Royal Cacertian Air Carriers
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Founded | 11 February 1908; 109 years ago | ||||||
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Commenced operations | 7 June 1908 | ||||||
Hubs | Ainsley Davion International Skyport Rosalia Sarissita International Airport Teodoro Marik International Airport Andria Protectorate International Airstation | ||||||
Frequent-flyer program | BlueStar | ||||||
Alliance | Siduri Star Alliance | ||||||
Fleet size | 268 195 Aircraft 73 Airships | ||||||
Destinations | X | ||||||
Company slogan | Explore from Above | ||||||
Headquarters | Fumicino, Lombardo, Cacerta | ||||||
Key people | Annamaria Crognale (Director) | ||||||
Website | http://www.rcac.cer/ |
VAR Royal Cacertian Air Carriers (Italian: Vettori Aerei Reali), commonly abbreviated and known by its translated callsign RCAC, is the flag carrier and largest airline of Cacerta. The company is headquartered in Fumicino with its superhub at Ainsley Davion International Skyport. The company also maintains three other primary hubs in Vichenza, Carrera, and Andria. It is a state-owned enterprise and is a founding member member of the Siduri Star Alliance, characterized for its close relationship with Gyliair.
Founded in 1908 as an airship liner, RCAC is one of the oldest airlines in the region still operating under its original name. RCAC struggled during the period of the Siduri War and did not adopt fixed-wing aircraft until 1942. The company is characterized by its stellar safety record and luxurious approach to its services, a trademark that began with their airships as “cruise ships of the sky”. As if 2020, the company employs over 145,000 people.
History
Founding and Early Years (1908-1910)
RCAC was founded in the Cacertian Empire on 11 February in 1908 at the suggestion of Lisia Davion, the niece of serving Grand Admiral Cianna Davion, with the blessing of the Empress Ellianna. It was originally owned and run by House Davion and took several years for Lisia to convince the Cacertian Armed Forces and her aunt in the Royal Shipbuilders to release designs for civilian use. Lisia exploited the Cacertian public’s enthusiastic interest to secure her initial capital which was later supplemented by further funding from her aunt and mother. After the announcement of the first RCAC travel line from Fumicino to the nation’s capital in Vichenza, several cities contributed to furthering RCAC’s operations and built airships sheds at their own expense.
The first airship commissioned for civilian use was a repurposed and reconstructed scout ship that had served as one of the first test ships of Cacertian airship technology. The ship was named Matrona in homage to Lombardo’s past as a matriarchy and was first flown on 14 July 1908. It made its maiden voyage to Vichenza on 7 June the same year with 212 passengers on board and marked a successful first voyage for the company. Subsequent investments from other Houses, including the Royal Family, allowed RCAC to purchase a second retired military airship and begin construction of a third that was to be the first exclusively passenger-built airship in the region. The Avventureiro completed its first flight to Carrera on 9 November 1908 with construction of the Angela completed in March 1909.
Golden Age of Airships (1910s-1940s)
The next several decades of the RCAC company is often regarded as the Golden Age of Airships, advancements in technology allowing passenger airships to become safe and reliable with each following generation. The first major national season started in 1912 in which thirteen airships were part of the RCAC fleet at the time. The company operated the next four years without any major incident and added another six airships to its fleet by the end of 1916. Between February 1912 and March 1917, RCAC airships had carried 252,361 passengers aboard 4,310 commercial flights covering 468,309 kilometers. By 1920, RCAC had extensively tested it’s new long-range designs by conducting a number of stress and endurance tests in round trips to the Empire’s Protectorates of Lirinya and Dreyesau.
