Karair Oy was a Finnish airline, and one of the oldest airlines of Finland. After having operated charter flights and then scheduled passenger flights, the company became a subsidiary of Finnair 1963, mainly focusing on holiday charter business and limited regional routes.
History The origins
Born in Multia, Finland in 1902 and 1905, respectively, brothers Niilo and Valto Karhumäki moved to Jyväskylä where, in late 1924, they established 'Veljekset Karhumäki Oy (Karhumäki brothers), a company which during the 1930s dealt with aircraft maintenance, aerial photography, pilot training, aerial acrobatics. In 1929 high-wing, floats-equipped and two-seats Tiira monoplane was manufactured. In order to start a collaboration with the Finnish Air Force, the company headquarters were moved to Kuorevesi. During World War II the concern activities were merged into the Valtion Lentokonetehdas company, manufacturer of a number of military aircraft. After the war the two brothers designed the Karhumäki Karhu 48B light airplane, which was produced in a small number during the 1950s.
In June 1950 the company started flying a few domestic schedules. The fleet was limited in numbers and aircraft sizes: Airspeed AS.40, DeHavilland DH.89, Lockheed L-18. All these operations were halted in late 1950s as transferred to the sister company Karhumäki Airways O/Y.
Karhumäki Airways O/Y This Veljekset Karhumäki subsidiary was established in 1951 and started scheduled passenger flights between Helsinki and Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Vaasa and Sundsvall. in June of that same year with aircraft made available by the parent company. Then the airline inherited the Lockheed L-18 and, in the second part of 1950s, added four more suitable Douglas DC-3 and later two more comfortable Convair CV-440 Metropolitan. The first international flight (to Stockholm) took place in that same year, followed by flights to Málaga in coincidence with holiday packages.
Kar-Air O/Y On 1 January 1957 the corporate name was changed to more modern Kar-Air O/Y. A Swedish subsidiary was established, which from 1961 onwards operated a single Douglas DC-6 on charter flights to Southern Europe. On 1 November 1963 32% of the airline ownership was taken over by flag carrier Aero O/Y (Finnair from 1968).Information about Karair at the Aero Transport Data Bank Kar-Air encountered financial difficulties when its two CV 440s were damaged in hard landings and had to be taken out of service for a period in 1963. The ownership demanded Kar-Air to cease domestic flying, concentrating on charter flights (mainly to the Mediterranean) holiday resorts. For this purpose, Aero O/Y handed over two of its Douglas DC-6 aircraft, which Kar-Air also used for multiple stopover round-the-world flights. By 1965 all scheduled operations had been abandoned and the air carrier concentrated on charter business. Three DC-6s were already in the fleet and it was deliberated to convert one of them to swing-tail configuration. The work was accomplished by Sabena engineering department in Brussels. After the conversion the four-engined aircraft could carry loads of up to 18 metres long or six pallets 108x88, for a maximum payload of 11,5 tons. It flew several schedules to United Kingdom (London and Manchester) and to Germany (Frankfurt and Düsseldorf) on Finnair behalf. Two other Douglas DC 6s were frequently operated to transport Finnish contingent to UNO peace-keeping detachments while DC 3s mainly performed aerial survey works.
The DC-6s were the backbone of the passenger fleet until 1968, when the jet age arrived with the introduction of a 189-seat Douglas DC-8 series 62, instrumental in operating long haul flights. Also in 1968 a De Havilland of Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter was added to the fleet. In this same year, the airline underwent a rebranding, being known as Karair, also styled KarAir henceforth. Over the following years, Karair reduced its fleet, because charter contracts with Finnair terminated.
The last years In 1986, two Airbus A300 wide-body airliners joined the fleet, again leased from Finnair and intended exclusively for charter flights. Finnair's plans with the subsidiary changed from 1989, when the first of seven ATR 72 regional turboprop airliner was added to the fleet, and the A300s in turn left the following year. From then, scheduled passenger flights, both domestically and to the neighbour nations, on behalf of Finnair were operated.
