Meridiana

Meridiana fly operating as Meridiana is a privately-owned Italian airline headquartered in Olbia, Italy. It operates domestic, European and intercontinental flights.

The company was set up with the name of Alisarda on March 29, 1963 by Aga Khan Prince Kar?m al-Hussayn? with the aim of promoting tourism in Sardinia. Scheduled flights commenced in 1964.

In 1989, 35% of new stock was released to new shareholders to strengthen the company and the name Meridiana was adopted on 3 May 1991. The first international services were operated later in 1991 to Barcelona, Paris, London and Frankfurt.

At the end of February 2010, Meridiana fly, the second largest carrier in Italy, was created by the merger of Eurofly, a company specialized in long-haul charter flights to holiday destinations, and Meridiana, a scheduled operator of national and European flights, with the primary objective of connecting the main Italian airports with Sardinia and Sicily.

In October 2011, Meridiana Fly completely acquired Air Italy, an Italian charter airline which now operates connections on behalf of Meridiana.

On 16 January 2013, the Board of Directors of Meridiana S.p.A. acknowledged the agreement for the purchase by Meridiana S.p.A. of all the Meridiana fly ordinary shares held by the former shareholders of Air Italy Holding S.r.l. Today the group is run by Meridiana S.p.A. Holding which controls 89% of Meridiana fly including 100% of Air Italy, the remaining part is quoted to the Milan Stock Exchange but a tender offer was recently launched to delist the company.

The Board of Directors of Meridiana fly named Board Member Roberto Scaramella, who is also the Aviation Director of AKFED, as the new CEO. A similar resolution was passed by the Board of Directors of Air Italy.[citation needed]

In April 2013, when the Air Italy merger was completed, Meridiana Fly returned to its former, shorter name, Meridiana.