John Nicolaas Block
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Johan Nicolaas Block (May 18, 1929, Amsterdam – April 11, 1994) was a Dutch aviation pioneer. He was the co-founder of Martinair, founder of Transavia and Air Holland.
Early life
[edit]John Block was born as the son of a schoolteacher in Amsterdam. After World War II he applied for a job with KLM but wasn't hired. He joined the Dutch airforce and became an airforce pilot. After his service he briefly worked with a radio division of the Dutch postal services and obtained his commercial aviation licence. [citation needed]
Airline founder
[edit]Together with Martin Schröder he founded Martin's Air Charter, which was renamed Martinair 8 years later.[1] They introduced leisure travel by plane in the Netherlands. Block left Martinair in 1965.[citation needed]
In 1966, Block bought the 'sleeping' airline Transavia Limburg[2] and refounded it as Transavia.[3] It was originally established as an air charter operator.[2] Block built up the airline from scratch and ten years later Transavia had a marketshare of 45% of the Dutch holiday market.[citation needed] After a quarrel with some investors Block left Transavia in 1975.[4]
He went on and founded the small company Jetstar Holland BV in 1977.[5] As such he introduced the use of executive jet travel in the Netherlands. He sold the company soon after to an investment holding and went back to the larger scheme.[citation needed]
In 1984, Block founded the airline Air Holland that went public in 1989. Block left Air Holland in 1991 following a fall in profits.[1]
Block died in 1994.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Andrijevskis, Edvinas (2020-09-25). "The reason why Air Holland ceased operations - AeroTime". www.aerotime.aero. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ a b Wragg, David W. (2007). The World's Major Airlines. Sutton. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-7509-4481-6.
- ^ Flight International. Illiffe Transport Publications. 1966.
- ^ Exxon Air World. 1976.
- ^ Flight International. Illiffe Transport Publications. 1977.
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