Air Alpes

Air Alpes was a defunct French regional airline founded by Michel Ziegler in 1961. It developed around demand for short-haul air services in the French Alps and later operated domestic French and some European regional routes. The airline was associated with turboprop operations suited to regional transport and served links between Alpine communities, tourist destinations and larger French cities. It ultimately ceased operating as an independent airline amid increased competition and consolidation in the regional aviation market. The available material is insufficient to state its exact discontinuation process, asset transfers or complete route network.

Air Alpes was established in France in 1961 by Michel Ziegler. It focused on regional aviation, particularly services connecting the French Alps with other domestic destinations. Its position differed from that of major trunk airlines: it concentrated on short-haul, lower-density routes and links involving Alpine airports, using turboprop aircraft suited to regional operations. As the French air transport sector became more consolidated, the environment for independent regional carriers changed, and Air Alpes eventually ceased operations. Reliable material currently available is insufficient to establish its exact year of closure, restructuring history or the precise way its business may have been transferred to other French airlines.

• 1961