Primera Air
Primera Air was a Danish leisure and low-cost airline that expanded from Nordic charter flying into scheduled European and transatlantic services before ceasing operations in October 2018.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Primera Air Scandinavia was a Danish passenger airline owned by the Icelandic travel conglomerate Primera Travel Group. It operated a mixture of charter, scheduled and flight-only services, initially linking Scandinavian airports with holiday destinations around the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, the Middle East and the Atlantic islands. In its later years, the carrier attempted to reposition itself as a low-cost airline with a broader scheduled network and an ambitious transatlantic operation. The business originated in Iceland under the JetX name. JetX was established in 2003 and obtained an Icelandic air operator's certificate in 2004, initially flying McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft. Its early operation included scheduled services from Forlì, Italy, supported in part by local subsidies. Operational and payment problems affected that venture, and Primera Travel Group acquired a controlling interest in 2006. The airline was subsequently integrated into the group's wider travel business and renamed Primera Air. Primera Travel Group created a Danish operating company in 2009. Primera Air Scandinavia received its own Danish operating certificate, and the group's flying was transferred from the Icelandic entity to the Danish airline during 2009 and 2010. The carrier first concentrated on charter flights arranged for Scandinavian tour operators. From 2013 it increasingly sold unused seats directly to consumers as flight-only tickets, creating a hybrid model in which charter and scheduled passengers could travel on the same or related services. The airline expanded its seasonal European network substantially between 2014 and 2017. It added routes from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland to destinations such as the Canary Islands, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Croatia and the United Arab Emirates. A Latvian sister carrier, Primera Air Nordic, was established in 2014, and a network control centre was opened in Riga. The two airlines were managed and operationally integrated within the same group structure. Primera's European proposition emphasized comparatively low fares, direct flights from regional airports and access to popular leisure destinations. In 2017 the company announced a major move into scheduled low-cost transatlantic flying. The plan relied heavily on new Airbus A321neo aircraft and called for flights from London Stansted, Birmingham and Paris Charles de Gaulle to Boston and the New York area, with Washington later added. Because deliveries of the A321neo aircraft were delayed, Primera used wet-leased or chartered Boeing 767 and Boeing 757 aircraft to begin parts of the program. The disruption led to route cancellations and additional operating costs. The company also continued planning a much larger 2019 network from bases including Brussels, Berlin, Frankfurt and Madrid, using Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, although those announced services never began. Primera Air's growth strategy placed significant pressure on its finances. The carrier had struggled to generate sustainable profits, and its reported 2017 profit was substantially influenced by aircraft disposals rather than ordinary airline operations. The late aircraft deliveries forced the company to spend heavily on substitute capacity, while other operating problems and financing constraints weakened its position. In a statement issued on 30 September 2018, the airline announced that it could not secure the long-term financing needed to continue. Operations ended in early October 2018, with the last aircraft completing flight PF596 from Málaga to Copenhagen. The shutdown stranded passengers and employees at overseas airports and prompted criticism over the lack of advance warning and unresolved compensation claims. Primera Travel Group survived the airline's collapse for a time, continuing its travel-agency and tour-operator activities under the TravelCo Nordic name, but it later ceased trading in 2020. Primera Air is therefore remembered both for its rapid transformation from Nordic charter carrier to aspiring transatlantic low-cost airline and for the financial and operational risks associated with that expansion.
