# The Model of the Virtual Air Carrier as a Concept for the
## 2 Literature Review
### Virtual Airlines as a Part of the Air Transport Market  
The model of virtual airline is very interesting and relatively attractive [19]. Based on this research, it was found that several virtual companies were and are operating in the air transport market. However, their number is far from the number of low-cost and traditional airlines. The representation of this business model is relatively weak (see Table 1). Virtual airlines include for example Alsie Express, Sky Alps, Vizion Air, Taos Air, Nice Air and others. As a part of our research for information about virtual airlines, we were primarily focused on whether they are holders an AOC. In addition, we were interested in when the companies were founded and dissolved, and what was the reason for the termination of their activity. Cooperation with other airlines and companies, the used fleet and the number of destinations offered were additional data, on basis of which we also examined the models of virtual airlines. Based on the collected data, we found that most of these companies are not AOC holders, and all flights are operated on the basis of contractual cooperation with other air carriers (virtual code-sharing). It means that the mentioned virtual airlines do not participate in the operation of the flight, but they only mediate the marketing sale, hence their distinctive feature that they do not need to hold and AOC [20]. As for the destinations offered, virtual airlines offer the most frequent flights to the destinations of their partner airlines. If their offer their own destinations, they lease an aircraft with a crew as a wet lease, where the transport is provided by a partner carrier that holds an AOC and covers all the requirements set by legislation. The research also showed that many virtual airlines are subsidiaries of other companies, or sister companies, for example Sky Alps. In practice, it can be that the parent airlines have two subsidiaries, where one can be a low-cost airline and the other is the aforementioned virtual airline. The virtual airline ensures the sale of tickets on flights operated by its sister airline or a low-cost airline that must already be an AOC holder, which ultimately ensures profit (from the sale of the product to the realization) [21]. Table 1 shows selected virtual airline that operated on the air transport market. Some of those listed, such as Taos Air, Vizion Air and Nice Air are still in operation. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline
**Virtual Airline** & **Founded** & **Cooperation** & **Reason of the Dissolution** & **Fleet** & **Destinations** & **AOC** \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Air Croatia VA} & \multirow{2}{*}{2013-2015} & Denim Air (charter) & \multirow{2}{*}{Financial dispute with partner} & \multirow{2}{*}{ATR42-300} & \multirow{2}{*}{5} & \multirow{2}{*}{No} \\  & Hahn Air (charter business) & & & & & \\  & Danish Air & Har Transport & & & & \\ Air Leap & 2018-2022 & (charter) & & & & \\  & NyxAir (charter) & & & & & \\  & & AIS Airlines (charter) & & & & \\ Air Norway AS & 2003-2017 & North Flying & & & & \\  & (Parent company) & & & & & \\ Alsie Express & 2013-2021 & Air Alsie (charter) & & & & \\  & & (Sister carrier) & & & & \\  & & (regional, charter) & & & & \\ Green Airlines & 2020-2022 & ALK Airlines (charter) & & & & \\  & & Just Us Air (charter) & & & & \\  & & Danish Air Transport & & & & \\  & & (charter) & & & & \\  & & Heiltrans & & & & \\  & Coast Air (regional) & & & & & \\  & & Air Aurora & & & & \\  & & Avitrans & & & & \\ Teddy Air AS & 1999-2004 & Golden Air & Financial problems & Saab 340 & 2 & No \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Virtual airlines that operated in the air transport market [21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31]. Most of the virtual airlines were able to establish themselves in the market and be operated for several years. On the other hand, some of them succeed very quickly, but disappeared just as quickly.