Baboo (airline)
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| Founded | 2003 | ||||||
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| Hubs | Geneva International Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Flying Blue | ||||||
| Destinations | Defunct | ||||||
| Parent company | Darwin Airline | ||||||
| Headquarters |
Geneva International Airport Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland |
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Fly Baboo SA, marketed as Baboo, was a regional airline based on the grounds of Geneva International Airport and in Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland. In November 2010, the company was saved from bankruptcy and acquired by Darwin Airline Group from Lugano.
Baboo was founded by Julian Cook in August 2003 following SWISS’ decision to abandon the Geneva-Lugano route. The first flight to Lugano took place on November 3, 2003 with a Cirrus Airlines aircraft. In May 2004 the airline obtained its Air Operator's Certificate licence from the Federal Office for Civil Aviation of Switzerland (FOCA), allowing it to operate with its own aircraft - a 50-seat Dash 8-Q300 leased from the manufacturer, Bombardier Aerospace.
Baboo was then able to acquire its own aircraft, two Dash 8-Q400 turboprops that formed the airline's fleet for the next five years. In 2007, Baboo was running out of capital and was sold to Lebanese Investment Group M1; among the major developments an equity increase amounting to 9.2 million Euros, which was subscribed in 2007, enabled the management to devise a sound growth strategy and to give the company a new dimension and corporate image. Julian Cook was then ousted from the company.
The company also ordered three Embraer E190 regional jets, which were to be delivered from April 2008. The airline announced routes to Kiev and St-Petersburg. By September 2008, the three aircraft had been delivered and Baboo announced new routes to Toulouse, Bordeaux, Athens, Bucharest and Zagreb from Geneva. However, the airline encountered problems with its two previously-announced routes: its flights to St-Petersburg were blocked by Russian authorities, whereas its flights to Kiev did not prove popular enough; as a result, neither route ever operated.
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