Livingston Compagnia Aerea

Establishment

Livingston Compagnia Aerea was founded on 16 December 2011, under the aegis of the entrepreneur Riccardo Toto (Aliadriatica/Air One founder), by taking over the name, the landing rights and some other assets from the liquidation process of the former Livingston Energy Flight. The airline started with charter operations across Europe, and the first flight took place on 31 March 2012, on the Milan Malpensa-Marsa Alam route, operated with an Airbus A320. The first long-haul flight took place on 19 December 2012, with an Airbus A330. After the Italian low-cost company Wind Jet collapsed in August 2012, Livingston announced that it would take over several routes.^[1]

Two years of expansion

On 27 October 2013, the company won the Sardinian territorial continuity tender, opening connections between Rome Fiumicino airport and Alghero–Fertilia airport, with three daily flights.^[2] On December 18, New Livingston announced new scheduled and charter flights to be opened in the following weeks: Bologna-Tirana, Milan-Malpensa to Tirana, Mombasa and Zanzibar, Rome Fiumicino to Skopje (Macedonia), Mombasa and Zanzibar, Turin-Moscow, Verona-Tirana.

As of 1 January 2014, Livingston had logged 20,500 flight hours, carried over 900,000 passengers, and reached over 100 destinations, having agreements with 30 Italian and foreign tour operators. On 12 February, the airline announced the expansion of its fleet, with the aim of reaching seven operational aircraft by the summer season. In the following weeks Livingston expanded its international network. Tirana Airport was linked to ten destinations in collaboration with the tour operator Fly Albania: Milan, Bergamo, Cuneo, Genoa, Verona, Venice, Bologna, Ancona, Rome, and London. A flight to Pristina (Kosovo) was added from Milan-Malpensa, Verona, Venice, and Bologna in collaboration with the ailing "Kosova Airlines". Flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg departed from Verona and Rimini, with the aim of expanding air connections from other Italian cities to Russia, including Alghero, starting in the summer season. Livingston also operated charter flights in collaboration with Italian and foreign tour operators, to destinations in Italy itself, Greece, Spain, Egypt, Israel, Tunisia, England, and Ireland, with departures from multiple Italian airports.

Crisis and closure

On 6 June 2014, New Livingston was forced to cease scheduled flights between Rome Fiumicino and Alghero due to "serious contractual breaches" identified by the Sardinia regional government, the Sardinia Regional Administrative Court, and the Council of State. On 25 June, ENAC announced the suspension of the air operator's certificate, effective 14 July 14^[3][4], but on 30 June, ENAC itself reinstated the license. The airline continued its operations^[5] but the crisis was already underway. On 7 October, the airline ceased flight operations due to financial problems. One day later, the ENAC revoked the airline's operating license.^[6] On 29 March 2015, the Busto Arsizio court declared the company insolvent, initiating insolvency proceedings.