A new virtual regional airline, Mannheim City Air, has launched. It is headquartered in Mannheim, Germany, and serves the European market.
The airline was established in December 2024 to target the increasing need for regional air travel as a more efficient alternative to ground travel. Mannheim City Air officially commenced operations on 18 April 2025.
Mannheim City Air will initially operate routes to Elba, Heringsdorf, and Sylt from Mannheim, flying with Dornier Do328 aircraft operated by Private Wings, a German charter airline.
To support its debut, Mannheim City Air worked with Ink Innovation, a digital solutions company for the aviation industry. Ink will implement its Departure Control System (Ink DCS), which optimises ground operations, such as check-in and boarding processes, at Mannheim City Airport, Sylt Airport, and Marina di Campo Airport on Elba, an Italian island.
“From the beginning, it was evident that Mannheim City Air would collaborate with Ink,” said Axel Reissmann, Managing Director of Mannheim City Air. “I have worked with Shawn Richards and his team for over a decade, and I continue to be impressed by the innovative direction they are pursuing and the outstanding team they are building. Only four days elapsed between the signing of the contract and the go-live. I would like to extend my thanks to Ink for making this possible.”
Previously, Ink has supported other start-up airlines, including Lift, Bermudair, and Marabu Airlines, with its technology solutions.
“We always enjoy working with new airlines,” commented Janet Richards, Chief Commercial Officer of Ink. “There’s a unique energy in startup carriers – the ambition, the appetite for risk, and the drive to do things differently. It resonates deeply with Ink’s own ethos. We’re proud to support Mannheim City Air as they bring fresh momentum to regional travel in Europe.”
Photo: Ink Innovation
