Part one: World Airline Directory

Welcome to the first installment of the 2004 Flight International World Airline Directory. The directory is published annually in three parts over consecutive weeks, providing key information on over 1,400 airlines operating scheduled services or those offering significant charter services.

The directory is split into three parts alphabetically, with Part 1 covering A-B; Part 2 C-L and Part 3 M-Z. The selection criterion has been to list operators with one or more aircraft with more than 19 seats. Where justified by significance of service or national carrier status, airlines operating aircraft with fewer than 19 seats are listed, as are some helicopter companies which operate a significant number of scheduled passenger services. The listing includes scheduled or charter cargo operators of aircraft of a similar capacity to those satisfying the passenger aircraft criteria.

The directory includes, wherever possible, non-jet commuter and regional operators which meet the inclusion criteria, but is not a complete guide to air-taxi services.

Data incorporated in the directory includes contact details/addresses, partners and shareholders, management structure and fleet and route data, along with a brief description of an airline's operations.

Telephone and facsimile numbers follow the international dialling codes – for example, the UK number +44 (20) 8652 3840, shows the country code, area code, and customer number. In-country dialling usually requires a caller to dial 0 to precede the area code, eg: 020 8652 3840.

Abbreviations include: () indicates the three-character ICAO airline designator code, [ ] indicates the two-character IATA code; CFO chief financial officer; COO chief operating officer; DGAC Direction Général de Aéronautique Civile; EVP executive vice-president; FAA US Federal Aviation Administration; JAA European Joint Aviation Authorities; LBA German Luftfahrt-Bundesamt; JAR Joint Aviation Regulation; SVP senior vice-president; VP vice-president.

Fleet data includes in-service and firm orders for turbine-powered aircraft and has been supplied by London, UK-based consultancy Airclaims, tel: +44 (20) 8897 1066; fax +44 (20) 8897 0300. Some information on piston-powered types is also included. Aircraft are recorded in the fleet of the airline for which they are being operated, rather than with the operator (if the two are different). Route data is compiled by Air Transport Intelligence from the OAG MAX database. Entries are correct up to and including January 2004.