View source for Air Comet

{{Short description|Former Spanish airline}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Air Comet
| image = Air_Comet_Logo.png
| image_size = 
| IATA = A7
| ICAO = MPD
| callsign = RED COMET
| founded = 23 December 1996 (as ''Air Plus Comet'')
| commenced = 1 March 1997
| ceased = 21 December 2009
| aoc = 
| bases = [[Madrid–Barajas Airport]]
| frequent_flyer = Club Air Comet
| alliance = 
| subsidiaries = [[Air Comet Chile]]
| fleet_size = 9
| destinations = 11
| parent = [[Grupo Marsans]]
| headquarters = [[Madrid]], [[Spain]]
| key_people = [[Gerardo Díaz Ferrán]]
| founder = 
| revenue = 
| num_employees = 
| website = [http://www.aircomet.com/ aircomet.com]
}}

'''Air Comet''' was an [[airline]] based in [[Madrid]], [[Spain]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20070210224429/http://www.airpluscomet.com/oficinas.php Oficinas Centrales]." Air Comet. 10 February 2007. Retrieved on 22 June 2010.</ref><ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20070203141739/http://www.airpluscomet.com/imagenes/dondeestamos.gif dondeestamos.gif]." Air Comet. 3 February 2007. Retrieved on 22 June 2010.</ref> It operated scheduled long-haul services from Madrid to 13 destinations in Central and [[South America]], as well as services in [[Europe]]. Its main base was Terminal 1 at [[Madrid–Barajas Airport]]. The airline cooperated with airlines such as [[AeroSur]] through codeshare agreements.

==History==
[[File:Airbus_A310-324,_Air_Plus_Comet_JP6129954.jpg|thumb|Air Plus Comet [[Airbus A310-300]]]]
[[File:Boeing 747-212B, Air Plus Comet AN0398013.jpg|thumb|Air Plus Comet [[Boeing 747-200B]]]]
The airline was established on 23 December 1996 as '''Air Plus Comet''' and started operations on 1 March 1997, based at [[Madrid-Barajas Airport]]. On 11 December 1996 [[Oasis Airlines]] ceased operations, and their only aircraft, an Airbus A310, and many of their pilots and staff became the foundation of Air Plus Comet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=12/11/1996: Oasis International Airlines Ceases Operations |url=https://www.airwaysmag.com/legacy-posts/oasis-airlines-ceases-operations |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=airwaysmag.com}}</ref> In the post-takeover haste, the airline lacked a commercial name and its ICAO code was ''MPD'', which stood for the last names of its three main executives (Mata, Pascual and Díaz).

It mainly operated long-haul charter services from Madrid and [[Palma de Mallorca]] to destinations in America and the [[Caribbean]]. It relaunched as a full-service carrier under the Air Comet name in January 2007. It was wholly owned by Grupo Marsans.

In January 2007, the airline took over some of now-defunct [[Air Madrid]]'s Latin American routes and was renamed '''Air Comet''' and changed its livery.<ref>[http://www.ruudleeuw.com/rem-airpluscomet.htm Airlines Remembered; R. Leeuw - Air Plus Comet]</ref>

On 11 February 2009, Air Comet was suspended from the [[IATA]] Clearing House due to non-payment of its January balance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hispanidad.com/imagenes/Aircomet-IATA.pdf|title=Air Comet - IATA|access-date=18 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924030322/http://www.hispanidad.com/imagenes/Aircomet-IATA.pdf|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 21 December 2009, a High Court in London emitted a verdict favoring the German bank HSH Nordbank, which had sued Air Comet for not meeting the terms of payment for their leased aircraft. Therefore, the airline became legally unable to either operate their four A330-200s or sell any fare tickets. Air Comet's directors announced the airline was ceasing operations owing to bankruptcy.<ref>[http://www.milenio.com/node/345640 Milenio - ''Air Comet cerrará sus operaciones'']{{dead link|date=June 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

==Destinations==
Air Comet flew to the following destinations:<ref>[http://www.aircomet.com/A7eAracs/preSearchSchedules.do Air Comet Schedules] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228200019/http://www.aircomet.com/A7eAracs/preSearchSchedules.do |date=28 February 2009 }} (as of December 2009)</ref>

;Europe
'''{{ESP}}'''
*[[Madrid]] - [[Madrid Barajas Airport]] '''base'''
'''{{ITA}}'''
*[[Fiumicino]] - [[Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport]]
'''{{UK}}'''
*[[London]] - [[Gatwick Airport]]

;The Caribbean
'''{{CUB}}'''
*[[Havana]] - [[José Martí International Airport]]

;South America
'''{{ARG}}'''
*[[Buenos Aires]] - [[Ministro Pistarini International Airport]]
'''{{BOL}}'''
*[[Santa Cruz de la Sierra]] - [[Viru Viru International Airport]]
'''{{COL}}'''
*[[Bogotá]] - [[El Dorado International Airport]]
*[[Medellín]] - [[José María Córdova International Airport]]
'''{{ECU}}'''
*[[Guayaquil]] - [[José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport]]
*[[Quito]] - [[Mariscal Sucre International Airport]]
'''{{PER}}'''
*[[Lima]] - [[Jorge Chávez International Airport]]

==Fleet==
[[File:Air_Comet_A330-200_EC-KIL_MAD_2008-7-17.png|thumb|Air Comet [[Airbus A330-200]]]]
The Air Comet fleet consisted of the following aircraft:{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
|+ Air Comet fleet
|-
!Aircraft
!Total
!Introduced
!Retired
!Notes
|-
|[[Airbus A310-300]]
|10
|1997
|2009
|1 leased from [[Austrian Airlines]]
|-
|[[Airbus A320-200]]
|3
|2007
|2009
|
|-
|[[Airbus A330-200]]
|8
|2006
|2009
|4 leased from [[Grupo Marsans]] <br> 1 leased from [[Eurofly]] <br> 1 leased from [[Iberworld]]
|-
|[[Airbus A340-300]]
|3
|2007
|2009
|
|-
|[[Boeing 737-300]]
|2
|2003
|2006
|
|-
|[[Boeing 747-200B]]
|4
|2003
|2008
|2 leased from [[Aerolíneas Argentinas]]
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-83]]
|2
|2006
|2007
|
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-88]]
|2
|2005
|2007
|Leased from [[Aerolíneas Argentinas]]
|-
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Spain|Companies|Aviation}}
*[[List of defunct airlines of Spain]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
<!-- Per [[WP:ELMINOFFICIAL]], choose one official website only -->
{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{Official website|http://www.aircomet.com|Official website of Air Comet (Password protected)}}; [https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.aircomet.com (Archive)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930192414/http://www.ch-aviation.ch/airlinepage.php?code1=MPD&al_op=1 Air Comet Fleet]

{{Airlines of Spain}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Defunct airlines of Spain]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1996]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 2009]]
[[Category:Companies based in Madrid]]