NFA is founded at Daytona Beach in the spring of 1982 to provide scheduled third-level passenger services in association with Republic Airlines with a fleet of de Havilland DHC-6-100 Twin Otters, Piper PA-31-310 Navajo Chieftains, and Fairchild-Swearingen Metro IIs.
Daily roundtrip revenue feeder flights are undertaken linking the company’s base with Fort Lauderdale, Walton Beach, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Caught up in recession and unable to recover start-up costs, the new entrant ceases operations in December 1983.
NATIONAL HELICOPTER CORPORATION: Republic Airport, CS 9100, Farmingdale, New York 11735, United States; Phone (516) 756-9355; Fax (516) 756-2694; Http://www. natheli. rotor. com; Year Founded 1968. NHC is established in 1968 to provide private and corporate charters, flight-seeing trips over New York City, courier and airport transfers, aerial photography, and aerial applications in agriculture. Revenue flights continue for the next 30 years.
By 2000, Operations Manager Andrew Ladouceur oversees the work of 20 pilots and schedules the company’s 2 Bell 206L LongRangers, Bell 206B JetRanger, and Eurocopter AS-355F Twinstar.
NATIONAL JET ITALIA, S. p.A.: Via Corona Boreale 86, Rome, 00054, Italy; Phone (06) 6587 41; Fax (06) 6587 452; Http://www. british-airways. com; Year Founded 2000. After a long gestation period begun early the previous year, arrangements are finally completed in the spring of 2000 between the Australian regional carrier National Jet System (Pty), Ltd. and British Airways, Ltd. (2) for the inauguration of a new BA franchise carrier, National Jet Italia, S. p.A. Shareholding in the new enterprise is divided between BA (1%), British Aerospace Systems (20%), and Magtibay, N. V., a Dutch holding company (70%); Sergio Bille is appointed CEO. Additionally, five former UNI Airways Corporation, Ltd. British Aerospace 146-300s acquired earlier are brought up to standard and painted in modified BA colors.
Employing the first available BAe, National Jet Italia, S. p.A. begins flying twice-daily roundtrips between Rome and Palermo on July 11. A second aircraft is delivered on July 16 and enters service on the route the next day, doubling frequencies to four per day. The 146-300s employed are configured for two classes, Club Europe (business) and Euro Traveler (economy). Service from Rome to Catania is promised for later in the year.
With the arrival of the fourth BAe 146-300 on October 19, return frequencies between Rome and Palermo are now offerd eight times weekly. Four-times-daily BAe 146-300 return flights from Rome to Catania commence on October 29. In late November, a pair of Boeing 737-300s, one each Dash-3S3 and Dash-3Q8 in full BA colors are wet-leased from British World Airlines, Ltd.
Arrangements are announced on December 4 for the initiation of twice-daily roundtrips from Rome to Athens beginning on January 1. The flights will be made with a pair of wet-leased British World Airlines, Ltd. Boeing 737s, one each Dash-3S3 and Dash-3Q8. The same aircraft will launch daily return service from Rome to Verona on February 1.
NATIONAL JET SYSTEMS (PTY.), LTD.: Level 9, Southgate House, 435 King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia; Phone 61 (8) 8304 5600; Fax 61 (8) 8304 5850; http:// Www. nationaljet. com. au; Code NC; Year Founded 1989. Established at Adelaide Airport under Managing Director Warren Seymour, National Jet is created in 1989 to operate charter services to domestic destinations. Principle shareholders are Jet Systems and Aedion Investments.
During the spring of 1990, a scheduled airline division is created to fly Australian Airlink services for Australian Airlines (Pty.), Ltd. Equipped with a fleet comprising 3 British Aerospace BAe 146-100s, 1 BAe 146-200QC, 1 Boeing 727-77C, and 1 Embraer EMB-110P1, the commuter begins services on July 1 between Brisbane and Mount Isa, Prosepine, and Canberra. Several light aircraft are also available, including an Israeli Aircraft Industries 1124A Westwind II and a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain. Services continue in 1991.
On January 9, 1992, founder Seymour sells a 50% stake in his concern to Lloyd Helicopters (Pty.), Ltd. The fleet is now revised; gone is the Boeing and in its place is another BAe 146-100 and a BAe 146-300QT. The latter is operated, beginning in December, for Australian Air Express on behalf of the Australian Post Office. AAE is formed by a merger of Australian Airlines Express and Australia Post Office Courier. Australian Airlines (Pty.), Ltd. is purchased into Qantas Airways (Pty.), Ltd. and National Jet now becomes its subsidiary.
