WEST Air and Atlantic Airlines to merge

[Henry Tenby]

From Air Cargo News

29-Oct-2008 : WEST Air Europe of Gothenburg (Sweden) and Atlantic
Airlines of Coventry (UK) - two of Europe's most experienced regional
air cargo airlines - are to merge to form West Atlantic, creating
Europe's largest all cargo regional carrier.

The owners of both privately-owned companies will exchange
shareholdings to create the new entity, which will have its
administrative headquarters in Gothenburg. West Atlantic will have a
combined annual turnover of some €125 million, will employ some 500
people and have a fleet of 41 BAE Systems 8-tonne ATP Freighters, one
ATR-72 also of 8-tonne capacity, six 15-tonne Lockheed Electra and two
7-tonne capacity Bombardier CRJ200PF.

The board of West Atlantic consists of:

Chairman: Göran Berglund

Chief executive officer: Gustaf Thureborn

Managing director: Tony Auld

Sales & operations director: Russell Ladkin

Non-executive director: Jörgen Arnemar

Atlantic Airlines, West Air Sweden and West Air Luxembourg of the West
Air Europe holding company, will continue to trade separately as at
present, although under the merged ownership certain key services such
as maintenance will be organised centrally.

The airlines are independently very solid and although operating
exclusively in the European feeder air cargo sector, they are
nevertheless very complementary. The West Air Europe airlines are very
strong in the Scandinavian postal markets, whilst Atlantic Airlines
matches this strength in the UK postal sector and the containerised
conveyance of cargo. Both sets of airlines already work extensively for
the integrator & express sector, but with different customers.

Announcing the formation of West Atlantic today, Gustaf Thureborn,
said: "We have joined forces to create this major new business as we
wish to be the finest provider of efficient, cost-effective and
reliable regional cargo airline services in Europe. Whilst the merger
will create opportunities for spreading our risks and achieving
efficiencies through economies of scale, we look forward to becoming an
even more effective and reliable supplier to our customers."

Russell Ladkin, added that the total focus on the regional airfreight
market in Europe would continue."We are enjoying complementary
strengths in the management team and are very fortunate to have the
quality of staff needed to achieve our objectives."

Apart from its Gothenburg headquarters, West Atlantic will continue to
operate from its overhaul and maintenance facility in Sweden, the
recently-acquired European Aviation Maintenance at Ronaldsway on the
Isle of Man and the Coventry base, where Atlantic Airlines has its
operations and maintenance facility.

Both sets of airlines have been in business for many years and have
great expertise in the European regional freight market. Atlantic
Airlines was an MBO from the Air Atlantique Group, itself established
in 1969. West air Sweden started flying in 1962, commenced cargo
operations in 1991 and undertook a major expansion into Swedish
overnight mail services in 1996 and similarly in Norway in 2006. West
Air Luxembourg commenced operations in 2003 and operates nine of the
West Air Europe aircraft, mainly on integrator contracts.