Malév Express

MALÉV Express (Also known as MAx[3]) was a short lived Hungarian airline and a subsidiary of MALÉV Hungarian Airlines, which was founded in 2002 and shut down in 2005.[4] The company was created to operate short-haul regional flights on behalf of MALÉV to the countries bordering Hungary, other countries close to Hungary, and some destinations in the Balkans.

MALÉV Express
IATA ICAO Callsign
MEH
Commenced operations11 July 2002[1]
Ceased operations1 May 2005[2]
HubsBudapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport
Frequent-flyer programDuna Club
Fleet size4
Destinations19
Parent companyMALÉV Hungarian Airlines
HeadquartersBudapest, Hungary
Websitemalev.hu

History

MALÉV Express was established due to a new strategy of MALÉV of increasing marketshare in Central and Eastern Europe. Initially, fleet consisted of a small number Bombardier CRJ-200s. According to their plans, MALÉV Express flights would feed passengers from smaller markets into Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, connecting onwards on MALÉV flights, as well as its KLM/Northwest code-sharing partners.[5] Long-term plans included that if MALÉV Express passenger traffic increased, Fokker 70s would also be leased alongside CRJs.[6]

On the original plans, Bombardier Aerospace would deliver MALÉV Express four aircraft, but in the end only two were delivered.[7][8] When it commenced operations on July 2002, MALÉV Express launched daily flights to Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Prague and Skopje, and from 16 September to Venice, Odessa, Timișoara and Bologna.[6][8][9]

Although MALÉV Express initially seemed profitable, with high load factors soon after commencing operations,[10] it became loss-making not long after. Passenger traffic was insufficient for MALÉV to sustain the subsidiary, and the Bombardier CRJ-200s were also more expensive than expected.[11] According to some opinions, due to the small cargo space, there were regular problems with the stowage of luggage.[12]

On 1 May 2005, MALÉV decided to cease MALÉV Express operations and incorporate its aircraft into MALÉV's mainline operations.[13] In 2007, the CRJs were decommissioned and sold.[7] The last MALÉV Express aircraft, HA-LNA, left Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport permanently in 2017, when it was sold to SCAT Airlines.[14]

When MALÉV found itself in a near-bankruptcy situation in 2011, the idea arose that MALÉV Express could be re-established as MALÉV's legal successor, but this was only an idea and MALÉV went bankrupt in 2012.[15]

Destinations
A MALÉV Express Bombardier CRJ200 at Düsseldorf Airport
A MALÉV Express Bombardier CRJ200 at Stuttgart Airport
Main article: List of Malév Hungarian Airlines destinations

This is the list of destinations that MALÉV Express used to serve before it ceased operations on 1 May 2005. The destinations continued to be served by MALÉV Hungarian Airlines.

MALÉV Express destinations
City Country Airport
Bologna  ItalyBologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport
Budapest  HungaryBudapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport [Base]
Copenhagen  DenmarkCopenhagen Airport
Düsseldorf  GermanyDüsseldorf Airport
Geneva   SwitzerlandGeneva Airport
Hamburg  GermanyHamburg Airport
Krakow  PolandKrakow Airport
Lyon  FranceLyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport
Milan  ItalyMilan Malpensa Airport
Munich  GermanyMunich Airport
Nuremberg  GermanyNuremberg Airport
Odessa  UkraineOdesa International Airport
Prague  Czech RepublicVáclav Havel Airport Prague
Skopje  North MacedoniaSkopje International Airport
Stuttgart  GermanyStuttgart Airport
Timișoara  RomaniaTimișoara Traian Vuia International Airport
Venice  ItalyVenice Marco Polo Airport
Warsaw  PolandWarsaw Chopin Airport
Zurich   SwitzerlandZurich Airport

Fleet
A MALÉV Express Bombardier CRJ200

Prior to its shutdown in May 2005, the fleet consisted of the following aircraft:

MALÉV Express Fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
Bombardier CRJ200 4 — 48 HA-LNA, HA-LNB, HA-LNC, HA-LND.

All transferred to MALÉV Hungarian Airlines.[16]

Total 4 —
MALÉV Express Historical Fleet
Aircraft Introduced Retired Total Notes
Bombardier CRJ100 3 July 2002 3 December 2002 1 HA-LNX

Sold to BCIT.[17]

See also

References
  1. https://mfor.hu/cikkek/vallalatok/Biztatoan_kezdett_a_Malev_Express.html
  2. Putsay Gábor (2005-04-22). "Malév: tartós fogyókúrára ítélve". Magyar Nemzet. p. 13.
  3. "Malév vezérigazgatói interjúk 2000 évtől - 4. rész". aeromagazin.hu. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  4. "Malév Express :: Budapest, Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér". lisztferihegy0.webnode.hu. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  5. "Bombardier Signs New Customer As Malev Hungarian Airlines Orders CRJ200". defense-aerospace.com. 2002-03-18. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  6. Juhász Péter (2002-07-15). "Jól startolt a Malév Express". Világgazdaság.
  7. "Feltámadás..." jetplanes. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  8. "A várakozások szerint teljesít a Malév Express". Napi Gazdaság. 2002-11-29. p. 10.
  9. Bihari Tamás (2002-09-24). "Szeptember közepén új járatokat indított a Malév Express". Népszava. p. 5.
  10. Király Béla. "Bíztatóan kezdett a Malév Express". mfor.hu - Menedzsment Fórum (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  11. Varga G. Gábor (2009-03-21). "Húsz éven át a turbulenciában". Népszabadság. p. 3.
  12. "Malév Express :: Budapest, Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér". lisztferihegy0.webnode.hu. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  13. Putsay Gábor (2005-04-22). "Malév: tartós fogyókúrára ítélve". Magyar Nemzet. p. 13.
  14. AIRportal.hu (2017-11-29). ""Elena" végleg elrepült Ferihegyről". AIRportal.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  15. AIRportal.hu (2011-11-24). "Összemegy a Malév, visszatér a Malév Express?". AIRportal.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  16. "Malév Express :: Budapest, Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér". lisztferihegy0.webnode.hu. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  17. "Malév Express :: Budapest, Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér". lisztferihegy0.webnode.hu. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
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