Between 2000 and 2005, a total of four A319 have been delivered to the Italian AF and assigned to 31° Stormo / 306° Gruppo tasked with VIP transport duties. While the 1st A319ACJ (serialled MM62173) had already been sold to the Turkish Government by April 2005 as TC-TCB, the three remaining (MM62174, MM62209 and MM62243) as of May 2025 are soldiering on from their base at Roma/Ciampino airport (LIRA). MM62243 shown here on a rare state visit to Switzerland's capital was the last of the four airframes and was delivered on July 21, 2005.

The "original" Cyprus Airways, founded in September 1947, ceased operating in January of 2015. In due course, the Ministry of Finance of Cyprus signed an agreement with Charlie Airlines Ltd in July of 2016, for the latter to use the national carrier trademark "Cyprus Airways" for a decade. In March 2017, the "new" Cyprus Airways started operations from Larnaca International Airport, using two A319. The airline transitioned to two bigger A320's in 2022 and has since also added four Airbus 220-300 to it's fleet. As of May 2025, Cyprus Airways does not serve any airport in Switzerland.

Seen on a charter flight to/from Bern. This 2009 built airframe joined Germania Flug AG in 2015 as HB-JOG and was transferred to CHAir on June 11, 2019, which operated it till May 2023. It currently serves with Romanian airline Carpatair as YR-ABB. Germania Flug AG, an independent Swiss airline founded in August 2014, declared insolvency in February 2019 and the assets were in due course bought by Albex Aviation & Enter Air. The new owners renamed the airline to CHAir but kept operating under the former "GM" (Germania) IATA Code till April 29, 2025, when the new code "CS" was assigned.

Aer Lingus Commuter operated ten Short 360-100/-200 Series aircraft between 1984 and around 1992. It looks like I was lucky to catch EI-BVM during it's last month with Aer Lingus Commuter, as the airline did retire this particular airframe by the end of August 1991. Sold to BAC Leasing as G-TBAC in October 1992. The 1986 built airframe was then registered in the US as N419SA, before being converted to a C-23B+ Sherpa in September 1995, with new msn SH3402 and US FY 93-1318 assigned for it's service with the US Army (till 2013). Since April 2021, the aircraft is registered in Canada as C-GSHP.

CN-AOR seen here taking off in beautiful atumn light had just dropped moroccan civil servants for emergency response training in Switzerland. This airframe is one of two KC-130H tankers delivered to the Royal Moroccan AF in late 1981, the other one being CN-AOS (c/n 4909). Morocco had already introduced 17 standard C-130H's between May 1974 and August 1981. They were either identified with the construction numer or with registrations CNA-OA through CNA-OQ, or a mix of both. Later, the c/n's were dropped completely and all surviving C-130's (three were lost) got CN-AO.. registrations.

This 2008 built A109 was till November 27, 2019 operated as I-FACM in Italy, the day it was registered to Karen SA as HB-ZQQ and based in Lodrino. Unfortunately, only a few month after it was seen in the snow covered Engadin valley, the helicopter collided with a fix structure while taxing at Padova Airport in Italy on May 2, 2021. It was subsequently declared BER (Beyond Economical Repair) and cancelled from the swiss register on December 21, 2023. Karen was founded in 1999 and mainly focuses around operating and maintaining Agusta / Leonardo helicopters.

Refer to picture ID 800852 for the history of "Blue Islands", which over the years has operated six ATR-42's, among them G-ISLF which was a 1997 built airframe (test registration F-WWLE). Originally operated by EuroWings as D-BMMM till November 2003, when it was sold to Contact Air, keeping the same registration. Joined Blue Islands in May of 2011 and sold to FlyBe in 2016, which used it till the end of September 2018. WFU in Malta, where Aviation Cosmetics Malta has been using this airframe as a paint trainer.

With a DOM of 1979, this S-76 was an early production airframe (test registration N5009V). Delivered new to KLM Helikopters as PH-NZN, which did operate it till around 1986. Next "stop" was Northwest Helicopters (as N9007N), before Heli-Union did operate it as F-GILD and LX-HUD. When pictured here under contract with the Pecten oil company in Cameroon, LX-HUD had already been upgraded to a S-76A+ (Turbomeca Arriel 1S engines). Next stops were w/ the South African Police as ZS-RKE, then as D2-EXG w/ SonAir Angola, w/ EagleCopters as C-FLRQ and finally w/ Jayrow Helicopters as VH-XHJ. Broken up.

N932PH pictured here on approach to PHI's base at Houma-Terrebonne, is one of at least 10 PHI S-92's based there in Mid March 2025. In total, PHI has operated close to 40 S-92's since the 1st production S-92 joined PHI's ranks in 2004, and about half remain as of March 2025. In November of 2006, PHI was the 1st S-92 operator to reach 10'000 hrs on the type, and had already logged 20'000 hrs by December of 2007. N932PH is a 2011 built airframe and joined PHI in March 2012.

This 2017 built Bell 407 is one of some 150 HEMS helicopters of different types operated by Air Evac Lifeteam across 18 US states. Air Evac Lifeteam is part of America's largest air ambulance membership network, called Air Med Care Network, an alliance which also includes other HEMS programs like Guardian Flight, Med-Trans Corporation and REACH Air Medical Services. The network operates 350 aircraft (fixed-wing and helicopters) and currently maintains 320 bases in 38 US states.

