AIR WAKAYA, LTD.: Fiji (1992-1996). Formed at Suva in 1992, this new entrant begins scheduled services late in the year. Managing Director Lorna Christoffersen’s little commuter operates a single Pilatus-Brit-ten-Norman PBN-2 Islander until it shuts down in late 1996.
AIR WALES, LTD. (1): United Kingdom (1977-1980). Organized at Cardiff in July 1977, the company’s principal shareholders are the Cosalt, Ltd. subsidiary Orbit Trust (75%) and DK Aviation, Ltd. (25%). Air Wales inaugurates services on December 6 over a scheduled route to
Chester. Later in the month, the two cities are linked to Cherbourg and to Brest, the latter via Bournemouth.
In May 1978, markets are opened at Bordeaux, Dinard, and Brussels and airline employment reaches 20. Chairman David V. King’s 2 Em-braer EMB-110P2s and 1 Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain begin flying to London (LGW) in early 1979.
The carrier is merged with Air Anglia, Ltd., Air Westward, Ltd., and British Island Airways, Ltd. (1) on January 1, 1980 to form Air
U. K., Ltd.
AIR WALES, LTD. (2): Pembrey Airport, Pembrey, Camarthen, Wales, SA16 0H2, United Kingdom; Phone 44 (1554) 890 875; Fax 44 (1554) 891 306; Http://www. cial. co. uk; Year Founded 1997. The
Aviation broker lAG begins discussions with a group of Welsh investors in November 1997 regarding the possibility of opening scheduled flights from a Welsh airport in the new year. An application for an operating certificate is filed with the Civil Aviation Authority.
Air Wales is formally established under Managing Director Capt. John H. Evans at the Pembrey-West Wales Airport, Carmarthenshire, in January 2000, to offer ticketless discount service to Cardiff and London (STN). On February 7, the company announces that it will initiate its new service on March 26, hoping to appeal to business travelers.
Arrangements are completed with Islandsflug H. F. during the summer for the lease of a Dornier 228-212; it is employed to begin thrice-daily return service on September 4 from Cardiff to Cork. Twice-daily roundtrips between Cardiff and London (STN) follow on September 18.
AIR WASHINGTON: United States (1971-1972). Air Washington is set up at Seattle’s Boeing Field in 1971 to offer scheduled de Havilland Canada DHC-6-100 Twin Otter passenger and cargo flights to Pasco via Yakima.
Unable to achieve viability, the carrier fails in 1972.
AIR WEST (1): United States; (1968-1978). Air West is formed on April 9, 1968 through the merger of Pacific Air Lines, Bonanza Air Lines, and West Coast Airlines after negotiations that had begun in August 1967. Routes of the merger partners, the total combined mileage of which is increased by 38%, are maintained and their fleets are largely combined. Following integration, 7 DC-9-11s are acquired.
Having encountered major financial difficulty, increased in magnitude by the failure of a new computerized reservations system, the carrier seeks a new owner in order to avoid bankruptcy. The purchaser turns out to be Howard Hughes, the pioneer aviator who, seven years earlier, had been forced out of his longtime association with Trans World Airlines (TWA).
On August 12, a $90-million sale is announced. A number of Air West directors, several of whom first hear of the deal over the radio, pillar Chairman Bez as a Hughes stooge and bring suit to halt the takeover. Still, sufficient boardroom support is found for Bez and Hughes, in the entity of his Hughes Air Corporation (Summa), to sign the legal papers on December 31.
During the year, a total of 3.01 million passengers are enplaned, a 13% increase over the combined 1967 figures of the three partners. Freight traffic is up by 42%. Revenues are $66.14 million.
A computerized reservations system is installed in February 1969 as the company begins to share computer facilities with Braniff International Airways. A reciprocal agreement is signed with American President Lines for the booking of passengers between points on their systems as a stimulant to travel from the Orient to the U. S. and Mexico.
The three former Bonanza Air Lines’ DC-9-11s are returned to Douglas on May 16 for conversion into DC-9-14s. Following various court appeals by Hughes opponents, the arrangement is completed with the CAB’s final approval, given on July 21. During the next 10 months, the carrier is reorganized. Headquarters are transferred to San Mateo, California.
At this point, the fleet comprises 33 Fairchild F-27s, 15 DC-9-31s, and 4 DC-9-11/14s. The third largest U. S. regional airline, the carrier’s revenue passenger mile total increases by 6.9%, its freight ton miles by 63.84%, and revenues are up to $74.11 million. The changeover does not have sufficient time to work before the year’s balance sheet is shown to be in the red; losses are $15,222,000 (operating) and $20,788,000 (net).
The employee population in 1970 is 3,500 and the fleet includes 44 aircraft. Several of the F-27s are converted to F-27Fs and leased out as freighters. The carrier is renamed Hughes Airwest in April.
AIR WEST (2): United States (1984-1985). The second airline by this name is established at West Houston (Lakeside Airport) in the fall of 1984 to offer multiple-frequency, daily, nonstop roundtrips to Dallas (DAL). Flights commence on December 25 with the fleet’s only aircraft, a de Havilland DHC-7-103 formerly operated by Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation and purchased in October.
President Ben Taylor resigns in May 1985 and his duties are assumed by Chairman/CEO Woody Lesikar. Although route expansion is planned, the carrier does not generate the traffic or revenues necessary to continue beyond October 15.
World History
