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Blue Panorama Airlines S.p.A. was[4] an Italian airline headquartered in Fiumicino operating scheduled and charter flights mostly to domestic and international leisure destinations.[5] As of late 2021, the airline was in the process to change its brand name to Luke Air[6] also retiring their former Blu-express[7] brand used for domestic and short-haul destinations. Additional business charter flights used to be operated under the name Executive Blue.[8] As of late October 2021, it suspended all operations until further notice[9] and was subsequently liquidated in late 2022.[4]
History
Blue Panorama Airlines
Blue Panorama is a private Italian airline operating intercontinental, international, and national charter and scheduled flights.[7][10] It was founded in Rome in 1998 by Franco Pecci,[5] and has been an IATA member since 2002 (IATA code BV).[11][12] Since 2005, Blue Panorama Airlines' Boeing 737 fleet has operated national and international flights for the Blu-Express low-cost division.[13]
In 2012, Alitalia declared interest in a merger with Blue Panorama, as well as with Wind Jet, another Italian airline,[14][15][16][17][18][19] but decided not to proceed with the acquisitions.[20][21] In October 2012, Blue Panorama entered bankruptcy protection.[22][23] This license gave the airline the ability to restructure itself.[24][25][26] On 25 November 2013, Blu-express started flights from Italy to Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza after Belle Air ceased operations there.[27][28]
In January 2014, Blue Panorama Airlines requested to be admitted to extraordinary administration procedure and the abandonment of the composition procedure in continuity.[29] The management of the airline is left to the company's founder. Blue Panorama confirmed that company business and flights are fully operational.[30]
In 2018 the airline came under fire as it has been the policy of Blue Panorama Airlines to charge significant fees to passengers for minor name changes.[31]
Luke Air
In October 2019, the airline announced it would be changing its name to Luke Air by the end of 2019, revealing a new yellow-blue livery on an Airbus A330-200 which was then due to be delivered.[32] On 7 March 2020, the first A330-200 was delivered. However, the rebranding had yet to take place. In late 2020, Blue Panorama retired their last Boeing 767-300ER.[citation needed] In January 2021, it was announced that the rebrand will go ahead.[33] As of September 2021, the airline's official website had its content changed to Luke Air operated by Blue Panorama Airlines.[6]
On 27 October 2021, the airline announced the suspension of all flights stating financial difficulties in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Blue Panorama went through recurring restructuring proceedings in recent years.[9] Shortly after, it filed for bankruptcy protection.[34] In June 2022, it has been reported that the grounded airline retired both of their Airbus A330-200s leaving them without long-haul capable aircraft.[35]
In December 2022, it has been announced that the airline will be liquidated and not resume operations.[4]
Destinations
Blue Panorama operated a network of Italian domestic destinations branded as blu-express as well as long-haul leisure flights mainly around the Caribbean.[citation needed]
Codeshare agreements
Blue Panorama Airlines maintained Codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
On 16 July 2004, a Boeing 767-300ER operating as Flight 1504 experienced an uncontained engine failure on takeoff from Rome-Fiumucino Airport. The plane returned and conducted a successful emergency landing. Investigation revealed that a high-pressure fuel hose leaked approximately 700 kilograms (1,500 lb) of fuel into the engine's nacelle during taxi, which ignited upon takeoff.[38][39]
On 22 September 2018, a Blue Panorama Spanish pilot, Emilio Leone, was arrested by Albanian police as his colleagues reported him for trying to fly the aircraft intoxicated.[40]