XL Airways France

History

XL Airways France was established in August 1995 as Societe de Transport Aerien Regional, trading first as Star Europe and, from October 1997, as Star Airlines. It became part of the UK-based XL Leisure Group and was renamed XL Airways France on 23 November 2006. When XL Leisure Group collapsed into bankruptcy in September 2008, the French subsidiary was acquired by Iceland's Straumur Investment Bank and continued flying independently as a long-haul leisure carrier from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to destinations in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and North America. The airline struggled financially for years afterward before its 2019 collapse.

Current Operations

XL Airways France no longer operates. It ceased all flights on 23 September 2019 and was formally liquidated by a French commercial court on 4 October 2019 after no acceptable buyer emerged; its brand and remaining assets, including the XL Airways name and domain, were sold at auction in January 2020 for a reported EUR 686,400. No successor airline directly inherited its routes, aircraft, or operating certificate.

Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.

Serves These Profiled Airports7

Sample Routes1