Oklahoma City during the first quarter of 1974 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo services. Employing a British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31, the new commuter inaugurates daily revenue roundtrips in April, linking its base with Tulsa, Dallas (DAL), and Waco. Unable to achieve viability, the carrier must fold its wings in July.
JETSTREAM INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES: United States (1983-1995). Founded by V. Neal Frey as Vee Neal Airlines at Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1980, this small regional, in celebration of its dream and its acquisition of British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 turboprops, changes its name on December 1, 1983 to Jetstream International Airlines.
Shareholding is acquired by a group of Erie businessmen who move the airline’s corporate headquarters to that northwest Pennsylvania city on the shores of Lake Erie.
On the year, enplanements rise 32.8% to 38,440.
As additional Jetstream 31s and Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirantes are added in 1984 and the route network is expanded from the carrier’s new base at Erie, Pennsylvania, to cover markets in four states.
Passenger traffic jumps 109.8% to 80,533 passengers flown.
Destinations visited in 1985 include Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Dayton. The company becomes a “Piedmont Commuter” partner on November 1 and unveils connections from Erie and Dayton to Youngston and Baltimore.
On the year, customer bookings accelerate 5.8% to 85,213.
Maryland-based Henson Aviation purchases the 80-employee carrier on behalf of Piedmont Airlines on August 1, 1986. A reorganization plan is initiated, although the company is allowed to continue operations as an independently named subsidiary. Corporate headquarters are moved from Erie to Dayton, where the carrier becomes Piedmont’s principal feeder at that Ohio hub.
While being prepared for a flight at Erie on November 30, a private Cessna 441 gets loose and runs into a company BAe Jetstream 31; both planes catch fire and are burned out, but no injuries are reported.
The newest “Piedmont Commuter” at year’s end exercises an option to acquire 14 more Jetstream 31s and takes a new option on another 20 of the aircraft.
Passenger boardings skyrocket 123.2% to 190,235.
Airline employment grows 400% in 1987 to 400 and the fleet now includes 27 Jetstream 31s, with 20 others on order or option. Customer bookings also increase, by 201.5%, to 573,473.
The payroll grows a more sedate 5% in 1988 to 420 and 5 more Jetstream 31s join the fleet.
While on a low-altitude, one-engine, practice go around from Dayton on February 9, a BAe Jetstream 31 with three crew, rolls over and descends into the ground; there are no survivors.
Passenger boardings for the year leap upward by 33.5% to 765,622.
When Air Kentucky closes down in May 1989, many of its routes are acquired by Jetstream. With the absorption of Piedmont Airlines into USAir in August, USAir reconfigures its “Allegheny Commuter” network into “US Air Express.” The 455-employee Jetstream becomes a member of the new group and flight attendants begin to appear on the British-made turboprops.
Overall customer bookings rise 3.7% to 793,848.
Enplanements drop in 1990 to 743,146.
The fleet in 1991 includes 28 Jetstream 31s and 7 Brasilias. “USAir Express” Jetstream 31 service is initiated in October from Pittsburgh to Madison, Wisconsin. At the same time, four - times-per-day flights commence from Cleveland to Washington, D. C. (DCA).
A number of other routes are changed and as a result, passenger boardings fall 17% to 635,168.
Two Jetstream 31s are removed in 1992. A $180-million order is placed for 20 Dornier 328s, plus options for 20 more.
Thrice-daily nonstop Jetstream 31 service is inaugurated from Dayton to Flint, Michigan, on January 7, along with four-times-per-day frequencies from Indianapolis to Flint. In the spring, President/CEO Keith Houk becomes president of the “USAir Express” division, succeeding new USAir Shuttle chief Gordon Linkon. Meanwhile, former Midway Express President Richard Pfennig is brought in to take over Jetstream.
The previous year’s decline is reversed as customer bookings accelerate 14.7% to 728,592.
At the start of 1993, president/CEO Pfennig’s decade-old “USAir Express” carrier operates from hubs at Indianapolis, Dayton, and Pittsburgh with a fleet of 27 Jetstream 31s and a workforce of 468. During the year, the fleet of Jetstream 31s is reduced by one as seven Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias are acquired under charter.
A significant route exchange is engineered with fellow “USAir Express” partner Chautauqua Airlines and the carrier’s hub is transferred to Pittsburgh from Indianapolis. Late in the year, an order is placed for 20 Dornier 328-100s.
Passenger boardings rise another 17.3% to 852,931.
Airline employment is reduced in 1994 to 450 and the first Dornier 328-110 is delivered in early November and begins training and route proving.
Customer bookings move ahead by 11.7% to 952,510.
The first Dornier 328-110 enters service from Pittsburgh on February 20, 1995. Nineteen more will join the fleet this year, while route realignment continues. As partial payment, the regional returns five Jetstream 31s to the manufacturer and, as their leases begin to expire, nine Brasilias.
To keep alive the name of another USAir acquisition, Pacific Southwest Airlines, Jetstream is renamed PSA Airlines in November.
JETTRAIN: United States (1993-1996). JetTrain is established at Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, on April 2, 1993 to operate domestic charter services between Pittsburgh and Florida. Twenty individual investors subscribe initial capitalization of $5-$6 million. James M. Davis, a founder of the Pan Am Shuttle, is president/CEO, but the airline depression prevents immediate start-up.
As the market for air transport services improves into the fall of 1995 and officials note the high cost of operation for rival USAir, the company’s private board elects to begin operations, first nonscheduled and then scheduled. A single Douglas DC-9-31 is leased and is painted with the company’s art deco streamliner nose logo on its tail. Nonscheduled services are inaugurated on December 11.
Scheduled deep-discount frequencies are introduced on January 27, 1996 between Pittsburgh, Newark, and Orlando. To keep fixed overhead costs to a minimum, most of the airline’s major services are outsourced. For example, ground handling is contracted to UAL, Inc. while Trans World Airlines (TWA) agrees to provide heavy aircraft maintenance.
Unable to compete with “Delta Express,” JetTrain ceases service to Orlando on September 30. Expecting to return to the South Florida city, few realize that this is the beginning of the end.
Citing “insurmountable barriers” to its entry onto the scene, the 60-employee carrier suspends its schedules in November.
During its 10 months of service, JetTrain transports a total of 110,697 passengers.
Early in 1997, the ruined Pittsburgh-based deep-discount airline is reformed. Its single McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 receives a new black, white, and copper livery and the company begins flying charters as Atlantic City Express.
JETWAYS: 644 Bayfield Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55107, United States; Phone (612) 224-3733; Fax (612) 224-3590; Year Founded 1978. Jetways is originally established at downtown St. Paul’s Holman Field in 1978 to provide executive and small group passenger services to destinations throughout the U. S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
By 2000, the company employs 20 pilots and operates 2 Beech King Air 90s and 1 each Dassault 10, Dassault 20, and Cessna 500 Citation I business jets.
World History
