Martinair was established on May 24, 1958 by aviation pioneer Martin Schröder. At the time the airline did not carry its present name, but was called “Martin’s Air Charter” (MAC). With a fleet counting but one aircraft and a workforce of five, the fledgling airline operated roundtrip flights above Amsterdam and ad-hoc passenger and cargo flights. MAC’s first destination abroad was Palma de Mallorca, with more than five long hours in the air, coffee from a flask and homemade sandwiches instead of a hot meal. By no means the level of comfort our customers can count on nowadays, but certainly an absolute sensation. Flying in those days was a genuine happening.
It represented the start of the airline known today as Martinair. Established personally by Martin Schröder, who teamed up with a group of enthusiastic individuals and pulled out all the stops to create today’s airline, now an established household name throughout the Netherlands and beyond.
