Pastor Ejlif Krogager is the legendary founder of the travel company Tjæreborg Rejser – and in 1962, he also founded Sterling Airways. The inspiration for the Sterling name came from Pastor Krogager’s mother, who always used to give sterling silver gifts, because for her it was the very symbol of quality. This is the same attitude that today characterises the special Sterling spirit which has been built up over the decades: the epitome of dynamism and enterprise – with the accent on safety, quality and service. In September 2005, Sterling merged with Maersk Air to become Sterling Airlines A/S. Sterling has developed from a traditional airline into Scandinavia's first low-cost airline. It is Europe's fourth-largest low-cost airline, and the largest in Scandinavia, with both scheduled and charter flights to more than 40 destinations in Europe. In January 2006, the Icelandic investment company FL Group purchased Sterling Airlines A/S and took over its daily operations.