For 24 years in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, Estonian Air served as the flag carrier airline of Estonia. Based out of Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (TLL), it operated a small but diverse fleet to an interesting range of European destinations. Let's take a look back at the history of this carrier, which was also once part of the SAS Group.

In the beginning

Estonia as a country became an independent nation in 1991, following 47 years of Soviet occupation. It was also at around this time that the country's newly-formed government established a national airline. It did so using aircraft from the division of Aeroflot that had previously served the country, and had since gone defunct.

Estonian Air experienced meaningful growth and development in its early years, and was admitted to the International Air Transport Association in 1992. Three years later, the airline received its first Boeing 737-500. This marked a key changing of the guard in terms of westernizing Estonian Air's previously Soviet-heavy fleet.

Indeed, a year later, in 1996, the arrival of two more 737-500s and a pair of Fokker 50s saw the carrier withdraw the last of its Soviet aircraft. The mid-1990s also saw the Estonian government open the airline up to partial privatization. As a result, Maersk Air (49%) and the Cresco investment bank (17%) acquired significant shares.

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Soviet aircraft, such as the Yakovlev Yak-40, played a key role in Estonian Air's early years. Photo: Pertti Sipilä via Wikimedia Commons

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SAS gets involved

Following the turn of the century, 2001 saw Estonian Air celebrate 10 years of operations. Shortly afterward, in 2003, it experienced a key transition when Maersk Air sold its stake in the carrier to the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). This year also saw the Tallinn-based national airline retire its last Fokker 50 aircraft.

As part of the SAS Group, Estonian Air enjoyed several years of sustained growth, both in terms of its fleet and its network. As well as further examples of the Boeing 737-500 coming onboard, aircraft like the Saab 340 and the Bombardier CRJ series also began playing important roles at the Estonian flag carrier.

As far as Estonian Air's network was concerned, flights serving Scandinavia and the Baltic states formed the core of the carrier's portfolio of routes. It also flew further afield, linking Estonia with Austria (Vienna), Germany (Munich), Italy (Rome), and the UK (London Gatwick), to name just a few of its destinations.

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Estonian Air favored the -500 variant when it came to the Boeing 737 family. Photo: Aero Icarus via Flickr

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The end of the line

In May 2010, the Estonian government re-nationalized the airline, by purchasing all but 10% of the SAS Group's stake in the carrier. It did so with a view to also acquiring the remaining 10% in the years that followed. The transaction aimed to help ensure the future of Estonian Air, which was a useful asset to the country.

Despite this, the carrier ceased operations just over five years later, in November 2015. The reason for this was the fact that the European Commission declared the airline's government funding to be illegal. Unable to pay back the €85 million that this amounted to, Estonian Air had no choice but to stop flying. The country's government has since set up a replacement flag carrier known as Nordica.

What do you make of Estonian Air's history? Did you ever fly with the carrier? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!