Khalifa Airways

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Khalifa Airways (Template:Langx) was a passenger and cargo airline based in Algiers, Algeria which was founded in June 1999 by Rafik Khalifa and ceased flying in 2003. The airline served internal routes within Algeria, along with international services in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.<ref name="Khalifa is wound up in French court" />

History

The airline was founded in Template:Start date.<ref name="FI2001" /> Authorisation to launch services was given by the government in Template:Start date;<ref name="marketplace-54871" /> operations started that month.<ref name="FI2001" /> A Boeing 737-400 was leased from Pegasus Airlines late that year.<ref name="marketplace-56170" /> In 2001, Khalifa Airways ordered Template:Cardinal to word Airbus A340-300 aircraft, along with Template:Cardinal to word A330-200s and Template:Cardinal to word A320s, scheduled for delivery in 2004.<ref name="Airbus rolls out A340-600 as orders grow" />

The airline was liquidated by a French court on 10 July 2003 after it failed to make a €5 million payment to creditors.<ref name="Khalifa is wound up in French court" />

Khalifa Airways is also known for having been the sponsor of Olympique de Marseille from 2001 to 2003.

On March 22, 2007, the International Herald Tribune reported that the company's founder had been convicted in absentia and sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the 2003 failure of Khalifa Bank and associated companies, including Khalifa Airways.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>