From a thesis on regional air transport to the merger with Austrian Airlines AG: the history of Tyrolean Airways spans 35 years of scheduled flight operations, from 1980 to 2015, closely tied to the aviation history of Innsbruck. The following eight chapters tell this story in detail, with sources, era by era.
The Chapters at a Glance
1. The Founding (1978-1980)
From a thesis on regional air transport to the first scheduled Dash 7 flight on 1 April 1980: how “Aircraft Innsbruck” became Tyrolean Airways.
2. Building a Regional Network (1980s)
The Dash 8 joins the fleet, the route network grows into every Austrian province, and air rescue gives rise to new sister companies.
3. Growth and Fleet Modernization (1990s)
Austrian Airlines takes a 42.85 percent stake, Tyrolean receives its first jets and regional jets, and becomes one of Europe’s larger regional airlines.
4. Takeover by the Austrian Airlines Group (1998)
The Langes-Swarovski family sells its shares, Tyrolean becomes a wholly owned subsidiary, and joins the Star Alliance in 2000.
5. The Austrian Arrows Brand (2002-2012)
As “Austrian arrows”, the Tyrolean name disappears from the airline’s outward branding for a decade, while the fleet grows to as many as 59 aircraft.
6. Merging Flight Operations (2012)
As part of a restructuring programme, Tyrolean takes over all flight operations of Austrian Airlines AG in 2012, accompanied by years of labor disputes.
7. Merger and the End as an Independent Company (2015)
On 1 April 2015, Tyrolean Airways is finally absorbed into Austrian Airlines AG, after 35 years of independent scheduled flight operations.
8. What Remains: Tyrolean Technik
The technical maintenance operation continues after the merger as its own company, until the independent turboprop business also ends in 2018.
Further reading: → The Fleet of Tyrolean Airways: an overview of every aircraft type operated. · → The Brand Identity of Tyrolean Airways: logo and livery over the years.
The Bigger Story: Austrian Aviation History
- → Austrian Aviation History: all chapters at a glance
- → Austrian Airlines: History
- → Lauda Air
- → Innsbruck Airport
- → Incidents and Safety Record
Note: this page is an independent, private history project. There is no connection to Austrian Airlines AG, the Lufthansa Group or the Swarovski corporate group. Dates vary slightly between sources in places; we have tried to provide the best possible context and point out conflicting accounts where they exist.