Southern Airways
| Southern Airways | |
|---|---|
|
|
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| IATA code : | SO |
| ICAO code : | SO |
| Call sign : | SOUTHERN |
| Founding: | 1943 |
| Operation stopped: | 1979 |
| Seat: |
Atlanta , Georgia , United States
|
| Turnstile : | |
| Home airport : |
Atlanta International Airport , United States
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| Management: | Frank Hulse |
| Fleet size: | 37 |
| Aims: | national as well as Cayman Islands |
| Southern Airways ceased operations in 1979. The information in italics refer to the last status before the end of operation. | |
Southern Airways (shortened to Southern ) was an American regional airline with headquarters at Atlanta Airport .
history
1943 - foundation and first years
Southern Airways was founded by Frank Hulse in July 1943 , but did not start operating until June 10, 1949. Initially, the company, which was then based in Birmingham (Alabama) , only operated occasional flights (ad hoc charter). In May 1955 the company received a permanent operating license to start regional liner services . In 1959, the company flew 13 Douglas DC-3s to around 30 cities in the states of Alabama , Georgia , Florida , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , South Carolina and Tennessee .
By 1965, the number of destinations served had doubled and the company's headquarters were relocated to Atlanta International Airport. At that time the fleet consisted of 16 Douglas DC-3s and 20 Martin 4-0-4 . A year later, the company ordered its first three Douglas DC-9-10 jet aircraft . In early 1973 Southern Airways deployed 11 Douglas DC-9-10, 4 Douglas DC-9-30 and 17 Martin 4-0-4. In the same year the company acquired a further 13 Douglas DC-9-10s from Delta Air Lines .
1970s - difficulties
Southern Airways got into trouble in the late 1970s. Two incidents (Southern Airways Flight 932 and Southern Airways Flight 242 ) destroyed the airline's good safety record. Better highways like the interstate system and the increasing willingness of passengers to travel to more distant airports hurt Southern Airways. The dramatic price increases for kerosene in the 1970s ultimately made the routes no longer profitable.
From 1979 - mergers
On April 26, 1979, the US Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) approved the merger of Southern Airways with North Central Airlines to form Republic Airlines . The merger was completed on July 1, 1979.
Republic Airlines bought Hughes Airwest before being acquired by Northwest Airlines on October 1, 1986 , which in turn merged with Delta Air Lines in 2008 .
fleet
- Douglas DC-3
- Douglas DC-9-14, DC-9-15, DC-9-15F, DC-9-31, DC-9-32F
- Fairchild Swearingen Metro
- Martin 4-0-4
Incidents
- On November 14, 1970, a Douglas DC-9-31 was flown on a charter flight of Southern Airways ( aircraft registration number N97S ) shortly before landing due to falling below the decision height in poor visibility in a hill near Huntington . All 75 inmates died.
- On April 4, 1977, a DC-9-31 had to make an emergency landing on Southern Airways Flight 242 (registration number N1335U ) due to failure of both engines during a thunderstorm on a highway in Georgia. During the emergency landing, 62 people died on board the plane and eight people died in a gas station that was hit by the wreckage of the plane. One person each on the ground and one passenger died one and two months after the accident.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Flight International, March 20, 1975
- ^ Flight International, April 17, 1959
- ^ Flight International, April 15, 1965
- ^ Flight International, March 3, 1966
- ^ Flight International, April 5, 1973
- ↑ JP airline-fleets international, Edition 79