OLT Express Germany - History

History

• OLT was founded on 1 November 1958 by Martin Dekker and Jan Janssen as Ostfriesische Lufttaxi - Dekker und Janssen OHG, initially operating air taxi flights to islands in the North Sea from Emden. The first aircraft was a KZ VII Lerche from Skandinavisk Aero Industri A/S in Copenhagen.
• In 1961 the airline hired its first own staff: a pilot and a ´groundstewardess´. OLT had 1968 5 aircraft and operated 13,174 flights.
• After Janssen's death the company AGIV (Aktiengesellschaft für Verkehrswesen) and the shipping company Reederei Visser & van Doornums became 1970 new shareholders and the airlines was renamed into Ostfriesische Lufttaxi GmbH. A schedule service from Emden to Bremen and Hamburg was introduced then.
• Soon later AGIV became the single shareholder of OLT and positioned the new CEO Christian Ulrich Baron von Kaltenborn-Stachau. In 1972 the airlines was renamed again, now into Ostfriesische Lufttransport GmbH (OLT) and Kaltenborn-Stachau took over 26%. Several new schedule services were introduced like from Kassel, Düsseldorf to Cologne (1973), Hanover, Saarbrücken and Stuttgart or Munster/Osnabruck and Frankfurt (1974).
• For the regional airlines business strategy the company DLT (Deutsche Lufttransport-Gesellschaft mbH) was created and OLT was renamed into DLT Luftverkehrsgesellschaft. But soon later AGIV decided to split the Emden (OLT) operation away from DLT. This unit (Emden operation) was sold then to AG EMS and OLT restart its old core activities.
• To ensure a flexible operation, especially in the charter sector, OLT organised 1976 a joint platform called OFD with the participating airlines OLT, FLN and Dollart GmbH.
• At the beginning 1990s, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the airlines faced an increase of their business activities. OLT started operations in the former East German provinces and 1990 took over Roland Air (Bremen). In 1991 OLT set up a base in Bremen and started with its scheduled services there. In 1996 all OFD activities were integrated into OLT and therefore under the control of AG EMS.
• OLT is one of very few airlines that has succeeded in driving a low-cost rival off a route. In December 2005, easyJet started daily flights between Bristol and its base in Hamburg. OLT was operating twice-daily weekday-only services. The route being a predominantly business route, frequency won out over price and easyJet cancelled the route at the end of October 2006.
• OLT announced on 4 August 2011 to undergo a major restructure after losing its shuttle flights contract with Airbus Industries. Effective October 2011 all Fokker and Saab aircraft operations would stop and 100 of its 120 employees are under notice to leave. Therefore only the ´islands hopping´ services from Emden to Helgoland and Borkum with small aircraft will remain.
• As of August 2011 it has 120 employees (118 in March 2007).
• In August 2011, OLT was bought by Polish building society Amber Gold. AmberGold also bought Polish regional carrier Jet Air and the Polish charter airline Yes Airways. The companies combined as OLT Express
  • Former OLT owners incl.: Reederei AG Ems (74.9%) and FLN Frisia Luftverkehr (Reederei Norden-Frisia) (25.1%). Martin Dekker (founder), Jan Janssen (founder), AGIV - Aktiengesellschaft für Verkehrswesen (up to 100%), CEO Christian Ulrich Baron von Kaltenborn-Stachau (26%)
• OLT purchased Contact Air in July 2012, with clearance expected for the deal in Sept 2012.
• The same week as the Contact Air purchase OLT's owner, Amber Gold, was reported to be experiencing financial difficulty and funding for the deal was in question. On July 27, OLT Express (Poland) suspended all services without notice.
• In August 2012 Dutch company Panta Holdings announced it was buying OLT Germany from Amber Gold. It will press ahead with the purchase of Contact Air. Panta also owns Denim Air and Maas Air Leasing. Both subsidiaries own Fokker aircraft and Maas lease two Fokker 100's to Contact Air.