History
Primera Air's history began with JetX, an Icelandic airline founded in 2003. JetX received its air operator's certificate in May 2004 and initially operated McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft. It briefly ran scheduled services from Forlì in Italy, where the operation depended partly on local subsidies. Problems involving subsidy payments and other operational matters limited the success of that initiative. Primera Travel Group, an Icelandic tourism company with operations in several countries, acquired a controlling interest in JetX in 2006. Under the new ownership the airline became part of a broader travel and holiday business. Jón Karl Ólafsson was identified as chairman in 2008. Rather than retaining the Icelandic structure as the long-term operating platform, the group established Primera Air Scandinavia in Denmark in 2009. The Danish company obtained its own air operator's certificate, initially using a Boeing 737 based at Billund Airport. During 2009 and 2010, flying was transferred to the Danish unit and the Icelandic certificate was cancelled. The Danish airline initially focused on charter services for Scandinavian tour operators. This gave it access to established holiday demand but left much of its capacity dependent on seasonal contracts. In 2013 the carrier began selling surplus seats as flight-only tickets on selected charter flights. The initiative developed into a mixed charter and scheduled model, allowing Primera to add destinations and frequencies while retaining relationships with tour operators. By 2014 the airline was expanding from Iceland and Scandinavian airports to destinations including the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Austria and the United Arab Emirates. In 2014 Primera Travel Group created Primera Air Nordic in Latvia. The new airline operated alongside the Danish company, while a network control centre in Riga coordinated operational matters. Hrafn Thorgeirsson became chief executive of both airlines. Primera Air Scandinavia continued to develop routes from Gothenburg, Malmö, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Billund, Aalborg, Aarhus and Keflavík. Its network included both winter-sun destinations and summer Mediterranean markets. By 2015 it operated eight aircraft and had expanded its commercial relationships with travel agencies, including agreements to provide substantial seasonal capacity from Paris Charles de Gaulle. Further growth followed in 2016 and 2017. New or expanded services included Dubrovnik, Pula, Nice, Venice, Antalya, Milan, Rome, Trieste, Almería, Lamezia Terme, Kalamata, Ponta Delgada and Madeira. The company increased frequencies on popular Spanish routes and sought to strengthen its Swedish presence. The business was increasingly presented as a low-fare alternative to established charter airlines and low-cost competitors. The most consequential strategic decision came in 2017, when Primera announced a move into low-cost scheduled transatlantic flying. The initial plan connected London Stansted, Birmingham and Paris with Boston and Newark, using Airbus A321neo aircraft. The airline later added a London-to-Washington route and planned additional European bases and North American destinations. The strategy was highly dependent on receiving new, fuel-efficient aircraft on time and achieving sufficient utilization in a competitive market. Aircraft deliveries did not proceed as planned. To start some routes, Primera chartered or wet-leased Boeing 767-300ER and Boeing 757-200 aircraft. The substitute capacity increased costs and did not fully solve the schedule and network problems caused by the delayed A321neo deliveries. Birmingham transatlantic services were cancelled from specified dates, and the airline later said it would leave Birmingham altogether. At the same time, the group continued announcing future bases in Brussels, Berlin Tegel, Frankfurt and Madrid, with proposed Boeing 737 MAX 9 and transatlantic services for 2019. The expansion coincided with severe financial pressure. The airline had a history of difficulty operating profitably, and its reported 2017 profit was linked mainly to aircraft sales. The company also incurred more than US$20 million in chartering and wet-leasing costs connected with late aircraft deliveries, according to the cited reference material. Additional problems included the write-off of an aircraft affected by corrosion and the inability to secure further financing. On 30 September 2018 Primera Air announced that it would cease operations. The shutdown took effect in early October, with the final flight identified as PF596 from Málaga to Copenhagen. The announcement was abrupt: passengers and employees were not given meaningful advance notice, some aircraft were still airborne, and travelers became stranded at airports outside their home countries. The airline's failure also created compensation and repatriation issues. Primera Travel Group's other travel businesses continued under the TravelCo Nordic name after the airline collapse. The group reported a loss of DKK 156 million for 2018 and ultimately ceased trading in late 2020 during the coronavirus crisis. Primera Air's legacy is consequently tied to the risks of combining seasonal charter dependence, rapid fleet expansion, leased replacement capacity and an unproven transatlantic low-cost model.
- 2018
Primera Air ceases operations
[1]The airline announces its shutdown on 30 September and stops flying in early October.
- 2017
Transatlantic low-cost strategy is announced
[1]Primera announces scheduled transatlantic routes from the United Kingdom and France to the United States.
- 2015
European charter partnerships expand
[1]The airline signs major seasonal agreements with French travel agencies for flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle.
- 2014
Primera Air Nordic is established
[1]A Latvian sister airline is created and a Riga network control centre is opened.
