Chalk's International Airlines
| Chalk's International Airlines | |
|---|---|
|
|
| IATA code : | OP |
| ICAO code : | CHK |
| Call sign : | CHALKS |
| Founding: | 1917 |
| Operation stopped: | 2007 |
| Seat: |
Fort Lauderdale , United States
|
| Home airport : | Fort Lauderdale Airport |
| Fleet size: | 2 |
| Aims: | National and international |
| Chalk's International Airlines ceased operations in 2007. The information in italics refer to the last status before the end of operation. | |
Chalk's International Airlines (formerly Chalk's Ocean Airways ) was founded in 1919 by Arthur B Chalk and was the oldest surviving airline in the United States until September 30, 2007. At the time, the airline's headquarters were in Miami , before being relocated to the headland of Watson Island a short time later, in 1926 .
Flight operations
Up until the end of flight operations, more than 50% of the passengers were tourists who were flown to sunny beaches and gamblers' paradises. In addition to the Bahamas , destinations such as Paradise Island were among the most important goals of society. After the terrorist attacks in 2001, however, water takeoffs and landings were banned, forcing Chalk's Ocean Airways to establish a base at Fort Lauderdale Airport . In September 2005, Chalk's Ocean Airways was able to resume seaplane operations from Miami.
15 pilots flew two Grumman G-73T Turbo Mallards , another (built in 1947) crashed into the water due to inadequate maintenance and insufficient supervision by the FAA by demolishing a wing on December 19, 2005 on its way to the Bahamas near Miami Beach . Two crew members and 18 passengers were killed in the accident.
The U.S. Department of Transportation revoked the license to fly on September 30, 2007.
Chalk's claimed to be one of the oldest continuously operating airlines in the world: Started with flight operations in 1917 and the start of scheduled flights in February 1919, the company only interrupted operations for three years during World War II and two days during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and eleven months because of the accident on December 19, 2005. The title of oldest continuously operating airline is usually awarded to KLM from the Netherlands.
fleet
(As of March 2007)
