CHALLENGER AIRLINES: United States (1946-1949). Originally formed as Summit Airways at Denver in January 1946, this local service carrier is equipped with DC-3s. After receiving CAB certification on March 29, the company opens scheduled passenger and cargo flights to Salt Lake City via Cheyenne on May 5.
Summit is renamed in January 1947 and continues to grow. Destinations served during the year and in 1948 increase and include Casper and Billings in the north and Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Grand Junction in the south.
Late in 1949, the airline is purchased by and merged into Monarch Air Lines.
CHAMPAGNE AIRLINES, S. A.: Aeroport de Reims Champagne, Reims, France; Phone 7 07265 34 2107; Fax 7 07265 13 640; Code CPH; Year Founded 1998. Champagne is established in the summer of 1998 to offer on-demand executive and small group passenger charters. The seven-worker company begins revenue operations with 1 Beech 1900C and 2 Beech King Air 90s.
CHAMPION AIR (PTY.), LTD.: Australia (1979-1982). Formed at Adelaide in 1979, Champion Air launches scheduled commuter service from that city to Kimba and Wudinna with a Piper PA-34 Seneca and Smith Aerostar 600.
Unable to maintain viability in the face of world economic recession and steadily higher fuel costs, the flights are suspended in 1982.
CHAMPION AIRLINES: 5101 Vernon Ave., S., Suite 300, Edina, Minnesota 55436, United States; Phone (612) 920-6822; Fax (612) 920-8513; Http://www. championair. com; Code MG; Year Founded
1995. During the first week of January 1995, American International
Airways (3) purchases the failed MGM Grand Air and its fleet of 3 DC-8-62s. American International is now restructured into Grand Holdings, Inc., with AIA and MGM Grand Air as its two subsidiaries. Grand Holdings, Inc. President David P. Ahles indicates that MGM’s outstanding charters will be honored.
On July 1, majority interest in MGM is sold to Richard Page’s Minneapolis-based Front Page Tours; AIA continues to hold a 20% interest. President Page renames his new unit Champion Airlines and it is provided with 1 DC-8-62 and 1 each Boeing 727-91, B-727-223, and B-727-224A, all leased from AIA, plus a 200-person workforce (a 66.7% increase over what it had been under MGM), that includes most of the former MGM employees.
Public charters from a new base at Los Angeles begin in August with emphasis placed upon the transport of professional sports franchises. These include the NBA teams of the Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers, and Minnesota Timberwolves; the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings NHL teams; and the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox MLB teams. The B-727-91 briefly carries the logo of the Denver Nuggets.
Enplanements total 41,000 and operating income reaches $20.3 million. Expenses are high and leave a $3.89-million operating loss and a net $3.55-million loss.
There is no change in either employee population or fleet during
1996. Although the transport of professional sport teams remains a prime business focus, team affiliation is not displayed on the carrier’s aircraft. Dallas-based Adventure Tours is a major client.
Customer bookings skyrocket 182.9% to 116,000 and revenues of $8.15 million are generated. With costs at $8.11 million, the previous year’s start-up losses continue: $3.78 million (operating) and $2.73 (net).
The workforce is cut 17.5% in 1997 to 165. The company, which is still struggling during the first quarter, receives a major increase in capitalization on March 26 when Northwest Airlines and Carl Pohlad purchase stakes of 40% and 60%, respectively. The Northwest shareholding is acquired via its MLT Vacations subsidiary. Northwest and Pohlad Companies form a holding company, GHI-CA Corporation, to manage the acquisition. Lawrence J. Tighe is named executive vice president/ chief operating officer under President Page, with Stephen M. Spellman as chief financial officer.
In addition to sports team flights, the company now undertakes public charter flights to a variety of popular vacation destinations, e. g., Can-cun. MLT Vacations, which is owned by Northwest Airlines, becomes a major client. In July, a B-727-212A is delivered under a 7-year lease from The CIT Group.
New pilots and flight attendants are now trained by Northwest at its Minneapolis training center.
The company experiences a mixed traffic and fiscal year. On the plus side, passenger boardings soar 159.5% to 301,000 and operating revenues climb 22.9% to $38.29 million. On the down side, costs increase 46.5% to $51.17 million, boosting the operating loss to $12.88 million. The net loss also significantly worsens, growing from $2.73 million to $20.77 million.
Airline employment in 1998 stands at nearly 300. Destinations visited include Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Cozumel, Dallas (DFW), Des Moines, Detroit, Ft. Myers, Grand Cayman, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis (MSP), Montego Bay, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Puerto Plata, Puerto Vallarta, Steamboat Springs/Crested Butte, Purgatory, Reno/Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Founder Page resigns during the second quarter to pursue other interests. Former Wisconsin Brewing Co. president and principal owner, Michael J. Gerend, is named the airline’s president/CEO on July 15. Gerend had earlier served as a mid-level executive with Northwest Airlines.
Company pilots on September 24 vote to be represented by ALPA.
Flights continue during the remainder of the year. Cross-town rival Sun Country Airlines monitors Champion’s growth, concerned that it might become a low-cost division of Northwest in the manner of Metro-Jet with USAirways.
During the 12 months, customer bookings skyrocket 79.4% to 540,000. Revenues increase 68.3% to $64.44 million, while costs, up 37.5%, reach $70.4 million. Losses lessen and include $5.96 million (operating) and $7.67 million net.
By the beginning of 1999, airline employment has been boosted 21.2% to 200.
In February, 2 hush-kitted B-727-290As are received on 7-year leases from the CIT Group.
Customer bookings increase 95.4% to 1,055,000 while operating revenues rise 58.1% to $101,878,000. With expenses up only 28% to $90.13 million, the previous year’s losses are turned into profits: $11.73 million (operating) and $10.22 million (net).
World History
