MIDWEST AIR CHARTER: Davies County Airport, RR 3, Sugar-land Road, Washington, Indiana 47501, United States; Phone (812) 254-2678; Fax (812) 254-2645; Year Founded 1996. Midwest is established by Ben Markley at Washington, Indiana, in 1996 to provide nonscheduled passenger and cargo charters. Revenue flights begin and continue with a single Swearingen Metro.
MIDWEST AIRLINES, S. A.E.: Cairo International Airport, Cairo, Egypt; Year Founded 1999. MA is established by the Lakah Group at Cairo in April 1999 to offer passenger charters throughout the Mideast, Africa, and Europe.
With white fuselages, blue billboard titles, and red tails and nacelles sporting gold fleur-de-leis, two ex-Air Afrique, S. A. (2) (Soci-ete Aerienne Africane Multinationale, S. A.) Airbus Industrie A310-304s are leased from Credit Lyonnais and begin revenue services in late May.
Flights continue in 2000. On May 9, firm orders are placed for a pair of Airbus A320-200s, with options taken on two others. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2002.
MIDWEST AIRWAYS (1): United States (1928-1929). MA-1 is formed at Waterloo, Iowa, in the fall of 1928 to offer scheduled passenger service to Des Moines. Two Ryan B-1 Broughams are acquired and revenue flights commence on November 12. Services cease following the stock market crash in October 1929.
MIDWEST AIRWAYS (2): United States (1953-1965). MA-2 is established by Edward “Eddie” Lunken at Cincinnati in 1953 to operate scheduled air taxi flights from his Lunken Field airport at Cincinnati. Employing a Lockheed Model 10 Electra, Lunken offers daily revenue flights to Columbus, Cleveland, and Detroit, as well as Traverse City, Charlevoix, and Harbor Spring.
Operations cease 22 years later in 1965.
MIDWEST AIRWAYS (3): United States (1969-1973). The third Midwest Airways is set up at Milwaukee in 1969 to provide daily scheduled passenger and cargo roundtrips to local destinations, plus Chicago. Beech 18 and Cessna 411 services are duly inaugurated, but cannot be maintained beyond 1973.
MIDWEST AVIATION (1): United States (1966-1980). The first Midwest Aviation is established at Jamesville, Wisconsin, in the first week of January 1966 to provide scheduled passenger and air cargo flights to Chicago. Operations commence with a Beech 18 on January 19. Low-key service continues apace for the next 13 years; the principal business becomes the delivery of Federal Reserve checks.
The only event to attract media attention during these years is tragic. On October 4, 1973, pilot John Fair is killed while landing his Beech 18 at Chicago’s Meigs Field.
Following passage of the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, Midwest enters into a contract with Airborne Freight Corporation to deliver the freight forwarder’s small packages and time sensitive shipments to midwestern and eastern destinations. The following year, the carrier begins additional service to the West Coast under its new name of Midwest Charter Express.
In April 1980 , Midwest is purchased by Airborne, which changes the acquisition’s name to Airborne Express and begins to purchase additional aircraft with which to upgrade its fleet.
MIDWEST AVIATION (2): Ryan Field, Marshall Municipal Airport, Marshall, Minnesota 56258, United States; Phone (507) 5323164; Fax (507) 532-5881; Year Founded 1962. Ray Johnson founds MA-2 as the FBO at Marshall, Minnesota, in 1962. The concern also offers on - demand charter flights as well as scheduled passenger service linking the company’s base with Minneapolis (MSP). Operations are undertaken with Piper PA-23 Aztecs and continue without significant change for 13 years.
In January 1976, the company is merged with New Ulm, Minnesota-based Air New Ulm to operate as Lake State Airlines. Employing Piper PA-31-310 Navajos, the joint operator provides services to all previously visited points, as well as Dubuque and Sioux Falls in Iowa.
Following the collapse of the LSA union in October 1981, Midwest is able to emerge from the wreckage and resume independent operations, which will continue throughout the remainder of the decade and into the next.
In 1993-1994, President Johnson oversees a workforce of 12. His route network from Marshall to Minneapolis, Dubuque, and Sioux Falls is maintained with 2 Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftains and the Piper Aztec. Flights continue in 1995-2000, during which years an additional Chieftain and a PA-32R Saratoga SP are also placed into service.
World History
