Timeline
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1978
Founded as Tiroler Luftfahrt GmbH by the Langes-Swarovski family, from the existing company Aircraft Innsbruck.
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1980
Scheduled flight operations begin on 1 April with the Dash 7 between Innsbruck and Vienna.
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1990s
Fleet expansion with the Dash 8, Fokker 70/100 and Canadair/Bombardier CRJ100/200; the route network grows across Europe.
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1998
The Austrian Airlines Group acquires a majority stake in Tyrolean Airways.
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2003
Launch of the joint fleet brand Austrian Arrows with a matching livery.
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2012
All flight operations of the Austrian Airlines Group are transferred to Tyrolean.
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2015
Merger with Austrian Airlines AG on 31 March, ending its existence as an independent company.
A Landing on One of Europe’s Toughest Runways
A Tyrolean Airways Dash 7 once landed at Courchevel in the French Alps, on a runway just 537 metres long and steeply sloped, without the weight limits usually imposed there. The landing on video, and the full story of the Dash 7, are in that chapter.
The Eight Chapters of the Story
From an idea at flight school to the 2015 merger, in chronological order.
The Founding
A thesis, a feasibility study and a Tyrolean business family: how a new airline grew out of Aircraft Innsbruck.
Building a Regional Network
From a daily Innsbruck to Vienna shuttle to a network that eventually linked almost every Austrian province.
Growth and Fleet Modernization
First jets, first regional jets: Tyrolean becomes one of Europe’s larger regional airlines.
Takeover by Austrian Airlines
The Langes-Swarovski family sells its shares, yet Tyrolean stays on as its own operating company.
The Austrian Arrows Brand
A new logo, a new livery: the shared brand identity of the regional fleet.
Merging Flight Operations
As a restructuring move, Tyrolean suddenly takes over Airbus and Boeing jets too.
Merger and the End as an Airline
After 37 years, the name Tyrolean Airways disappears from the schedule.
What Remains: Tyrolean Technik
The airline is history, maintenance in Innsbruck is not.
ROUTE NETWORK
From the Innsbruck‑Vienna shuttle to a route network
From the first daily shuttle between Innsbruck and Vienna, a route network grew through the 1980s that eventually linked almost every Austrian province.
Discover More From the Collection
Aircraft types, airports and the wider context of the Tyrolean story.
Fleet & Aircraft
Context & Background
From the Collection
