AIR SPEED: United States (1974-1975). Air Speed is set up at Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1974 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo services to Boston and New York. Daily Beech 99 roundtrips are duly inaugurated, but are only maintained into 1975.
AIR SPIRIT: United States (1984-1985). Formed by Troy Post to provide feeder connections with Braniff, Inc., Air Spirit is established at Dallas (DFW) in early 1984. Equipped with 4 Embraer EMB-110P Ban-deirantes, the new third-level entrant inaugurates daily roundtrip service on April 1 to Austin, College Station, Houston, Tyler, Waco, and Wichita Falls in Texas; to the Oklahoma cities of Lawton and Altus; and to Texarkana, Arkansas.
As Braniff, Inc. encounters difficulties in the fall and winter, so too does Air Spirit, which is unable to weather them and stops flying in early 1985.
AIR SRPSKA: Veselina Maslese 28, Banja Luka, 78000, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzgovina; Phone381 (78) 212 806; Fax 381 (78) 211 348; Http://www. angelfire. com/biz3/AirSrpska; Code R6; Year Founded 1999. This small carrier is established at Banja Luka on January 22, 1999 as the flag carrier of the Republic of Srpska, the Serbian-dominated part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Milan Kovacevic is chairman/managing director and his new airline receives rich assistance from JAT Yugoslav Airlines and Airports of Republic Srpska. One each Avions de Transport ATR72-202 and Boeing 737-2H9A are wet-leased from JAT.
Although plans are quickly put in place to obtain slots at several western European airports, the initial route, inaugurated on January 29, is between Banja Luka and Belgrade. Over the next two weeks, flights are also started to Tivat, Zurich, and St. Gallen.
In anticipation of air strikes by NATO countries against Serbian military targets in a campaign for an independent Kosovo, Air Srpska, on March 24, halts all scheduled service into Belgrade as Yugoslav airspace is closed. A spokesman, in making the announcement, indicates that the situation will be evaluated further toward evening; however, that evening, Operation Allied Force, the bombing attack on targets in Serbia and Kosovo, begins.
Service to Belgrade remains halted on March 25-31.Following the conclusion of the Kosovo conflict, Air Srpska operates only the ATR72-202 on scheduled flights to Zurich. Service to Belgrade remains halted not only for the duration of the NATO bombing campaign, but for the next 17 months.
In association with JAT Yugoslav Airlines, twice-weekly ATR72-210 service from Banja Luka to Belgrade is restored on August 4, 2000. Once an air service agreement is signed, it is anticipated the flight will also be started from Banja Luka to Sarajevo.
AIR STARLINE, LTD.: Kenya (1990-1994). In November 1990, African Safari Airlines, Ltd., a Kenyan charter operation with Swiss affiliations based at Basel, establishes Air Starline, Ltd. as a privately owned subsidiary. Frederick Hofer is named managing director of the new charter airline. A workforce of 60 is recruited for it and revenue operations commence with a single Douglas DC-8-63H, painted in an all-white color scheme with ASA titles and a tail given a zebra pattern.
Europe-Africa charter operations begin in early 1991 and flights continue apace in 1991-1992. In January 1993, the carrier is folded into its parent; however, its name is adopted for certain combined operations. K. J. Rudin remains general manager of the enlarged company and his fleet now includes the Douglas DC-8-63H and a DC-10-30, the latter leased from KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.) late the previous year. A new logo and aircraft livery are introduced and passengers continue to be flown on holiday packages to Africa and the Seychelles, as well as on worldwide charters, during the remainder of the year.
In January 1994, the DC-8-63H is sold to Airborne Express and the wide-body is returned to ASA livery.
AIR STORD, A. S.: Norway (1996-1999). Air Stord is established at Stord Airport, Sagvaag, Norway in the first quarter of 1996, with ownership held by the Amundsen Group. Hans Orjagaeter is named managing director and is given the mission of initiating scheduled regional and domestic passenger service with a pair of Beech Super King Air 200s.
Orders are placed in mid-March for 2 Dornier 328-110s. The 32-seat turboprops are delivered several weeks later and enter service in late spring, flying between Stord Airport, Oslo, and Skien Airport at Bergen.
Enplanements by December total 9,225. Flights continue in 19971998. During these years, the fleet is upgraded by the addition of a Fairchild Dornier 328-110. Enplanements reach 38,000.
A workforce of 42 is employed at the beginning of 1999.
Unfortunately, heavy financial losses have been suffered during the last few years and the carrier’s inability to make good on them now forces it to shut down.
AIR STYRIA, GmbH.: Feldkirchen, A-8073, Graz-Thalerhof, Austria; Phone 43 (316) 29-1008; Fax 43 (316) 42-6997; Year Founded 1992. Air Styria is set up at Graz in 1992 to provide executive passenger charters. By 2000, the company, which specializes in flights to and from Eastern Europe, operates a single Cessna 550 Citation II.
AIR SUL, S. A.: Portugal (1990-1992). Air Sul is established at Lisbon during the summer of 1990 to operate holiday flights throughout the Mediterranean area. Despite the Gulf War, the company’s single Boeing 737-2K5 is able to complete a number of charters during the winter and following summer. The summer schedule includes flights to northern Europe and the U. K.
Finding itself in major financial difficulty, the company shuts its doors in January 1992.
World History
