The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) has welcomed national carrier, Estonian Air, into membership.

Established in December 1991, Estonian Air is 90 per cent owned by the Estonian government and 10 per cent by the SAS Group.

The national carrier flies non-stop from Tallinn to 24 destinations in CIS, Scandinavia and in Europe and is the biggest operator from Tallinn Airport. 

It operates a fleet of two Boeing 737, two CRJ900 NextGen and two Saab 340.

In December 2011 Estonian Air will add the third CRJ900 NextGen to its fleet.

In 2010 the airline carried 582,320 passengers.

“Estonian Air is going through a significant transformation,” said Tero Taskila, chief executive of Estonian Air.

“ERA’s expertise on developments in the regional industry will be an important asset for us.

“In addition, we can draw support and knowledge from the member airlines when it comes to operating new generation regional aircraft.

“ERA’s member airlines have proven to show innovation and resilience in different economic environments,” concluded Taskila.