File:LX-GCV B747-121 Lionair(Cargolux) MAN JUN88 (13464002654).jpg

English: Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version. Lionair was a fairly short-lived airline set up as a joint venture between Luxair and Cargolux. They operated two early ex Pan-Am Boeing 747-121's (this one ex N770PA). For the 1988 summer season they were leased to Airtours International Airways. Already 18 years old, both aircraft were a technical nightmare (even by Airtours standards!) and the contract was dumped mid-season. I was with Novair in 1988 as Base Manager at Manchester and we had cause to use them for sub-charters on a couple of occasions for delayed DC-10-10 fights. They were really awful. The crews were drawn from a pool of temporary staff who came from (and in some cases still worked for) other airlines. Flight deck crews were sometimes in 'civvies' while the cabin staff wore a variety of uniforms. In Jun-91 this aircraft was first leased and then sold to Corsair as F-GKLJ and continued in service until, now 29 years old, it was retired in Dec-99. It was broken up at Chateauroux, France in 2000.