FREE AIRLINES, S. p.A.: Via Galente 56/58, 70019, Triggiano (Bari), Italy; Phone 39 80 462 20 20; Fax 39 80 462 20 20; Year Founded 1996. Free Airlines is set up by members of the Giannelli family at Bari in July 1996 to offer international, regional, and domestic charters, both cargo and passenger. Rag Antonio Giannelli is managing director, with his brother Flippo as president and three other brothers holding lesser administrative posts. A fleet of unspecified turboprops is assembled and revenue flights begin to Belgrade, Bucharest, Istanbul, Larnaca, Malta, Moscow, Nis, Podgorica, Tirana, and Tivat.
FREEDOM AIR: P. O. Box 1578, Guam International Airport, Agana, Guam 96910, United States; Phone (671) 646-8009; Fax (671) 646-0729; Year Founded 1983. Freedom Air is set up at Agana on the island of Guam in 1983 to offer scheduled passenger and cargo services in the Northern Marianas between Saipan and Tinian, and to undertake miscellaneous charter flights. Joaquin Flores Jr. is general manager and his initial fleet is made up of a Piper PA-28 Cherokee, a Piper PA-23 Apache, and a Cessna 172.
By 1987-1988, the fleet has been changed to include 2 PA-32 Cherokee Sixes, 1 PA-23 Aztec, and 2 Cessna 206s.
Another PA-32 is purchased in 1989 and one C-206 is withdrawn in 1990. Three years later in 1993, the company flies 5 PA-32s.
The fleet is enhanced in 1994 by the addition of a Cessna 207A, a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, and a Shorts 330-200.
The year’s enplanements reach 57,483.
Operations continue apace in 1995. Airline employment stands at 34 in 1996 and the fleet now includes 1 each Shorts 330-200, Navajo Chieftain, Cessna 207A, and 5 PA-32s.
A total of 64,608 passengers are carried.
Passenger boardings in 1997 climb 15.2% to 74,440. Flights continue in 1998-1999. Although it is understood that operations continue, no exact information is available on this carrier beyond this point.
FREEDOM AIR INTERNATIONAL, LTD.: P. O. Box 109-698, Level 3, 136 Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand; Phone 64 (9) 912-6980; Fax 64 (9) 912-6998; Http://www. freedom. co. nz; Code FOM; Year Founded 1995. A subsidiary of Mount Cook Airlines, Ltd. (itself a subsidiary of Air New Zealand, Ltd.), FAI is established at Auckland in 1995 to provide trans-Tasman and South Pacific island passenger charters. Wayne Dodge is appointed CEO and is provided with a single Boeing 737-219A leased from Air New Zealand, Ltd. Revenue flights begin on December 8.
In addition to islands and countries in the South Pacific, the company, in 1996-1999, flies from Auckland, Dunedin, Hamilton, and Palmerston North to Brisbane, Coolangatta, and Sydney in Australia. During the latter year, the “Baby Boeing” is repainted, a la easyJet, Ltd., with its website appearing over the windowline.
Flights continue in 2000 with 1 each leased B-737-3M8 and B-737-33R. On May 19, a passenger B-737-3L9, upon which lease payments could not be made by VASP (Viacao Aerea Sao Paul, S. A.), is returned to IMS Leasing. It is repainted and chartered to Freedom on June 15.
FREEDOM AIRLINES (1): United States (1980-1982). Freedom Airlines is established by Jerry Winston at Cleveland Hopkins Airport in 1980 to offer scheduled service to such regional destinations as Chicago, Washington, D. C. (DCA), Saginaw, and Flint, with a fleet of 5 Convair CV-580s. Daily roundtrips commence on April 27. A 10-day strike by the pilots of the Binghamton, New York-based sister carrier Commuter Airlines on December 5 ends with a 9.5% wage increase over the next 5 years; the terms of the pact also apply to Freedom’s flyers. Enplane-ments for the year total 55,558.
Operations continue apace in 1981 as four Swearingen Metro Ils are placed into service. Owner Winston now elects to withhold traffic and financial data. Early 1982, a new route is opened from Cleveland to the Akron-Canton Airport. In November, the company is merged with Commuter Airlines, continuing under the Freedom Airlines (2) name.
FREEDOM AIRLINES (2): United States (1982-1984). Binghamp-ton, New York-based Commuter Airlines merges with its Cleveland-based subsidiary, Freedom Airlines (1), in November 1982 under the Freedom name. The base of operations is transferred to Cleveland, Ohio. Employing a fleet of 5 Convair CV-580s and 4 Fairchild-Swearingen Metro IIs, the 200-employee company operates routes linking Cleveland with Allentown, Boston, Grand Rapids, Harrisburg, Lansing, Norfolk, Washington, D. C. (DCA), and Wilkes-Barre.
In 1983, President Jerry Winston’s company initiates flights to Chicago, Flint, Williamsport, and Saginaw. Enplanements climb to 150,000.
The four Metroliners are grounded for maintenance in early 1984. Scheduled passenger and freight operations continue apace until October 14, when services are suspended following Jerry Winston’s death. Unable to find a successor, the family liquidates the company and sells the Convairs to Air Ontario, Inc.
FREEWAY AIR, B. V.: The Netherlands (1989-1995). Freeway Air is established at Amsterdam in 1989 to offer nonscheduled cargo and passenger charters to domestic and regional destinations. Much of the former is flown under subcontract to large corporations and other freight operators. The inaugural fleet includes 8 leased Cessna 406 Caravan Ils and 1 Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante.
The number of Caravan IIs is reduced to four in 1990 as two are provided to a new Spanish affiliate, Freeway Iberica, S. A. Recession begins to impact the Dutch carrier in 1991 and the number of Cessnas is again cut in two; however, another Bandeirante is acquired.
Two additional Caravan IIs join the fleet in 1992, but are again withdrawn in 1993. In 1994, the company flies a pair of Embraer EMB-110P-1 Bandeirantes. Unable to maintain its economic viability, the company shuts its doors in early 1995.
FREEWAY IBERICA, S. A.: Spain (1990-1995). Freeway Iberica, S. A. is established at Madrid in 1990 as an affiliate of the year-old Dutch operator Freeway Air, B. V. Nonscheduled all-cargo flights are initiated to domestic and regional destinations with a pair of Cessna 406 Caravan IIs. Operations continue apace in 1991-1994, but with the failure of Freeway Air, B. V. in early 1995, this company also stops flying.
FREIGHT RUNNERS EXPRESS: 1901 East Layton Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53207, United States; Phone (414) 744-5525; Fax (414) 744-4850; Http://www. freightrunners. com; Year Founded 1985. Freight Runners Express is established by Chip Zens at Milwaukee in 1985 to fly overnight freight to Midwestern destinations. Revenue flights commence with a single Cessna 207.
The carrier is expanded over the next 15 years and by 2000, President Zens oversees the work of 25 staff, including 12 pilots. Scheduled and on-demand cargo services are provided throughout the continental U. S.
The company flies on behalf of such customers as Federal Express (FedEx), United Parcel Service (UPS), DHL Worldwide Express, Daimler Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, and Harley Davidson. The fleet includes 5 Beech 99s, 1 Beech 18, 3 Cessna 402Cs, and 2 C-207s.
World History
