The history of Tyrolean Airways cannot be told without Austrian Airlines: in 1998, Austrian Airlines AG acquired a majority stake in the Tyrolean airline, making it the group’s most important regional partner. Yet Austrian Airlines itself also has an eventful founding story.

A Merger Born of Political Calculation

After Austria regained its air sovereignty with the State Treaty of 1955, two competing projects initially emerged for an Austrian airline: “Air Austria”, aligned with the conservative ÖVP, and “Austrian Airways”, associated with the SPÖ. Neither company ever began operations independently. Faced with this political stalemate, the two sides agreed instead on a merger: on 30 September 1957, Austrian Airlines AG was founded, bringing together red and black interests under one roof.

The First Scheduled Flight

On 31 March 1958, Austrian Airlines operated its first scheduled flight, from Vienna to London, using four chartered Vickers Viscount 779 turboprop aircraft. Over the following decades, the young airline built up a European, and later also intercontinental, route network from Vienna-Schwechat.

The Group Grows: Tyrolean, Lauda Air and the “Austrian Arrows” Brand

In 1998, Austrian Airlines acquired a majority stake in Tyrolean Airways, which had until then belonged to the Tyrolean entrepreneurial family Langes-Swarovski. The gradual integration of Lauda Air followed in 2000 and 2001. From 2003, Tyrolean Airways’ regional fleets were brought together under the joint brand “Austrian Arrows”, while remaining legally part of Tyrolean Airways GmbH. In 2012, Tyrolean Airways finally took over the group’s entire operational flying, and in 2015 the company was incorporated into Austrian Airlines AG.

Part of the Lufthansa Group

In 2009, a majority stake in Austrian Airlines was acquired by Deutsche Lufthansa AG, and it has been part of the Lufthansa Group ever since. The Austrian Airlines name has remained an independent brand within the group.

Read on: The History of Tyrolean Airways · Vienna International Airport · Lauda Air

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Sources (selection)

• aerotelegraph.com: 60 years of AUA, Austrian Airlines’ founding after the war (German)
• Wikipedia: Austrian Airlines

Part of the Austrian aviation history section. An independent, private history project with no connection to Austrian Airlines AG or the Lufthansa Group.