In 1993, the fleet includes 4 BAe 146-100s and 1 each BAe 146-200QC, 146-300QT, 125-800B, de Havilland Canada DHC-8-103, and Westwind II. Flights continue over the same routes.
Four additional BAe 146-100s arrive in 1994, along with a second DHC-8-103. Managing Director Warren Seymour’s feeder service is renamed Qantas Airlink and additional destinations now served include Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Broome, Cairns, Darwin, Kalgoorlie, Kar-ratha, Mackay, Perth, and Rockampton.
A five-year lease extension for the BAe 146-200QC is signed during the first quarter of 1995. The BAe 146-300QT charter is resigned in April for three more years. Routes are opened, beginning in May, from Adelaide to Geraldton, Mac Arthur River, and Townsville. Two more DHC-8-103s join the fleet. In November, the decision is taken to return the BAe 146-200QC to Asset Management Organization, which will lease it to Air Jet, S. A. The aircraft is replaced by a BAe 146-100 pure-passenger model, chartered for six years.
In January 1996, NJS becomes Australian launch customer for the Avro RJ70. At the same time, one more DHC-8-103 enters service. The Avro is entered by year’s end, and is placed on the carrier’s contract service from Perth to Telfer operated on behalf of a mining concern. At the same time, a leased BAe Jetstream 41 is also acquired for contract work. By year’s end, airline employment stands at 800.
When merger discussions between Qantas Airways (Pty.), Ltd. and the management of Ansett New Zealand, Ltd. break down during the summer of 1997, the Australian major gives consideration of moving Nation’s BAe 146 fleet to New Zealand and entering the Kiwi domestic market directly.
Late in December 1998, NJS offers Ir?3.5 million ($3.7 million) over a seven-week period for a 60% stake in CityJet, Ltd. Plans are made to revamp the financially challenged Irish airline into a holding company in which a 40% interest would be owned by CityJet shareholders.
The NJS proposal also envisions the elimination of several routes from Dublin, including those to London (CTY) and East Midlands, and the reduction of the staff from 350 to 250.
On February 24, 1999, CityJet’s board of director’s, at the recommendation of senior management, rejects the offer, even though NJS has already paid a part of the purchase price.
In addition to the downsizing, concern exists that the arrangement will be blocked by European Union regulations prohibiting non-EU nations from holding majority shareholding in EU airlines.
Chris Jasper and Paul Phelan report in the March 10 issue of Flight International (“Alleged Rule Bending Stymies BA Plans to Start Italian Airline”) that the aborted package is part of a complicated secret enterprise between NJS, CityJet, and British Airways, Ltd. (2) to gain an existing air operator’s certificate. This would allow the launching of a BA franchise airline in Italy with five former UNI Airways Corporation, Ltd. BAe 146-300s that NJS would lease from Global Air Australia (Pty.), Ltd.
The plans for an Italian subsidiary have not, however, fallen through and are, in fact, only slightly set back. In June, NJS executives travel to Taiwan to complete preparations for delivery of the BAes from UNI Airways Corporation, Ltd., while flight and cabin crew are permitted to fly aboard CityJet, Ltd. aircraft in order to familiarize themselves with European service requirements.
Particularly attracted by the NJS contract held with the Australian Customs Service for maritime surveillance services, FR Aviation, Ltd. steps forward in December and purchases the carrier for A$62 million. The UNI BAe 146-300s arrive in England at the end of the year and are stored by the manufacturer at Woodford until NJS can complete preparations for the launch of its Italian subsidiary.
Passenger boardings this year rise 5.5% to 25,000.
At the beginning of 2000, NJS operates 12 BAe 146s (5 each Dash-100s and Dash-200s and 2 Dash-300s) on Qantas Airlink services. Destinations visited include Adelaide, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Broome, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Gove, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Mackay, Paraburdoo, Port Headland, Proserpine, Rockhampton, Tom Price, and Yulara. The Surveillance Australia wholly owned subsidiary continues to operate 13 aircraft, including DHC Dash-8-200 MPA and Cessna Reims F406s fitted with various kinds of sensors.