In early 2008, the Swiss AF started to get its first PC-21's of which six units (serials A-101 through A-106) were initially ordered. A-103 is seen here wearing the original red / white livery, which was later traded for an overall red paint scheme with just a thin white cheatline. In December of 2010, two additional PC-21's were ordered, which became A-107 (c/n 153) and A-108 (c/n 154). The 1st and so far only mishap the Swiss AF encountered with a PC-21 occured on November 28, 2023, when A-105 (c/n 107) suffered a landing accident at Emmen AB, with both pilots ejecting safely.

After the French armed forces were kicked out of Madagascar in the mid 1970's, the country turned to and came under the influence of communist states. Thus, Madagascar started to receive at least twelve Mig-21's from the USSR (to defend itself against an "apparent aggressive" South Africa, so the explanation goes). Of that batch, two were dual seater MiG-21UM, and 291 shown here is in relative good shape (but far from airworthy) when pictured at the "Base Aéronavale d'Ivato - BANI", the military section of TNR International. The 2nd MiG-21UM "339" is preserved at the Hatzerim Museum, Israel.

In the wake of the February 1999 Galltür avalanche disaster, in which 31 people perished, the austrian Bundesheer ordered nine S-70 Blackhawks (serialled 6M-BA through 6M-BI). 6M-BA was the 1st delivered and is seen here on stand-by at Hohenems during the World Economic Form 2022, taking place accross the border in Davos, Switzerland. An AB212 - 5D-HU - was also present. The S-70's will soon be supplemented by three ex US Army UH-60L's, which are currently being refurbished by UH-60 specialist ACE Aeronautics in Alabama. Twelve new UH-60M are also on order, with deliveries starting in 2028.

Little is known about Mongolian operator Zorte Air, which was first publicly seen operating two Mi-8 helicopters in Malawi in April 2023. It seems the company was founded in late 2022 or early 2023, obtaining at least two former russian registered Mi-8's. JU-5888 shown here taxing out with 3000kgs of relief supplies, was previously registered as RA-27149. Together with JU-5008 and over a period of 3 month, it conducted some 250 flights, transporting 750 tonnes of material during "Operation Tigwirane Manja 2023", the relief efforts after cyclone Freddy hit Malawi in March 2023.

1st flight on April 2, 2012 as N1787B and delivered to TUI on April 16, 2012, becoming D-ATUJ. It wore a special "Haribo Tropifrutti" livery and was named "Paradiesvogel" between April 2015 and March 2018. Received the typical blue / white TUI colors before being leased to Canadian operator Sunwing as C-FLUJ during the winter season 2018 / 2019. While in Canada, the a/c had its vertical fin painted in orange color. Transferred to TUI fly Belgium and re-registered to OO-TUJ on November 25, 2024. The a/c also got modified with the split winglets at one point.

What is Blue Islands today started as Le Cocq's Airlink in 2001, was renamed to Rockhopper in August 2003 and finally adopted its current name in February 2006. In the past, the small airline has operated different commuter aircraft, mainly BAe 31 Jetstreams and ATR-42's, but also two BN-2 Islanders, a DHC-6 Twin Otter, a DO328 and a Fokker 50. The current fleet consists of five ATR-72, all of which were acquired 2nd hand as from 2017. Four are of the passenger version, and one - G-ISLP - is a freighter and only joined the fleet in mid March 2025. G-ISLM is seen here on a charter flight to BRN.

The first flight of this 1997 built A320 was on October 31 that year, followed by a delivery to Air Canada a week later. Withdrawn from use in 2021 and sold / registered to Royal Aircraft Maintenance as 2-ROYE in September of 2022, probably to be parted out. In total, Air Canada so far took delivery of some 140 Airbus A320 Series (incl A319 and A321) aircraft, of which about 90 are still operational at the time of upload.

Built in 2006 with test registration N1786B and delivered new to Ryanair in December that year, where it flew as EI-DPC for the next 14 years. Converted to freighter in May 2021 and afterwards taken on charge by ASL Airlines Belgium as OE-IXA. It is one of 23 B737-800 freighters currently operated by the ASL Aviation Group, besides five B747-400F and a few B737-400F.

This 1985 built Dauphin was used to transport ministers around Switzerland on official visits to communities. It is seen here at Alpnach where the Swiss AF was responsible for the maintenance of HB-XPE. The heli received a new glossy green paint scheme in 1995 and was eventually transferred to the Swiss AF and re-registered to T-771. Exported to France in August of 2009, the new F- registration is not known.

Although already built in 2010 for All Nippon (reserved registration JA805A) but not taken up by the Japanese airline, it was not until May 2016 that this aircraft had its first flight. Delivered to Ethiopian in June of 2016, ET-ATL is one of 30 Dreamliners so far entering service with the african airline, which was actually the first on the continent to introduce the Boeing 787. Over the last two decades, Ethiopian has grown considerably, becoming the leading african airline, and presently maintains a huge worldwide network for both passenger and air cargo routes.