On 3 February 1989, Finnair bought further shares to hold a total of 90% of the Karair ownership, which was further increased to 97.6% in 1993. These times were characterized by financial problems because of the recession of the early 1990s, which led to Finnair announcing a full take-over of Karair in December 1995. Karair had started integrating its operations into the flag carrier in September 1990. Karair fleet and operations were progressively merged into Finnair, a move which was fully accomplished in October 1996. In 2002, a court deemed the take-over illegal, and Finnair was forced to salvage the remaining Karair stocks.
Destinations Between 1950 and 1963 (when Aero O/Y had not yet acquired the majority stake), Kar-Air operated scheduled flights to the following destinations, with further ones accessible on co-operative flights of SAS and Aero O/Y:Selection of Kar-Air timetables, at timetableimages.com
Finland Helsinki – Helsinki Airport (hub) Joensuu – Joensuu Airport Kauhava – Kauhava Airport Kokkola – Kokkola-Pietarsaari Airport Lappeenranta – Lappeenranta Airport Tampere – Tampere-Pirkkala Airport Vaasa – Vaasa Airport
Luxemburg Luxembourg – Findel Airport
Spain Barcelona – Barcelona El Prat Airport Málaga – Málaga Airport Tenerife – Los Rodeos Airport
Sweden Gothenburg – Gothenburg City Airport Stockholm – Stockholm-Bromma Airport (focus city) Sundsvall – Sundsvall-Härnösand Airport
Kar-Air was not only operating passenger and cargo services, but until also ore-finding flights using a Lockheed Lodestar (until 1972), a Douglas DC-3 (1972–1980), and after that a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter.
Fleet
Fleet of Veljekset Karhumäki and Karhumäki Airways O/Y The fleet in years 1949–2002, according to Tervonen:Tervonen 2004, p. 210–226, Tervonen 2007, p. 194–202.
Aircraft type Registration Built Commissioned Decommissioned Further information Removed fromFinnish register Karhu -48/38b “Tavi” OH-VKL/OH-KUA 1949 1959 1961 (sold) Currently in the Finnish Aviation Museum 1973 VL Viima II/IIB OH-VKS/OH-VIA 1951 1951 1959 Sold 1964 Lockheed L-18-56 Lodestar OH-VKU 1940 1953 1972 In the Finnish Aviation Museum 1972 Douglas C-53 Skytrooper OH-VKA 1941 1954 1957 Transferred to Kar-Air 1969 Douglas DC-3A-214 OH-VKB 1945–46 1954 1957 Transferred to Kar-Air 1971 Douglas DC-3D OH-VKC 1945–46 1954 1957 Transferred to Kar-Air 1971 Piper PA-18A 150 Super Cub OH-VKV 1960 1960 1975 Used as towing aircraft Lockheed L-18-56 Lodestar — 1940 1961 1961 Used for spare parts Aero Commander S-2R-T34 Thrush Commander OH-VKY 1973 1973 1974 Sold to Sweden 1978 Cessna A188B Agtruck OH-VKZ 1974 1974 1976 Destroyed 1977 Cessna A188B Agtruck OH-VKT/OH-CIX 1975 1975 1976 Sold to Finnaviation 1985 Cessna T188C AgHusky OH-VKW 1980 1981 1987 Sold Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee B OH-PDW 1965 1984 1988 Owned by the Finnish Sports Aviation School Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee B OH-PDZ 1966 1984 2002 (?) 2004 (?) Cessna A188B Agtruck OH-CIY 1982 1989 1999 2001
Gallery
Fleet The fleet in years 1957–1996, according to Tervonen (2004, 2007):
Aircraft type Registration Built Commissioned Decommissioned Further information Removed fromFinnish register Douglas C-53 Skytrooper OH-VKA 1941 1957 1969 Sold to Norway 1969 Douglas DC-3A-214 OH-VKB 1945–46 1957 1979 In Finnish Aviation Museum 1971 Douglas DC-3D OH-VKC 1945–46 1957 1964 Sold to Sweden 1971 Convair CV-440-98 Metropolitan OH-VKM 1957 1957 1973 Destroyed in 1995 1973 Convair CV-440-98 Metropolitan OH-VKN/OH-LRH 1958 1958 1978 Sold to Norway 1977 Douglas C-47-DL OH-VKD 1942 1960 1964 Sold to Norway 1969 Douglas DC-6B OH-KDC/SE-BDX 1953 1961 1971 Sold to Belgium 1972 Douglas DC-6B OH-KDB 1958 1965 1972 Sold to Belgium 1972 Douglas DC-6B/D6BST