View source for AOM French Airlines

{{Short description|Defunct airline of France (1988–2001)}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline        = AOM French Airlines
| logo           = AOM.svg
| logo_size      = 125
| IATA           = IW
| ICAO           = AOM
| callsign       = FRENCH LINES
| founded        = {{start date|1988|||df=yes}}
| commenced      = {{start date|1990|||df=yes}}
| ceased         = {{end date|2001|03|25|df=yes}}<br /><small>(merged into [[Air Liberté]])</small>
| operations     =
| key_people     = Marc Rochet
| hubs           = [[Orly Airport]]
| frequent_flyer = [[Qualiflyer]]
| fleet_size     = 
| destinations   = 
| headquarters   = {{nowrap|[[Paray-Vieille-Poste]], France}}
| website        =
}}

'''AOM French Airlines''', previously named '''Air Outre-Mer''', was the second-largest [[airline]] in [[France]] that operated from 1988 until 2001. Its head office was in Building 363 at [[Orly Airport]], [[Paray-Vieille-Poste]].<ref>"World Airline Directory 1999." ''[[Flight International]]''. 2000. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2000/2000%20-%200925.html?search=%22AOM%20French%22 363].; "[https://web.archive.org/web/20000302003105/http://www.aom.fr/fr/contact/mai_cont.htm Nos coordonnées agences en "France Métropolitaine "]." AOM French Airlines. Retrieved on 15 May 2010. "SIEGE Bâtiment 363   B.P. 854 94 551 ORLY AEROGARE CEDEX"; "[http://www.journal-officiel.gouv.fr/association/index.php?ctx=eJxtyj0OgzAMBlAfBeUCsYpYulJ16sgeWemHiOTikB*OXw7A!vSC0loonDtJrRYpHBStZCvS4FsBnm6x7Gf7Ytnwg2cemdkNw137JPQXosrlyXafRSVVSHd33VHYUnt3VXpM9Ae4ZC7i&page=15&JTH_ID=003000&JAN_LIEU_DECL=palaiseau Résultat de votre recherche]." Le Journal officiel électronique authentifié. Retrieved on 15 May 2010. "Siège social : compagnie Air Lib, bâtiment 363, zone centrale à l’aéroport d’Orly, 91550 Paray-Vieille-Poste."</ref>

==History==
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2010}}

===Foundation===
Air Outre Mer, or ''AOM'' for short, was founded in 1988 in the French overseas département of the island of [[Réunion]] and began scheduled passenger service in 1990 with a [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30]] and a [[Dornier 228]]. In October 1991, Air Outre Mer  merged with ''[[Minerve (airline)|Air Minerve]]'', a French airline which was based at [[Orly Airport]] and had operated since 1975. The two companies began operating under the name ''AOM French Airlines'' although the administrative name was "''AOM-Minerve S.A.''". ''[[Minerve (airline)|Air Minerve]]'' was the first airline to compete directly with [[Air Inter]] on the French domestic airline market by opening a [[Paris]] ([[Orly Airport|Orly]]) - [[Nice Côte d'Azur Airport|Nice]] route in May 1990. In February 1999, [[Swissair]] acquired a 49% stake in the airline as a part of its "hunter strategy". For most of the decade, the airline fiercely competed with [[Air France]] on both the French domestic market and on the air routes to the French overseas territories.

===Merger===
Due to inappropriate fleet management and  overcapacity, the airline quickly accumulated huge debts and consequently ceased operations in 2001 (possibly as a result of the bursting of the [[dot-com bubble]] and the [[early 2000s recession]] which followed){{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}. The airline's final bankruptcy was approved after several months of strikes.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} On 25 March 2001 ''AOM French Airlines'' merged with [[Air Liberté]], the airline retaining the name "Air Liberté".<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20010506140839/http://www.aom.fr/ Home]." AOM French Airlines. 6 May 2001. Retrieved on 15 May 2010. "Le 25 Mars 2001 AOM change de nom et devient Air Liberté."</ref> On 22 September 2001 the airline was renamed "[[:fr:Air Lib|Air Lib]]".<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20020223210713/http://www.air-liberte.fr/francais/air_liberte/index.php3?menu=decouvrir Découvrir Air Liberté]." Air Liberté. 23 February 2002. Retrieved on 15 May 2010. "Le 22 Septembre 2001, AOM et AIR LIBERTE ont donné naissance à une nouvelle compagnie aérienne qui porte désormais le nom AIR LIB."</ref> AOM's disappearance was followed by several other French airlines in the next several years.

