Air Exel should not be confused with Air Excel.
| Airline: | Air Exel |
| Iata: | XT |
| Icao: | AXL |
| Callsign: | EXEL COMMUTER |
| Founded: | (as Air Exel Commuter) |
| Headquarters: | Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands |
| Key People: | Harm Prins (CEO) |
| Hubs: | Maastricht Aachen Airport |
| Secondary Hubs: | Eindhoven Airport |
| Frequent Flyer: | Flying Dutchman |
Air Exel was a Dutch airline based in Maastricht in the Netherlands, operating scheduled and chartered flights out of Eindhoven Airport and Maastricht Aachen Airport to several domestic and international destinations.
The airline was established on 26 April 1991 as Air Exel Commuter on a co-operational base with Dutch national carrier KLM.[1] Scheduled flights were launched on 1 May of the same year. As part of the parent's move to integrate the services of its feeders, the company was renamed to KLM Exel in January 1998. On 6 November 2004, the co-operation with KLM ended, and the airline became Air Exel Netherlands.[2] One month later, in December 2004, Air Exel's Chief Executive Officer, Harm Prins, was arrested on charges of fraud, blackmail, and money laundering. The investigation brought to light financial difficulties with Air Exel, which was subsequently shut down on 31 January 2005.[3]
Upon closure, Air Exel operated scheduled flights to the following destinations:
Over the years, the KLM Exel/Air Exel fleet consisted of the following aircraft types:[4]
| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Total (at closure) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42 | 1998 | 2005 | |
| ATR 72 | 1999 | 2005 | |
| Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia | 1998 | 2005 | |
| Embraer ERJ 145 | 2000 | 2004 | |
Air Exel's fleet consisted of:[5]
| Registration | Type | remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PH-XLC | ATR 42-320 | ||
| PH-XLD | ATR 42-320 | ||
| PH-XLE | ATR 42-320 | ||
| PH-XLH | ATR 72-201F | ||
| PH-XLI | ATR 42-320 | ||
| PH-XLK | ATR 42-320 | ||
| PH-XLL | ATR 42-320 | ||
| PH-XLM | ATR 42-320 | ||
| PH-BRL | EMB 120RT | ||
| PH-XLA | EMB 120RT | ||
| PH-XLB | EMB 120RT | as a wreck at Maastricht Aachen Airport until 2022 | |
| PH-XLF | EMB 120ER | ||
| PH-XLG | EMB 120RT | ||
| PH-RXA | E145MP | ||
| PH-RXB | E145MP | ||
| PH-RXC | E145LR |