Originally established as a charter operator in the resource development industry, John R. Wild’s concern is reformed into a scheduled airline in September 1992, with Simon D. Wild as managing director. Revenue operations are undertaken with a fleet that includes 1 Dornier 228-200, 2 de Havilland Canada DHC-6-200 Twin Otters, 1 DHC-6-300, 3 Beech King Air 100s, and 1 Cessna 550 Citation II.
During the spring of 1993, the company takes over part of the route network abandoned upon the failure of Talair (Tourist Airlines of Niugini, Ltd.).
A Dornier 328-100 is ordered for 1994 delivery. From its base at Port Moresby, services are offered to Alotau, Amazon Bay, Balimo, Baimuru, Cape Vogel, Daru, Fane, Hagen, Ihu, Kerema, Kikori, Kiunga, Kuri, Lae, Louisa, Mendi Mt. Misima, Porgera, Tabubil, Tari, Tufi, Vivgani, Wanigela, and Safia. During the year President Wild’s 250-employee company is renamed MBA Airlines of Papua New Guinea (Pty.), Ltd.
MINDANAO EXPRESS: 4th Floor, Cargohaus Building, MIA Road, NAIA Complex, Parahaque, Manila, The Philippines; Phone 63 (2) 832 1541; Fax 63 (2) 831 0059; Http://www. mindanao. com/ mindanao-express; Year Founded 1996. A subsidiary of the Federal Express (FedEx) feeder Corporate Air, ME is set up by CA chairman Alberto D. Lina during the summer of 1996 to offer third-level commuter flights between Manila and Cebu. Nightly express flights will also be offered. Employing a fleet of two each Beech 99s and Beech 1900Cs, the new regional launches revenue services on September 14, following a ceremony during which Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos christens one of the Airliners.
On February 17, 1997, Chairman Lina announces that the carrier is moving its base of operations to the General Santos City Airport to support an aggressive expansion program. With the beginning of the summer schedule at the end of March, return flights are started from General Santos to Cagayan de Oro, from Zamboanga to General Santos, Cagayan de Oro via Cotabato or Cotabato, and from Davao to Cagayan de Oro via General Santos. Four more Beech 1900Cs are now acquired.
A code-sharing pact is signed with Sabah Air (Penerbangan Sabah Sdn Bhd.) and under its terms, Mindanao Express inaugurates twice-weekly roundtrips between Zamboanga and Sandakan, Malaysia on May 1. Sabah handles ground support on the Malaysian end and is allowed to sell blocks of seats on the Philippine airliners.
Twice-weekly roundtrips commence on March 31, 1998 between Cebu and Tandag via Surigao. On October 28, weekly flights are started from Cebu to Pagadian City. On November 3, twice-weekly return frequencies from Cebu to Kalibo and Tacloban. New roundtrips are started on December 21 twice weekly from Cebu to Butuan and thrice weekly to Dipolog.
Service is continued during the next two years. Scheduled destinations visited in the spring of 2000 include not only Cebu, but also Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Dipolog, Davao, General Santos, Kalibo, Pa-gadan, Sandakan, Tacloban, Tandag, Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga.
MINERAL COUNTY AIRLINES: United States (1963-1967). With subsidy from a casino, this commuter is established at Long Beach, California, during the summer of 1963 to fly scheduled passenger services to the site of the gambling hall in Hawthorne, Nevada, via Burbank. De Havilland DH 104 Dove and DH 114 Heron revenue flights commence in August, with the British-made airliners being supplemented by Douglas DC-3s in 1964.
Operations continue apace in 1965-1968. En route from Hawthorne, Nevada, to Burbank, California, on February 18, 1969, Flight 708, a DC-3 with 3 crew and 32 passengers crashes into the eastern slope of Mount Whitney at 11,770 ft. There are no survivors. The company, itself, is also a fatality, shutting down within weeks of the tragedy.
World History
