Comtel Air was a Vienna based business and charter operator that overreached with scheduled flights to India and shut down in 2011 after a payment dispute with passengers became public.
Foto: Peter Bakema · Lizenz: GFDL · Quelle: Wikimedia Commons
From Business Jets to India Charters
Founded in the late 1980s, Comtel Air Luftverkehrs GmbH, based at Vienna International Airport, initially operated mainly business jets such as Cessna and Dassault Falcon types for corporate travelers. In later years it added larger aircraft, including a Boeing 757 operated by Mint Airways, with which Comtel Air offered charter flights between Amritsar in India and the United Kingdom, among other routes.
The End in 2011
In November 2011, the airline made headlines over a flight from Amritsar to Birmingham that was held at Vienna for refueling, with passengers reporting they were asked to pay roughly £20,000 more, a claim Comtel Air denied. Shortly afterward, still in 2011, the airline ceased operations.
Further reading: Austrian Aviation History
Sources (Selection)
Part of the Austrian Aviation History section. An independent, private history project with no connection to Austrian Airlines AG or the Lufthansa Group.