St. Petersburg-based AGA receives certification from the CAB in September 1983. Employing a pair of Convair CV-580s, scheduled flights are inaugurated on October 15 to Atlanta, Miami, and Tallahassee. En-planements during the next two-and-a-half months total 55,000.
Employing wet-leased Vickers Viscounts, the Florida network is expanded in the spring of 1984. On October 10, the company, deep in startup debt, files for Chapter XI bankruptcy. Merger discussions are held with Air Illinois, also in Chapter XI and not operating. Under a wet-lease agreement with the Illinois concern, a British Aerospace BAC 1-11-401 and its flight crews are provided to help maintain AGA’s basic schedules. A total of 96,000 passengers are flown on the year.
Early in 1985, AGA is sold to United Resources, which signs a letter of merger intent designed to combine the carrier’s staff and reservations system with Air Illinois’ BACs, staff, reservations system, and maintenance components. Hopefully, the two bankrupt airlines can be merged into one solvent new entrant. Orders are even placed for four Aerospatiale Mohawk 298s, which will not be delivered. The BACs continue to operate on routes to Miami, West Palm Beach, Tallahassee, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Providenciales, Grand Turk, and, on behalf of APA International Air, Puerto Plata.
Although company officials attempt to reorganize and find new capitalization, the carrier must be sold again in early 1986 and a 50% interest is taken by a group of unidentified investors who have no previous airline experience. Flights continue until the carrier shuts down on September 1.
The FAA revokes the Air Illinois operating certificate in late 1987. In early 1988, a new carrier, Oceanair, is established as successor to Air Illinois/Atlantic Gulf Airlines and takes possession of the two BAC 1-11200s from bankrupt AGA. An effort is made to overturn the revocation of the Air Illinois authority, but this initiative also fails. Oceanair is unable to begin operations.
ATLANTIC GULF AIRWAYS: 1100 Lee Wagener Blvd., Suite 110, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33315, United States; Phone (954) 3596060; Fax (954) 556-8844; Http://gator. naples. net/nfn02257/atlantic; Year Founded 1988. AGA is established at Ft. Lauderdale in 1988 to provide executive and small group passenger charters anywhere in the U. S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. The company’s five pilots fly one each PA-23 Aztec and PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain. A base is also maintained at Miami, along with a second Navajo Chieftain.
World History