==Destinations==
[[File:41ah - AOM French Airlines Boeing 737-53C; F-GINL@ZRH;09.10.1998 (5637165447).jpg|thumb|AOM [[Boeing 737-500]]]]
[[File:McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30, AOM French Airlines AN0221035.jpg|thumb|AOM [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30]]]]
AOM French Airlines served the following destinations:

===France===
* [[Marseille]] – [[Marseille Provence Airport]]
* [[Nice]] – [[Nice Côte d'Azur Airport]]
* [[Paris]] – [[Orly Airport]]
* [[Perpignan]] – [[Llabanère Airport]]
* [[Toulon]] – [[Toulon-Hyères Airport]]

===French overseas departments and territories===
* [[French Guiana]]
** [[Cayenne]] – [[Cayenne-Rochambeau Airport]]
* [[Guadeloupe]]
** [[Pointe-à-Pitre]] – [[Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport]]
** [[Saint Martin (island)|Saint Martin]] – [[Princess Juliana International Airport]]
* [[Martinique]]
** [[Fort-de-France]] – [[Le Lamentin Airport]]
* [[New Caledonia]]
** [[Nouméa]] – [[La Tontouta International Airport]]
* [[Réunion]]
** [[Saint-Denis, Réunion|Saint-Denis]] – [[Roland Garros Airport]]
* [[Tahiti]]
** [[Papeete]] – [[Faa'a International Airport]]

===International routes===
;{{AUS}}
* [[Sydney]] – [[Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport]] (Paris-Colombo-Sydney-Nouméa from November 1995, ceased 2001.)<ref name="FlightGlobal Sept 1995">[[FlightGlobal|Flight Global News]], 20 September 1995 [https://www.flightglobal.com/aom-french-airlines-makes-more-paris-connections/14528.article]</ref>
;{{BHS}}
* [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]] – [[Lynden Pindling International Airport]]
;{{CUB}}
* [[Havana]] – [[José Martí International Airport]]
* [[Varadero]] – [[Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport]]
;{{DOM}}
* [[Punta Cana]] – [[Punta Cana International Airport]]
;{{ECU}}
* [[Quito]] – [[Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport]]
;{{JPN}}
* [[Tokyo]] – [[Narita International Airport]]
;{{LBY}}
* [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] – [[Tripoli International Airport]]
;{{MDV}}
* [[Malé]] – [[Velana International Airport]]
;{{SRI}}
* [[Colombo]] – [[Bandaranaike International Airport]] (Paris-Colombo-Sydney-Nouméa from November 1995, ceased 2001.)<ref name="FlightGlobal Sept 1995" />
;{{CHE}}
* [[Zürich]] – [[Zürich Airport]]
;{{THA}}
* [[Bangkok]] – [[Don Mueang International Airport]] (Paris-Bangkok-Nouméa, until November 1995.)<ref name="FlightGlobal Sept 1995" /> 
;{{flag|United States}}
* [[Los Angeles]] – [[Los Angeles International Airport]]
;{{VNM}}
* [[Ho Chi Minh City]] – [[Tan Son Nhat International Airport]]

==Fleet==
AOM French Airlines has operated the following aircraft throughout its existence:{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
|+ AOM French Airlines fleet
|-
!Aircraft
!Total
!Introduced
!Retired
!Notes
|-
|[[Airbus A300B4]]
|1
|1999
|2000
|Leased from [[TransAer International Airlines]].
|-
|[[Airbus A340-200]]
|3
|1999
|2001
|
|-
|[[Airbus A340-300]]
|2
|2000
|2001
|
|-
|[[Boeing 737-200]]
|1
|1996
|1996
|Leased from [[Air Toulouse]].
|-
|[[Boeing 737-500]]
|3
|1998
|2000
|Leased from [[LOT Polish Airlines]].
|-
|[[Boeing 747-200B]]
|1
|1992
|1993
|
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-62CF]]
|1
|1992
|1992
|
|-
|[[Douglas DC-8|Douglas DC-8-73]]
|1
|1992
|1992
|Leased to [[Air Sweden (1991–1993)|Air Sweden]].
|-
|[[Fokker 100]]
|1
|1996
|1996
|Leased from [[Transwede Airways]].
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30]]
|15
|1990
|2001
|One crashed as [[Cubana de Aviación Flight 1216|Cubana Flight 1216]].
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-82]]
|1
|1994
|1994
|Leased from [[Meridiana]].
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-83]]
|14
|1992
|2001
|
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-87]]
|1
|1995
|1996
|Leased from [[Transwede Airways]].
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
*[https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.aom.fr AOM French Airlines] (Archive) {{in lang|fr}}
*[https://asn.flightsafety.org/database/operators/4465 Air Outre-Mer] at the [[Aviation Safety Network]] Database
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120204234600/http://www.rati.com/ALLANDING_366.htm AOM French Airlines] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20120412013004/http://www.rati.com/ rati.com]

{{Portal bar|France|Companies|Aviation}}
{{Airlines of France}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:AOM French Airlines}}
[[Category:French companies established in 1988]]
[[Category:French companies disestablished in 2001]]
[[Category:Defunct airlines of France]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1988]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 2001]]