Siduri War (1930s)
Postwar Period and Reformation (1938-1950)
Introduction of Jetliners (1950s-1960s)
The Wide-Body Era (1970s-1980s)
Joint Ventures and the Foundation of the Siduri Star Alliance
Growth and Further Expansion (1990s)
Modern Era
Corporate Affairs and Identity
Head Office
RCAC’s company is headquartered in the city of Fumicino, Lombardo and originally occupied a small, three-floor building in the eastern district of the city. Since its foundation in 1908, RCAC has moved its operations to several various locations.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the company began expanding into and focusing more on fixed-wing aircraft and moving away from airships as its primary form of service. As a result, RCAC decided to rebuild its headquarters and temporarily moved its executive offices to the Davion Tower while the new building was being constructed. The new RCAC Tower Headquarters was completed between 1973 to 1975 as a 100-story supertall skyscraper on 498 North Ariminum Canal, a short ferry ride away from the main airport grounds at Ainsley Davion International Skyport.
While the building is owned by RCAC, its executive and operations offices only occupy the top 20 floors of the Tower Headquarters. 50 floors are primarily apartment complexes and condominiums for RCAC staff and their families with the remaining 20 floors occupied by a number of shops and businesses.
The RCAC Tower Headquarters is often considered a characteristic structure of the Fumicino skyline.
Organization
Company Directors
- Lisia Davion (11 February 1908—8 October 1923)
- Eliodoro Valli (8 October 1923—23 January 1930)
- Valente Milici (23 January 1930—6 April 1940)
- Viola Sisti (6 April 1940—22 June 1945)
- Dina Carboni (22 June 1945—10 March 1954)
- Ardito Marcucci (10 March 1954—25 September 1963)
- Leda Rispoli (25 September 1963—12 July 1975)
- Sandro Talamo (12 July 1975—31 March 1980)
- Adina Viola (31 March 1980—5 May 1990)
- Fazio Pergola (5 May 1990—3 February 1995)
- Rina Massara (3 February 1995—11 October 2003)
- Serena Raggio (11 October 2003—9 August 2011)
- Romina Davion (9 August 2011—Present)
Business Trends
Branding
Livery
Uniforms
Advertising
Destinations
As of 2016, RCAC flies to 19 domestic destinations and X international destinations in X countries, several of which are seasonal flights. The airline maintains a massive travel network in Tyran with destinations in over X countries with its main international hubs located at the airports in Fumicino, Vichenza, Carrera, and Andria. In conjunction with the members of the Siduri Star Alliance, RCAC is capable of providing direct service or service through other airlines to most all destinations in the continent of Siduri.
RCAC currently serves destinations in the following countries:
- Acrea
- Akashi
- Azura and Montemayor
- Gylias
- Mansuriyyah
- Mubata
- Nalaya
- Ossoria
- Quenmin
- Ruvelka
- Shalum
- Syara
- Tennai
RCAC maintains codeshare agreements—many of which are Siduri Star Alliance members—with the following airlines:
Fleet
RCAC possesses a fleet of narrow-bodied and wide-bodied aircraft primarily supplied by domestic aircraft corporations and often supplemented by aircraft manufactured in neighboring Acrea. Since the introduction of wide-bodied aircraft, the RCAC fleet has been characterized for its use and large number of As of March 2017, the RCAC fleet consists of the following aircraft:
Current Fleet
Aircraft | Image | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||||
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P | B | E+ | E | | |||||
Ranier Ra-96 |
Historical Fleet
Aircraft | Image | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
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Ranier Ra-86 | Fleet replaced by Ra-96s. | |||
Ranier Ra-62 |
Special Liveries
Services
BlueStar
BlueStar is RCAC’s frequent-flyer program that awards points to passengers registered with BlueStar—or consumers that possess RCAC co-branded credit cards—when traveling on all fare types. Points are awarded based on distance travel, ticket fare, as well as class while traveling on an RCAC flight. They can also be earned when traveling with other airlines that are members of the Siduri Star Alliance. These points can be redeemed for awards such as airline tickets, flight upgrades, and luxury products. BlueStar program points do not expire and thereby can be used at any time although rewards claimed through using points are non-refundable.
After a certain amount of points are banked in a member’s account, they are assigned one of four membership tiers; Basic, Ivory, Silver, and Platinum. Membership tiers award BlueStar members specific privileges such as premium check-in at desks and priority boarding. Once a member achieves a certain tier they are awarded the benefits of all prior tiers. A membership tier can only in two ways be revoked which includes an intentional full cancellation of a membership or severe abuse of the privileges awarded through the membership of the BlueStar program..
