View source for Wind Jet

{{short description|Airline}}
{{For|the type of jet stream found in mountains|Mountain jet}}
{{Infobox Airline
| airline = Wind Jet
| logo = Windjet logo.png
| logo_size =
| IATA = IV
| ICAO = JET
| callsign= GHIBLI
| founded = 2003
| ceased = 11 August 2012
| headquarters = [[Catania]], [[Italy]]
| key_people = Antonino Pulvirenti (founder, [[chairman]] & [[CEO]])
| hubs =
<div>
*[[Catania-Fontanarossa Airport|Catania]]
</div>
| bases = 
<div>
* [[Palermo Airport|Palermo]] 
* [[Federico Fellini Airport|Rimini]]</div>
| fleet_size = 12
| destinations = 26
}}

'''Wind Jet S.p.A.''' was an Italian low-cost [[airline]] based in [[Catania]], [[Italy]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20090402073345/http://w2.volawindjet.it/contattaci.aspx?lang=en Contact]." Wind Jet. 2 April 2009. Retrieved on 12 August 2012. "Windjet Spa Baglio della Sementa SP 69/II 95121 Passo Martino (CT)"</ref> It was founded in 2003, following the disbandment of Air Sicilia by current CEO Antonino Pulvirenti, also owner of [[football (soccer)|football]] team [[Calcio Catania]]. On 11 August 2012 the airline ceased operations until further notice due to financial troubles. At that time it was the third-largest Italian airline by passenger numbers, and operated national and European flights primarily from its hub in [[Catania-Fontanarossa Airport|Catania]].

== History ==
Windjet was established in 2003 and started operations on 17 June 2003. It was 100% owned by the Finaria Group.

On 25 January 2012, Alitalia declared they would start a merger with Wind Jet, as well as with [[Blue Panorama]], another Italian airline.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/alitalia-plans-merger-with-blue-panorama-and-wind-jet-367399/ Alitalia plans merger with Blue Panorama and Wind Jet] Flightglobal; retrieved on 26 January 2012.</ref>
On 12 April 2012, Alitalia chose to pursue the sole acquisition of Wind Jet with a cash payment of between 20 and 30 million [[euro|€]], while abandoning the project of a merger with [[Blue Panorama Airlines]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://borsaitaliana.it/borsa/notizie/mf-dow-jones/italia-dettaglio.html?newsId=978787&lang=it|title=Alitalia: si rafforza in low cost e aggancia Wind Jet (Mess)|date=April 12, 2012|publisher=Borsa Italiana|language=it|trans-title=Alitalia: strengthens in low cost and engages Wind Jet (Mess)|access-date=April 12, 2012}}</ref>

By the end of July 2012, the Italian antitrust authority granted Alitalia leave to acquire Wind Jet, but in return Alitalia would have to give up slots on key domestic routes. Faced with this, Alitalia cancelled the plans a few days later in August 2012.<ref>[http://volaspheric.blogspot.de/2012/08/alitalia-cancelled-wind-jet-acquisition.html Alitalia cancelled Wind Jet acquisition]</ref> As a result, the cash-strapped airline suspended all flights on 11 August 2012, faced with losing their air operator's certificate, leaving 300,000 passengers stranded.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19234661 Chaos as Italian budget airline Wind Jet halts flights], BBC News Europe, 12 August 2012</ref> The Italian authorities tried to prompt Alitalia to acquire Wind Jet, but they did not succeed.<ref>volaspheric: [http://volaspheric.blogspot.de/2012/08/no-hopes-for-grounded-wind-jet.html No hopes for grounded Wind Jet]</ref>

The charter airline [[Livingston Compagnia Aerea|Livingston]] announced that it would take over several flights of Wind Jet, but it was unclear if they would continue to operate the routes in the future.<ref>volaspheric: [http://volaspheric.blogspot.de/2012/08/livingston-becomes-successor-of-failed.html Livingston becomes successor of failed Wind Jet]</ref>

==Fleet==
[[File:EI-CUM in Amsterdam-Schiphol.jpg|thumb|A Wind Jet A320 taking off at Amsterdam-Schiphol airport]]
The Wind Jet fleet consisted of the following aircraft (as of 23 May 2012):