OH-KDA 1957 1964 1981 Destroyed in Alaska 1982 De Havilland of Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter OH-KOA 1968 1972 1973 Scrapped 1973 Douglas DC-8-51 OH-KDM 1961 1972 1985 Sold to Belgium 1985 De Havilland of Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Mk. 300 OH-KOG 1979 1979 1996 Transferred to Finnair Douglas DC-8-62 OH-LFZ 1968 1984 1987 Sold to United States 1987 Airbus A300B4 OH-LAA 1984 1986 1994 Transferred to Finnair 1998 Airbus A300B4 OH-LAB 1984 1987 1994 Transferred to Finnair 1998 Aérospatiale ATR 72 OH-KRA 1989 1990 1996 Transferred to Finnair 2005 Aérospatiale ATR 72 OH-KRB 1989 1990 1996 Transferred to Finnair 2005 Aérospatiale ATR 72 OH-KRC 1989 1990 1996 Transferred to Finnair 2005 Aérospatiale ATR 72 OH-LTR/OH-KRD 1990 1990 1996 Transferred to Finnair, later toAero Airlines 2005 Aérospatiale ATR 72 OH-KRE 1990 1990 1996 Transferred to Finnair, later toAero Airlines 2005 Aérospatiale ATR 72 OH-LTE 1987 1990 1990 Sold to France 1990 Aérospatiale ATR 72 OH-KRF 1992 1992 1996 Transferred to Finnair, later toAero Airlines 2005
Gallery
Former Kar-Air planes today
The Finnish Aviation Museum near the Helsinki-Vantaa airport had on display two Kar-Air planes, Lockheed L-18 Lodestar OH-VKU, the “Golden Hoe”, and one of the oldest DC-3s in the world, the OH-VKB. A former Kar-Air DC-3 (OH-VKA), may be seen at the Munich airport in Germany, however in Swissair livery, although the plane never flew for that company. A former Kar-Air Convair Metropolitan is still flying in Haiti (HH-VAH).
A sister plane of the OH-VKN has been painted in the original Kar-Air livery at Málaga Airport, for the 50th anniversary of the airport, since OH-VKN was the first plane ever to have landed there. This "replica" is owned by the Málaga Aviation Museum.
Accidents On 13 March 1957 a Douglas DC-3D (OH-VKC) was damaged slightly, when a Pan Am Douglas DC-6B hit the plane's rudder. However, the plane was in use until 1964.Tervonen 2004, s. 213. On 8 February 1960 flight KR-100 from Helsinki to Joensuu: a Douglas DC-53 Skytrooper (OH-VKA) stalled while take-off and was slightly damaged. The plane remained in use by the company until 1969.Tervonen 2004, s. 212. On 19 August 1963 a Convair CV-440-98 Metropolitan (OH-VKM) was damaged during landing in Helsinki. The landing took place during a thunderstorm, and the plane bounced three times, and finally its nose landing gear gave in. The plane's nose dove, both propellers touched the ground, and the plane dragged on along the runway ca. 1 300 metres. The plane was repaired by the following January, and it was used by the company until 1973.Tervonen 2004, s. 94–95, 215.
On 21 August 1963 a second Convair CV-440-98 Metropolitan (OH-VKN) was also damaged during landing in Helsinki. The plane bounced three times on the runway, and in the last bounce the nose landing gear suffered a fracture and the left wing was bent. The plane's nose dove and the propellers touched the ground, and finally it plane was dragged to the lawn left of the runway. One of the factors in both Convair Metropolitan accidents was the policy that the air traffic control employees had been forbidden to give a complete disclosure of the airport's weather conditions to approaching aircraft. The information disclosed concerned only wind direction and speed, not e.g. possible thunderstorms. The pilot of OH-VKN lost sight of the runway at a critical moment due to torrential rain and a flash of lightning, due to which he could not see for a moment. The insurance company decided to buy the plane, but in the end it was repaired and commissioned again in January 1967, after it was “crossed” with a similar plane that was bought from Yugoslavia. The plane was used by the company until 1978.Tervonen 2004, s. 94–96, 216.