Gestair (Spanish: Grupo Gestair) is an aeronautical group based in Madrid, Spain, and in Valletta, Malta. It was created in 1977. Gestair is the industry's premier company in Spain and a benchmark throughout Europe, specialising in Business Aviation. It has created Gestair Aviation, Gestair MRO and Gestair Aeroplanning Units based on the needs of their customers, enablinitus to provide an integral aeronautical service.

Gestair
IATA ICAO Call sign
G5 GES // GSM GESTAIR // GESTAIR AVIATION MALTA
Commenced operations1977
Operating bases
Fleet sizeFleet below
HeadquartersMadrid, Spain

Barcelona, Spain Málaga, Spain

Valletta, Malta

History

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Gestair was founded in 1977 in Madrid. It specialized in offering private jets for short lease from key airports in Spain and with the years it expanded its operations to include six hubs spread across the country. The aircraft of Gestair's Business fleet section are categorized into four types: ultra long range, long range, medium-range and short range.[1]

Along over three decades of operation the activities and services of Gestair group expanded to include charter airline services — through Audeli Air—, air taxi, flight training (in 2013 bought by G Air Group), handling, consulting, as well as maintenance and overhaul of aircraft.[2] The maintenance and overhaul unit, initially named Corjet Maintenance, was later renamed Gestair Maintenance.[3]

Cygnus Air

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In 1994 Gestair founded 'Regional Líneas Aéreas' together with Regional Airlines (France). The airline operated scheduled passenger flights from Madrid with a fleet of Saab 340.

In January 1998 Regional was renamed Cygnus Air and by November the airline shifted to full cargo operations. Its fleet consisted then of two Douglas DC-862F aircraft. In July 2002, a DC8-73F was phased in. At that time the airline was owned 60% by Macholfam International, a branch of the Gestair group, and 40% by Imesapi of the ACS group.[4] In May 2007, as part of a new policy of the Gestair Group,[5] the name of the airline was changed to Gestair Cargo. At that time its main customer was Iberia Airlines.[6]

Gestair Cargo expanded and modernized its fleet in 2011 adding two Boeing 767-300F.[7] and by March 2010, following a capital increase, 73% of the company belonged to Imesapi and 27% to the Gestair group. In mid 2013 Gestair sold its cargo section to the founder of the Dutch Antilles Express airline, US businessman Arnold Leonora.[8]

Gestair Cargo has been rebranded as Cygnus Air.

Fleet (Gestair Business fleet section)

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A Gestair Cargo Boeing 757
 
Gestair Flying Academy Cessna 172 Skyhawk
 
Gestair IAI Westwind

Gestair used different aircraft along its history. In 2023 it operated the following aircraft in its business jets fleet:[9]

Aircraft Type
Gulfstream G650 ULR
Gulfstream G550 ULR
Bombardier Global 6500 ULR
Bombardier Global 6000 ULR
Bombardier Global Express ULR
Dassault Falcon 7X LR
Embraer Legacy 650 LR
Gulfstream G200 LR
Dassault Falcon 2000 MR
Cessna Citation Sovereign MR
Cessna Citation XLS+ MR
Cessna Citation Excel MR
Pilatus PC24 SR

Note: ULR=Ultra Long Range, LR=Long Range, MR=Medium Range, SR=Short Range

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Nazca Capital adquiere el 100% del capital de Gestair
  2. ^ Gestair SA
  3. ^ Gestair Maintenance
  4. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. p. 70.
  5. ^ Gestair - Aeroplane Guide
  6. ^ Airways, June 2007
  7. ^ Fly-news, 8 January 2011
  8. ^ ch-aviation - Gestair sells off cargo subsidiary; now operating as Cygnus Air again
  9. ^ Gestair 2009 Archived 2011-09-04 at the Wayback Machine
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  Media related to Gestair at Wikimedia Commons