RCAC Lounges
RCAC operates general passenger lounges—known as Blue Crown Lounges—in the Kingdom in each of its main hubs with two in Fumicino and one each in Vichenza, Carrera, and Andria. It is accessible to Ivory and above members of RCAC’s BlueStar frequent-flyer program as well as passengers flying in First Class and Business Class. Services provided at lounges in Cacerta include full-service restaurants, full bars, smoking lounges, relaxation rooms, and offices. Bathing and sauna facilities are a defining characteristic of national RCAC lounges; items such as soap and shampoo are provided for alongside the lounges’ clothing cleaning services. Several international destinations also possess RCAC lounges with varying services.
Aside from general passenger lounges in the Kingdom and abroad, RCAC also maintains a Cacertian culture-focused lounge at each of its primary hubs. Silver Star Lounges maintain identical services as their partners but are more reflective of Cacertian cultural views of public nudity and sexuality. Access to Silver Star Lounges is entirely optional and can only be granted after patrons sign related contracts holding them aware and responsible of their experiences within in a Silver Star Lounge.
A number of foreign cities also host RCAC lounges; Aragon is host to both a Blue Crown and Silver Star lounge.
Meals and Beverages
Passengers on board long-haul flights are served a full hot meal and snack with a second hot meal or breakfast depending on the duration of the flight. Customers on extremely long flights, such as the 12,274 kilometer trip from Vichenza to Kenlis, receive full three-course meals with alcoholic beverages included in the price of the ticket. Special meals, such as vegetarian meals or meals made for those with medical conditions, can be requested 24 hours prior to departure. As part of RCAC’s 2017 Culture of Cacerta program, the hot meals available aboard Cacertian flights were chosen by children in elementary schools on what they believed best represented Cacerta’s cuisine.
Light snacks, such as cookies and crackers, are available during domestic flights with free non-alcoholic beverages consisting primarily of soft drinks and hot tea. On board the majority of short-haul flights, RCAC serves a cold salad or sandwich alongside non-alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages and additional food items are available for purchase.
In-Flight Entertainment
All wide-body aircraft in the RCAC fleet are equipped with LCD video monitors and personal entertainment systems that provide all passengers with on demand audio and video. The RCAC interactive entertainment system includes movies, television programs, music, games, as well as language courses. Approximately 100 films varying from recent releases, classics, and world cinema are made available in several languages—language options are configured per route based on analyzed customer data. The available film selection is rotated at the start of each month. Starting in 2012, the entertainment systems of many of the company's aircraft have been overhauled to allow customers to utilize input from their electronic devices via auxiliary cable or USB connection. The entire long-range fleet is expected to be overhauled with the new system by 2018. Magazines and international newspapers are made available to passengers on both long-haul and short-haul flights alongside RCAC’s in-flight magazine, the BlueLine Standard.
In-Flight Wi-Fi Services
On February 2007, RCAC announced that it would be installing a mobile broadband network on board its medium and long-range fleet. The system will allow customers travelling with Wi-Fi enabled devices—such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets—access to the internet. While customers are currently charged for using the in-flight Wi-Fi, with the exception of Silver and Platininum BlueStar members, RCAC has announced the intention of making the service available for free in the near future. The majority of the aircraft in the RCAC fleet are equipped with in-flight Wi-Fi with the entire mid and long-range fleet expected to be outfitted by the end of 2017.
Environmental Policy
In 1991, RCAC began working on adopting a more environmentally friendly policy by following the example set by their alliance partner in Gyliair. The company spent the entirety of a year collecting data to analyze how best to minimize its overall environmental impact, optimize its resources, and establish environmentally sustainable practices. RCAC has worked closely with its supplies, primarily the Cacertian-based Ranier Aircraft, to research and produce cleaner aircraft equipped with fuel-efficient engines and reduced noise signature. This has also resulted in setting goals to reduce waste in offices and an initiative to move to primarily paperless registration for passengers.