Clayton Lloyd founds his Valley Air Service at Anguilla in the British West Indies in 1977. Employing a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, passenger and cargo services are offered to various destinations in the Leeward Islands and to St. Thomas.
Unable to cope with higher fuel costs, the company goes bankrupt in December 1979.
VALLEY AIRLINES (1): United States (1968-1974). The first Valley Airlines is set up at Oakland, California, in the fall of 1968 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo services. Employing Beech 18s, the commuter inaugurates revenue flights in October linking its base with San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, and Santa Barbara.
Operations continue apace until mid-1974, when Valley is merged with Ram Airlines to form Pacific Northwest Airways.
VALLEY AIRLINES (2): United States (1974-1989). Valley is established at Frenchville, Maine’s Northern Aroostock Regional Airport in February 1974, as the scheduled airline division of the local FBO to offer regional passenger and cargo charter and contract service flights.
The decision is taken during the summer of 1981 to offer regularly scheduled service. Equipped with 2 Cessna 310s and 2 Cessna 402s, it inaugurates scheduled third-level passenger and cargo services on November 2, linking its base with Bangor via Presque Isle twice daily.
A total of 338 passengers are flown in two months.
In 1982, the small regional transports 3,048 passengers and hauls 13,000 pounds of freight. Services are started to Augusta and Portland in 1983 and these new markets help customer bookings to rise 38.6% to 4,223. Freight skyrockets by 158.7% to 32,883 pounds.
Cargo increases a further 221.1% in 1984 to 106,000 pounds. En-planements rise 70.9% to 7,218.
The fleet in 1985 includes 3 Cessna 402s, 2 Cessna 310s, and 1 Beech 58.
The balloon is deflated, somewhat, as passenger boardings fall 8.4% to 6,614 and freight plunges 41.6% to 62.000 pounds.
The 28-employee small regional is purchased by Bar Harbor Airlines in 1986, but continues to operate as a subsidiary of its new parent.
Enplanements for the year dip a further 2.6% to 6,441.
In July 1987, four-times-per-day (except Saturdays) nonstop service is inaugurated from Laconia, New Hampshire, to Boston.
Passenger boardings rebound and indeed jump 49% to 9,597.
Airline employment grows a dramatic 79.3% in 1988 to 52 and the fleet now includes 6 Cessna 402s and 1 each Cessna 310, King Air 100, and Beech 99.
Customer bookings jump 21.2% to 11,628.
World History
