Swiss virtual start-up BlueLight (Geneva), billed as the world’s first nonprofit airline dedicated solely to humanitarian missions, announced its official launch on October 28 with operations slated to start in 2026, following the fundraising of an initial USD55 million to acquire and convert three widebody aircraft for humanitarian service.

According to a company statement, BlueLight will focus exclusively on transporting humanitarian supplies, medical teams, and disaster relief personnel with an initial fleet of a chartered A340-300 and A321-200(P2F). The aim is to have equipment that can transport more than 50 tonnes of cargo, seat up to 200 response workers, or function as an airborne medical unit equipped for trauma care.

The founders - former Geneva Airport president Pierre Bernheim and Waleed Rawat, founder and CEO of Dubai-based diversified holding WAIR Global - claim to have backing from the Swiss federal government and the Canton of Geneva. They also claim to be in advanced talks with Airbus, Geneva Airport, and aircraft maintenance provider Joramco.

BlueLight intends to operate on a fixed-rate model without yield management or pricing fluctuations.

A spokeswoman for the company told ch-aviation that the company is still evaluating the initial fleet configuration and charter arrangements. "BlueLight intends to begin operations with a mix of wide- and narrowbody aircraft suited to humanitarian logistics, but final decisions regarding aircraft type and charter partners are still under review," she said.

She said that BlueLight’s "mid-term" objective is to operate under its own air operator's certificate (AOC) issued by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) or "an equivalent authority".

"The decision on jurisdiction is currently being finalised as part of our broader strategic roadmap. While the establishment of an AOC is not anticipated within the first year, the organisational groundwork and regulatory expertise are already in place to support this process once operational readiness and fleet scale justify it. Securing our own AOC represents a key milestone towards long-term autonomy, operational flexibility, and the ability to serve a broader range of humanitarian and special mission operations," she said.

"In the short term, we are prepared to lease aircraft, which offers an efficient route to begin operations, although it may come with certain operational restrictions. Full or partial ownership of aircraft is not mandatory but is recommended to provide greater flexibility and control," she added.

According to German-language aviation website aeroTELEGRAPH, BlueLight was founded in April 2025 and plans to begin with two aircraft stationed in Europe for missions across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Expansion phases are planned for North and South America by 2030, and the Asia-Pacific region by 2035.

A spokeswoman for the FOCA has confirmed to ch-aviation that BlueLight has not yet applied for a Swiss AOC.