger traffic was insufficient for MALÉV to sustain the subsidiary, and the Bombardier CRJ-200s were also more expensive than expected.[11] According to some opinions, due to the small cargo space, there were regular problems with the stowage of luggage.[4]
On 1 May 2005, MALÉV decided to cease MALÉV Express operations and incorporate its aircraft into MALÉV's mainline operations.[2] In 2007, the CRJs were decommissioned and sold.[7] The last MALÉV Express aircraft, HA-LNA, left Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport permanently in 2017, when it was sold to SCAT Airlines.[12]
When MALÉV found itself in a near-bankruptcy situation in 2011, the idea arose that MALÉV Express could be re-established as MALÉV's legal successor, but this was only an idea and MALÉV went bankrupt in 2012.[13]
Destinations
This is the list of destinations that MALÉV Express used to serve before it ceased operations on 1 May 2005. The destinations continued to be served by MALÉV Hungarian Airlines.
Fleet
Last fleet
Prior to its shutdown in May 2005, the fleet consisted of the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombardier CRJ200 | 4 | — | 48 | All transferred to MALÉV Hungarian Airlines.[4] |
| Total | 4 | — |
Historic fleet
Previously, the airline also operated the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombardier CRJ100 | 2002 | 2002 | 1 | Sold to BCIT.[4] |
