CHRISTMAN AIR SYSTEM: United States (1977-1992). In the final year before deregulation becomes the law of the U. S. airline industry, the Christman Trucking Corporation of Washington, Pennsylvania, establishes two air transport subdivisions: the passenger group, CAS, and Christman Air Freight. The former is outfitted with 2 Piper PA-31350 Navajo Chieftains, which are employed to launch scheduled passenger flights on September 6, 1977 from Pittsburgh to Parkersburg, West Virginia, via Wheeling.
In 1978, President/CEO Walter L. Christman’s passenger fleet is expanded by the addition of a Beech 99 and 3 more Navajo Chieftains. En-planements total 7,122.
The workforce is increased by 50% in 1979 to 18. The route network is also enlarged as new deregulation-inspired markets are opened in Charleston, Columbus, Akron, and Canton. Passenger boardings leap 109.8% to 8,000. Revenues skyrocket 143.3% to $523,000.
Enplanements explode in 1980, climbing by 112.6% to 17,709.
The fleet in 1981 includes 4 Navajo Chieftains and 3 Beech 99s. They are employed to fly 16,165 passengers, an 8.7% drop. Customer bookings at the 45-employee airline are up 29.8% to 20,982 in 1982.
Two Chieftains are withdrawn in 1983 as the number of boardings at the 11 served destinations rise 17.1% to 24,573. Freight, however, plunges 59.3% to 1 ton.
The payroll is boosted 12.7% in 1984 to 71 and 2 more Beech 99s are delivered. Service is inaugurated to Baltimore, Beckley, Bluefield, Harrisburg, and Washington, D. C. (DCA).
Customer bookings climb 37.7% to 33,834 and cargo skyrockets 242.9% to 7,000 pounds.
The year 1985 is also good for the small regional as an Embraer EMB-110P Bandeirante is acquired and passenger boardings ascend 3.2% to 34,924; freight rises 6.2% to 7,250 pounds.
With seemingly all of its fellow regionals entering into codesharing agreements, Christman remains independent in 1986 and pays dearly for the decision. In an effort to remain fiscally viable, the company in April sells all eight of its slots at Washington, D. C. (DCA) to Suburban Airlines.
Still, the carrier’s 4 Beech 99s, 1 Chieftain, and Bandeirante are unable to stem a significant downturn in enplanements to 30,412, a 12.9% decline.
Traffic figures are again disappointing for the 70-employee small regional in 1987. Passenger boardings drop 22.8% to 23,471 and freight falls by 85.1% to 4,000 pounds.
The workforce is reduced by 50% in 1988 to 35 and the fleet now includes 3 Beech 99s, 1 Bandeirante, and 1 Chieftain. Customer bookings decline another 25.8% to 17,422 and cargo plunges 64.6% to
1.000 pounds.
Christman suffers yet another bad year in 1989 as passenger boardings plunge 50.5% to 8,628 and freight falls 25.1% to just 945 pounds.
The 35-employee small regional reduces its fleet to 1 Beech 99 and the Bandeirante in 1990, but cannot seem to improve its traffic figures. Customer bookings are off again, by 25.3%, to 6,444.
The workforce is cut by 28.6% in 1991 to 25. This and other costcutting measures and promotions cannot improve the traffic picture. Passenger boardings fall 39.4% to 3,902 and freight is off 31.4% to
285.000 pounds.
Reduced to but 1 Beech 99, President Walter’s carrier ceases operations in 1992.
CHRISTOWITZ AIR SERVICES (NYASALAND), LTD.: Nyasa-land (1931-1933). Convinced by an aerial trip the previous October of the need for air transport in Nyasaland, cartage contractor C. J. Christowitz forms this company at Blantyre in July 1931. Revenue services commence on August 5, when Capt. Henry Hollingdrake flies two passengers over a scheduled roundtrip route from Blantyre to Beira in the de Havilland DH 80A Puss Moth Nyasa I.
Following the temporary grounding of the Puss Moths for safety reasons, the fleet is increased in early 1932 by the addition of 2 DH 60G Gypsy Moths.
Capt. Robert Bourlay begins Salisbury to Blantyre Puss Moth service on August 3, 1933. On October 12, the carrier is combined with competing Rhodesian Aviation Company, Ltd. to form Rhodesia and Nyasaland Airways, Ltd.
CHRYSLER PENTASTAR AVIATION: 7310 Highland Road, Waterford, Michigan 48327, United States; Phone (248) 666-3630; Fax (248) 666-8580; Year Founded 1974. CPA is set up as the FBO at Oak-land-Pontiac Airport in 1974. A decade later, a charter division is established to fly executives of the automobile industry and others to destinations throughout North America and later, the world.
In 2000, the company flies 2 Grumman G-1159 Gulfstream Ils, 1 G-1159A Gulfstream II, 2 G-1159C Gulfstream IVs, 1 British Aerospace (BAe) (HS) 125-800 Hawker, and 1 IAI-1124 Westwind from its Michigan hub and Gulfstream IV from Dallas (DAL).
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