{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse;margin:1em auto;"
|+ '''Wind Jet fleet'''
|- bgcolor="darkorange"
! Aircraft
! In fleet 
! Orders 
! Seats 
! Notes
|-
|[[Airbus A319-100]] 
|align=center|5
|align=center|0 
|align=center|140 
|align=center|
|-
|[[Airbus A320-200]] 
|align=center|7
|align=center|0 
|align=center|180 
|align=center|
|-
!Total 
!align=center|12
!align=center|0
!
! 
|}

== Incidents and accidents ==

* {{anchor|[[Wind Jet Flight 243]]}}On 24 September 2010, Wind Jet Flight 243, operated by an [[Airbus A319|Airbus A319-132]], registration EI-EDM (ex. N501NK),<ref name=ASN240910>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20100924-0 |title=EI-EDM Accident description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref> landed short of the runway at [[Punta Raisi Airport]], [[Palermo]], [[Italy]] after encountering a [[thunderstorm]] and [[windshear]] on approach. The aircraft was substantially damaged when it impacted the localiser—both main undercarriage sets collapsed and the aircraft was evacuated by the emergency slides.<ref name=AH4315b792>{{cite web|url=http://avherald.com/h?article=4315b792&opt=0 |title=Accident: Windjet A319 at Palermo on Sep 24th 2010, touched down short of runway |publisher=Aviation Herald |first=Simon |last=Hradecky |date=24 September 2010 |access-date=25 September 2010}}</ref> Around twenty passengers were injured,<ref name=ASN240910/> mostly sustaining minor cuts and bruises,<ref name="Repubblica7403869">{{cite web|url=http://palermo.repubblica.it/cronaca/2010/09/24/news/airbus_fuori_pista_a_palermo-7403869/|title=Fuori pista Airbus della Wind Jet Feriti in modo lieve 20 passeggeri|date=24 September 2010|publisher=La Repubblica|language=it|trans-title=Wind Jet off-piste Airbus Slightly injured 20 passengers|access-date=27 September 2010}}</ref> whiplash, and shock.<ref name="Cronaca">{{cite web|url=http://www.cronacalive.it/incidente-aereo-palermo-airbus-wind-jet-fuori-pista-feriti-aeroporto-chiuso-video.html|title=Incidente aereo all’aeroporto Falcone e Borsellino di Palermo: Airbus Wind Jet va fuori pista, feriti|date=24 September 2010|publisher=Cronaca|language=it|trans-title=Plane crash at Falcone and Borsellino airport in Palermo: Aerobus Wind Jet goes off track, injured|access-date=27 September 2010}}</ref> One passenger was reported to have dislocated his shoulder.<ref name="Messagero">{{cite web|url=http://www.ilmessaggero.it/articolo.php?id=120192&sez=HOME_INITALIA|title=Palermo, aereo da Roma fuori pista: venti feriti lievi, forse si è rotto il carrello|publisher=Il Messagero|language=it|trans-title=Palermo, plane from Rome off the track: twenty light injuries, perhaps the trolley was broken|access-date=27 September 2010}}</ref>  The ''[[Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo]]'' opened an investigation into the accident.<ref name="ANSV">{{cite web|url=http://www.ansv.it/It/Detail.asp?ID=1348|title=A 319 fuori pista a Palermo. Indagine ANSV|date=24 September 2010|publisher=Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo|language=it|trans-title=A 319 off-track in Palermo. ANSV survey|access-date=27 September 2010}}</ref> Wind Jet stated that they believed [[windshear]] was the cause of the incident.<ref name=Cronaca/> The trial opening in 2013 took its basis on the accusation that it was not caused by windshear but by errors of the two pilots. Both of them asked to be processed via short-trial procedure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://palermo.repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/04/04/news/l_incidente_aereo_di_punta_raisi_le_voci_in_cabina_prima_dello_schianto-55917076/|title=L'incidente aereo di Punta Raisi le voci in cabina prima dell'urto - Palermo - Repubblica.it|website=Palermo - La Repubblica|language=it|trans-title=The plane crash of Punta Raisi the voices in the cabin before the collision - Palermo - Repubblica.it|access-date=2019-06-08}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Wind Jet}}
*[http://w2.volawindjet.it/ Official website] {{in lang|it}}
*[https://web.archive.org/*/http://w2.volawindjet.it/default.aspx?lang=en Official website] (archive)
*[https://web.archive.org/*/http://w2.volawindjet.it/default.aspx?lang=it Official website] {{in lang|it}} (archive)
*[http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=IV&al_op=1 ch-aviation Windjet Fleet]
{{-}}

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