- 2013
Flight-only sales are introduced
[1]The carrier begins selling surplus seats directly to consumers, broadening its charter model into scheduled-style retail distribution.
- 2010
Operations transfer from Iceland to Denmark
[1]The group's airline operations move to the Danish entity and the Icelandic certificate is cancelled.
- 2009
Danish operating company is established
[1]Primera Air Scandinavia is launched in Denmark and receives its own operating certificate.
- 2006
Primera Travel Group acquires control
[1]Primera Travel Group takes a controlling interest in JetX.
- 2004
JetX receives its air operator's certificate
[1]JetX obtains Icelandic certification and begins operating with McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft.
- 2003
JetX is founded in Iceland
[1]The airline that ultimately became Primera Air begins as JetX in Iceland.
Products and positioning
A Nordic leisure and low-cost airline combining tour-operator charter flying with direct scheduled ticket sales, later pursuing an ambitious low-cost transatlantic model.
Scheduled passenger service
European leisure flights
Primera Air's core network connected Nordic and selected Western European airports with holiday destinations in Spain, the Canary Islands, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Austria and the Middle East. Services were commonly seasonal and were designed around winter sun and summer vacation demand.
Charter passenger service · 2009
Charter flights
The airline supplied aircraft and crews for tour operators, particularly in Scandinavia. Charter flying was the original commercial foundation of the Danish operation and remained part of the business even after the company added more directly sold scheduled services.
Direct retail air travel · 2013
Flight-only tickets
Beginning in 2013, Primera sold surplus seats on selected charter flights directly to consumers. This product allowed travelers to buy air transportation without a bundled package holiday and helped the airline develop a hybrid charter and scheduled operating model.
Low-cost long-haul passenger service · 2018
Transatlantic services
In 2018 Primera began a limited transatlantic program from London Stansted and Paris to destinations including Boston and the New York area. The model was intended to use Airbus A321neo aircraft, but delivery delays led to substitute Boeing aircraft, route cancellations and severe financial strain.
Controversies
Criticism over employment conditions and alleged social dumping
The airline group was criticized over the use of recruitment agencies for Primera Air Nordic cabin crew. Reports described workers, many recruited from Romania, being based in Scandinavia on terms allegedly below prevailing Scandinavian standards, including limited illness-related payments and no paid vacation leave.
Brand decisions
2018
Terminate the airline's operationsOtherBackground
The company cited poor financial standing, an aircraft write-off linked to corrosion, delayed A321neo deliveries, wet-leasing costs and an inability to secure long-term financing.
Action taken
Primera Air announced on 30 September that it would cease operations, with flying ending in early October.
Aftermath
Passengers and employees were stranded, compensation claims remained unresolved, and Primera Travel Group later suffered substantial losses.
TravelCo Nordic loss after the airline collapse. DKK 156 million loss (2018 financial year)
2017
Enter the scheduled low-cost transatlantic marketStrategyBackground
Primera aimed to expand beyond seasonal European leisure routes and compete on long-haul routes with a lower-cost narrow-body model.
Action taken
The company announced transatlantic routes from London, Birmingham and Paris, supported by planned Airbus A321neo deliveries.
Aftermath
Aircraft delays forced wet leases and charter arrangements, weakened the launch and contributed to the financial pressure preceding the airline's collapse.
Reported wet-lease and charter expenditure related to delayed Airbus A321neo deliveries. More than US$20 million (Before the October 2018 shutdown)
2014
Create a Latvian sister airline and centralized control centreStrategyBackground
Primera Travel Group wanted additional operating capacity and a coordinated platform for its expanding airline network.
Action taken
It established Primera Air Nordic in Latvia and opened a network control centre in Riga.
Aftermath
The Danish and Latvian airlines were managed in parallel and their operations became closely integrated.
2013
Add direct flight-only sales to charter operationsStrategyBackground
The airline sought to improve aircraft utilization and diversify beyond tour-operator contracts.
Action taken
It began selling surplus seats directly to travelers on selected fixed charter services.
Aftermath
The initiative supported a broader hybrid charter and scheduled model and was followed by route and frequency growth.
Sources2 sources
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