Government approval for the FR Aviation, Ltd. takeover is received in February. During the spring, arrangements are completed with British Airways, Ltd. (2) for the inauguration of the new Italian airline as the BA franchise carrier National Jet Italia, S. p.A. Additionally, the former UNI British Aerospace 146-300s are brought up to standard and painted in modified BA colors.
At the end of March, cofounder Rob Sherrard is appointed deputy CEO/chief operating officer of Virgin Australia, soon to be renamed Virgin Blue, Ltd.
National Jet Italia, S. p. A. begins flying four times daily between Rome and Palermo on July 11. The 146-300s employed are configured for two classes, Club Europe (business) and Euro Traveler (economy). Service from Rome to Catania is promised for later in the year.
NATIONAL JETS: 3485 SW 9th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33315, United States; Phone (954) 359-9900; Fax (954) 359-9500; Year Founded 1972. The executive charter operator National Jets is originally established as an FBO at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1972. Employing a fleet of 4 Gates Learjet 25s and 2 Cessna 402s, the non-scheduled carrier undertakes flights, beginning in 1980, to both domestic and international destinations. All-cargo and air ambulance flights will be added and a base set up at Phoenix.
Operations continue and in 2000 Thomas E. Boy is CEO and 10 pilots are employed. The fleet now includes 2 Learjet 35As, 1 Learjet 25D, 1 C-402B, and 1 Beech 18T freighter. A Learjet 25D is stationed at Phoenix, Arizona.
NATIONAL PARKS AIRWAYS: United States (1928-1937). After winning the Salt Lake City-Great Falls Contract Air Mail Route No. 26 (CAM-26) from the Post Office on December 30, 1927, Alfred Frank establishes an airmail transport company at Salt Lake City on March 2, 1928. Frank and his associates pledge $200,000 initial capitalization (later raised to $1.5 million), name the carrier National Parks Airways, and assign the contract to the airline on April 6. Following the completion of a new hanger, the partners purchase three new Fokker Model 8 Super Universals and two, later three, Stearman C3Bs.
After prepositioning the Fokkers at each end of the route, National Parks opens north-south and south-north mail and passenger service on August 1, flying via Ogden, Pocatelo, Idaho Falls, Butte, and Helena. The Stearmans fly only mail. A newly received fourth Super Universal crashes while landing at Pocatello, Idaho, on September 4 (one dead). Another Stearman C3B joins the fleet on October 13. Two additional Stearman C3Bs are acquired in 1930 and orders are placed for two Boeing 40B-4s, which are delivered on November 4, 1931.
Idaho Falls becomes a flag stop in 1932. An effort to obtain a subsidized route extension from Butte to Missoula and Billings is turned down by Postmaster General Walter F Brown, who grants a Billings extension to Northwest Airlines. During the summer of 1933, extensions are made from Butte to Livingston and from Great Falls to Havre. A Super Universal crashes at Pauline, Idaho, on November 28.
On February 9, 1934, all mail contracts are cancelled by the Post Office in wake of the perceived “Air Mail Scandal.” The U. S. Army Air Corps is ordered to fly the mail and a Senate committee holds hearings at which Frank is a star witness. During the six weeks of controversy, National Parks stops flying its Great Falls-Salt Lake City route.
With the military option a failure, the Post Office rebids the mail contracts at the end of March and opens the bids at the end of April. Meanwhile, in strict fulfillment of bidding requirements prohibiting applications from previous carriers, the company name is changed on December 1 to Salt Lake City-Great Falls Airline (Formerly National Parks Airways, Operated by Alfred Frank). A new contract is awarded to Mr. Frank on May 7, which he now sublets back to NPA. This move allows him to resume service on May 15.
During the fall, both Stearman mailplanes are sold, as orders are placed for new Boeing 247Ds. The company’s first modern airliner, a Boeing 247, enters service on November 1, having been leased from United Air Lines.
Two Boeing 247Ds arrive from United Air Lines in the final week of 1935. During the summer of 1936, it is decided that scenic visits to Yellowstone National Park will help increase revenues. To that end, an airstrip is built at West Yellowstone and a Boeing 80A-1 is leased from United Air Lines with which to begin hauling customers on August 1. The service is suspended in the fall. A Boeing 40B-4 is destroyed in a crash on December 31; no injuries are reported.
On June 25, 1937, Alfred Frank purchases Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-70 from Braniff Airways and has it modified for sight-seeing flights over the park. These are barely underway before the company, deep in financial difficulty for over a year, is sold to Western Air Lines on August 1.
World History
