MAP Jet

MAP Jet was an Austrian aviation company headquartered in Linz and later known as Common Sky. Its activities centered on aviation services rather than a conventional scheduled-airline network. The company offered aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance, commonly described by the aviation-industry acronym ACMI, and also operated or arranged business-jet charter services. This model positioned the business as a flexible supplier to airlines, charter operators and private or corporate aviation customers, allowing clients to obtain aircraft capacity together with operational personnel and associated support. The company became publicly associated with an attempted expansion into scheduled passenger aviation in January 2010, when MAPJet founded Austriair. The proposed airline was intended to be based at Vienna International Airport and was expected to use Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft and Embraer 195 regional jets leased from Augsburg Airways. Its initial route concept focused on connecting Vienna with Munich and Frankfurt. The project did not enter service: in April 2010 it was cancelled, with a trademark-related legal claim by Austrian Airlines cited as one of the reasons. The cancellation prevented Austriair from becoming a new scheduled competitor on those routes. In 2012, MAPJet was rebranded as Common Sky. The new name reflected the company’s continuing aviation-services identity and became the name under which the entity was subsequently documented. Common Sky remained associated with business aviation and aircraft-services operations rather than developing into the planned Austriair scheduled carrier. A fleet listing from December 2017 recorded one Bombardier Challenger 604, one Bombardier Challenger 850 and one Cessna Citation Sovereign. These aircraft were consistent with the company’s business-jet and charter orientation. The available reference material does not establish a precise founding year, founder, ownership structure, financial performance, or the date on which operations ended. It does, however, identify Common Sky as a defunct Austrian airline or aviation company. MAP Jet is therefore best understood as the former brand name of Common Sky, with its principal documented contribution being the provision of specialized aviation capacity and the attempted launch of Austriair, rather than the operation of a large-scale scheduled passenger network.

MAP Jet was an Austrian aviation company headquartered in Linz. It operated in a services-oriented segment of aviation, supplying aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance, or ACMI-related support, and offering business-jet charters. This business model differs from that of a conventional airline whose principal activity is selling seats on a published route network. Instead, an ACMI and charter provider can support other carriers, organizations and private customers by making aircraft and operational resources available for specific assignments or periods. The company’s best-documented attempt to establish a scheduled passenger airline was the creation of Austriair in January 2010. Austriair was planned as a new carrier based at Vienna International Airport. Its proposed initial fleet consisted of Bombardier Q400 aircraft and Embraer 195 regional jets leased from Augsburg Airways. The route plan called for services linking Vienna with Munich and Frankfurt, suggesting an intended focus on regional business connectivity from the Austrian capital. Austriair did not begin the proposed operation. In April 2010, the project was cancelled. The available account identifies a lawsuit claim from Austrian Airlines concerning possible trademark violations as one reason associated with the cancellation. The failure of the project meant that MAPJet did not develop the planned scheduled-airline network under the Austriair name. In 2012, MAPJet was rebranded Common Sky. The rebrand marked a change in public identity while retaining the company’s connection with specialized aviation operations. The reference material continues to characterize Common Sky as an aviation company providing aircraft-related services and business-jet charter activity, rather than as the successor to a substantial scheduled passenger airline. The later fleet information supports that characterization: in December 2017, Common Sky was listed with one Bombardier Challenger 604, one Bombardier Challenger 850 and one Cessna Citation Sovereign. These aircraft are business-aviation types and indicate a smaller charter or corporate-aviation profile. The available sources do not provide a verified founding year, founder, detailed ownership history, executive roster, financial information or exact cessation date. They also do not establish a complete route history for MAP Jet or Common Sky. The company is described as defunct, so its historical significance lies in its role as an Austrian aviation-services brand, its proposed but cancelled Austriair scheduled-airline venture, its 2012 transition to the Common Sky name and its documented business-jet fleet in 2017.

• 2017

  Three-aircraft fleet recorded

  [1]Common Skyen.wikipedia.org

  A December 2017 fleet listing identified a Bombardier Challenger 604, a Bombardier Challenger 850 and a Cessna Citation Sovereign.

• 2012

  MAPJet becomes Common Sky

  [1]Common Skyen.wikipedia.org

  The company changed its name from MAPJet to Common Sky.

• 2010

  Austriair founded as a proposed scheduled airline

  [1]Common Skyen.wikipedia.org

  MAPJet founded Austriair in January as a planned Vienna-based scheduled carrier using aircraft leased from Augsburg Airways and targeting Vienna–Munich and Vienna–Frankfurt services.

• 2010

  Austriair project cancelled

  [1]Common Skyen.wikipedia.org

  The Austriair project was cancelled in April, with a trademark-related claim by Austrian Airlines cited among the reasons.

A flexible Austrian aviation-services provider focused on ACMI support and business-jet chartering, with a short-lived attempt to enter scheduled regional passenger aviation.

• Aviation services

  ACMI services

  MAP Jet/Common Sky offered aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance services. This ACMI-oriented model supplied operational aviation capacity and related support to customers that needed aircraft and crews without building or maintaining the entire operating platform themselves.

• Business aviation

  Business-jet charters

  Business-jet chartering was a documented part of the company’s offering. The later fleet listing, comprising Challenger and Citation aircraft, corresponds to corporate, executive and other private charter use rather than a mass-market scheduled-airline model.

• Planned scheduled airline · 2010

  Austriair

  Austriair was a planned scheduled-airline venture founded by MAPJet in 2010. It was intended to operate from Vienna International Airport with Bombardier Q400 and Embraer 195 aircraft leased from Augsburg Airways and to connect Vienna with Munich and Frankfurt. The project was cancelled before the proposed service launch.

• 2012

  Rebranding from MAPJet to Common SkyStrategy

  Background

  Following the cancelled Austriair expansion, the company continued under a new corporate and market identity.

  Action taken

  MAPJet was rebranded as Common Sky.

  Aftermath

  Subsequent references identify the business as Common Sky and associate it with aviation services and business-jet operations.

  Source

• 2010

  Launch plan for AustriairProduct launch

  Background

  MAPJet sought to broaden its aviation-services activities by establishing a scheduled carrier based at Vienna International Airport.

  Action taken

  It founded Austriair and planned to lease Bombardier Q400 and Embraer 195 aircraft from Augsburg Airways for Vienna routes to Munich and Frankfurt.

  Aftermath

  The scheduled-airline project was cancelled in April 2010 before entering service.

  Source

• 2010

  Cancellation of Austriair projectOther

  Background

  The proposed Austriair brand faced a trademark-related lawsuit claim from Austrian Airlines.

  Action taken

  MAPJet abandoned the planned scheduled-airline launch in April 2010.

  Aftermath

  Austriair did not commence the proposed Vienna–Munich and Vienna–Frankfurt services.

  Source

1. 1Common Skyen.wikipedia.org