Martinair facts for kids
 |
|
| Founded | 24 May 1958 |
|---|---|
| Hubs | Amsterdam Airport Schiphol |
| Fleet size | 3 |
| Destinations | 12 |
| Parent company | KLM |
| Headquarters | Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands |
| Key people | Marcel de Nooijer (CEO) |
Martinair (officially Martinair Holland N.V.) is a Dutch airline. It started as a passenger airline but now only carries cargo. Its main base is at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands.
The airline was started in 1958 by Martin Schröder. Today, it is part of the Air France–KLM group. Since November 2011, Martinair has focused only on cargo flights. It flies to many places around the world.
Contents
History of Martinair
How Martinair Started
The airline began on May 24, 1958. It was first called Martin's Air Charter (MAC). It was founded by Martin Schröder and John Block. They started with just one aircraft, a de Havilland Dove, and five employees.
In 1963, Mr. Schröder sold almost half of the company. Later, KLM bought the rest of his shares. This made KLM the main owner.
The airline's name changed to Martinair Holland in 1966. In 1967, they started flying to the United States. By 1971, Martinair only used jet airplanes.
Changes and Growth
In 1991, the name Martinair Cargo appeared on their planes. The word Holland was removed from the aircraft. In 1996, Martinair bought a part of a Colombian cargo airline called TAMPA Cargo. They sold their share in TAMPA in 2008.
Martin Schröder, the founder, retired from his daily work in 1998. He had received an award in 1995 for his work in aviation.
The first McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft arrived in December 1994. Over the next three years, six more MD-11s were delivered. Some of these planes could carry both passengers and cargo. Martinair was the first airline to use these special planes. From 1995 to 2006, some MD-11s were changed to carry passengers during busy summer times. They could hold 390 passengers.
Martinair in the 2000s
In 2006, Martinair bought four Boeing 747-400 planes. These passenger planes were changed into cargo planes. They replaced older Boeing 747-200F cargo planes.
In 2008, KLM became the only owner of Martinair. In November 2007, Martinair stopped its short flights. They decided to focus on cargo and long-distance flights.
In September 2010, Martinair announced a big change. They would stop all passenger flights by November 2011. KLM took over some of these passenger routes. Martinair then became a cargo-only airline.
On October 31, 2011, Martinair made its last passenger flight. Since then, it has only flown cargo.
In March 2015, Air France-KLM decided to reduce its cargo operations. Because of this, all of Martinair's McDonnell Douglas MD-11F cargo planes were retired by 2016.
Martinair Offices
Martinair's main office is in the TransPort Building. This building is located at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands. Martinair moved to this office on June 4, 2010. The TransPort Building also houses Transavia, another airline.
The building is very modern and was designed to be good for the environment. It has received special awards for its green design.
Besides its main office in Amsterdam, Martinair has offices in other countries. The first international office opened in Hong Kong in 1975. Martinair's United States office is now in Doral, Florida.
Martinair Training and Services
The Martinair Flight Academy was a school for pilots. It was located at Lelystad Airport. It trained pilots for both private flying and airline jobs. In 2020, it moved to Groningen Airport. It joined with the KLM Flight Academy.
Martinair also runs the Regional Jet Center. This is a place where aircraft are repaired and maintained.
Martinair Destinations
As of November 2022, Martinair flies cargo to 12 places. These destinations are in Africa, North America, and South America. All flights start from Amsterdam-Schiphol. They also do extra charter flights. As mentioned, Martinair stopped all passenger flights on October 31, 2011.
Martinair Fleet
Current Aircraft
,_Martinair_Cargo_AN1313993.jpg)
As of March 2025, Martinair uses the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | In service | On order | Cargo capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A350F | — | 3 | TBA | These planes will replace the Boeing 747-400s. |
| Boeing 747-400BCF | 1 | — | 113,489 kg | This plane has the Martinair colors. It will be replaced by the Airbus A350F. |
| Boeing 747-400ERF | 3 | — | 124,012 kg | These planes have KLM Cargo colors. They say 'Operated by Martinair'. They will be replaced by the Airbus A350F. |
| Total | 4 | 3 | ||
Martinair also helps operate other cargo planes with Air France-KLM Cargo.
Former Aircraft
Martinair used to fly these aircraft:
| Aircraft | Fleet | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A310-200 | 2 | 1984 | 1995 | |
| Airbus A320-200 | 7 | 2003 | 2008 | |
| Boeing 737-800 | 3 | 2004 | 2007 | |
| Boeing 747-200F | 1 | 1991 | 2008 | |
| Boeing 747-200C | 2 | 1987 | 2008 | |
| Boeing 747-200SF | 1 | 2003 | 2006 | |
| Boeing 747-300M | 1 | 2000 | 2000 | |
| Boeing 747-300SF | 1 | 2003 | 2007 | |
| Boeing 747-400BCF | 4 | 2007 | 2017 | |
| Boeing 757-200 | 2 | 1999 | 2004 | |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 8 | 1990 | 2011 | |
| Fokker F28-1000 Fellowship | 1 | 1969 | 1980 | |
| Douglas DC-8-30 | 3 | 1967 | 1975 | |
| Douglas DC-8-50 | 2 | 1972 | 1978 | |
| 1 | 1974 | One plane crashed as Martinair Flight 138. | ||
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 | 4 | 1968 | 1993 | |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30CF | 2 | 1980 | 1995 | |
| 2 | ||||
| 1 | 1992 | One plane crashed as Martinair Flight 495. | ||
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11CF | 4 | 1994 | 2016 | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11F | 3 | 1996 | 2014 | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 3 | 1981 | 1992 |
Incidents and Accidents
A few incidents and accidents have happened with Martinair planes:
- On December 4, 1974, Martinair Flight 138, a Douglas DC-8, crashed into a mountain. This happened while it was trying to land in Colombo, Sri Lanka. All 191 people on board died.
- On December 21, 1992, Martinair Flight 495, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashed during landing at Faro Airport, Portugal. 56 people out of 340 on board died. The crash was caused by strong winds and issues with the landing approach.
- On August 30, 2013, a Martinair MD-11 Freighter had an engine fire during takeoff. This happened at Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The takeoff was stopped, and no one was hurt. The plane had some damage.
- On July 8, 2019, Martinair Flight 8372, a Boeing 747-400, lost part of its wing flap. This happened while it was landing at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, Zimbabwe. The plane landed safely and was later repaired.
See also
In Spanish: Martinair para niños
