Air South
Encyclopedia
There were several airline
s in the United States
known as Air South.
operating out of Atlanta Municipal Airport
. Founded as Nationwide Airlines Southeast in 1968, it served a variety of destinations in Georgia
, Florida
, and South Carolina
. Its all-propeller
aircraft fleet included the Martin
4-0-4
as well as the Beechcraft 99
, one of which crashed near Monroe, Georgia
on July 6, 1969.
Turboprop
equipment was acquired during the early 1970s in the form of Fairchild Hiller F-27 and Beech 99 twin-engined airliners.
The crash of Air South Flight 168 was flown with a Beech 99 and crashed near Monroe, Georgia.
All 14 aboard were killed. The Passenger list is as follows:
Erwin Wood, Mapleton, GA/Pilot
Thomas Wagner, Forest Park, GA/Co-Pilot
Christopher Gibson, Spartanburg, SC
Nancy Griffin, Sumter, SC
Lee Hobart, Pontiac, IL
Mark Swaggart, Phoenix, AZ
Gregory Damron, Richmond, VA
Reba Roberts, Anderson, SC
William Vogel, Baltimore, MD
Col. James Winterbottome, Shaw AFB, SC
SSgt John Bickel, Shaw AFB, SC
A1C Michael Flynn, Shaw AFB, SC
Sgt Doulgas Swickard, Shaw AFB, SC
The aircraft was en route from Atlanta to Sumter, SC
In 1975 it was acquired along with Shawnee Airlines by Florida Airlines
. Florida Airlines went into rapid decline almost immediately with the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act
and ceased operations in 1978.
The later Air South (IATA: WV, ICAO: KKB, and Call sign: Khaki Blue) was a low-cost, high frequency, short haul airline based at Columbia Metropolitan Airport serving Columbia, South Carolina
and the Southeastern United States as far south as Miami and as far north as Baltimore. It operated from 1994 to 1997 using seven Boeing 737-200 aircraft to initially offer low cost, high frequency jet service, to smaller local markets rarely served with jet aircraft, using where possible, alternative airports such as St Petersburg. It had planned to operate to the alternative Orlando-Sanford airport (Orlando) and Fort Lauderdale Airport (Miami) and did operate for a short period to Baltimore (Washington). Later, new management canceled this low cost Southwest Airlines style strategy, and many of those markets, choosing instead to serve high cost more markets with low frequency service to New York (JFK and Newark) and Chicago, and to compete with the major airlines. This was a financial disaster which drove up the low seat mile costs at its first operating year end (8.5 cents) to as a high as 13 cents in 1997.
The first startup airline partially financed by South Carolina, Air South also boasted initial equity investment from its founders and directors, and local citizens. It had the support of South Carolina Governor Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. and Columbia mayor Bob Coble. As a condition of its low cost state loans, it hired several hundred local staff in Columbia, a highly successful project.
Unlike some startup airlines, it also supported the travel agent distribution system and was listed in all Global Distribution Systems [1]. The basic strategy, aircraft type and seating, in-flight service and philosophy mirrored that of Southwest Airlines, not then operating in the region. Its initial plan was to operate through its base at Columbia to:
Jacksonville, Florida
;
Miami, Florida
;
St. Petersburg, Florida
;
Tallahassee, Florida
;
Tampa, Florida
;
Atlanta, Georgia
;
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina;
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
;
Norfolk, Virginia
;
Baltimore, Maryland
And then, as additional aircraft became available to add Jackson (Miss), Mobile (Ala), Birmingham (Ala), Nashville (Tenn), New Orleans and similar cities in the Southeast USA
The airline
's experiment of seeking debt financing from the state and local governments was strongly criticized by a very negative local press, a most unusual reaction when an airline increases air service to a market. This, even after its first profitable month occurred in its first year of operations, something not even achieved by Southwest Airlines during its startup. This drumbeat of negative news in turn heavily impacted local confidence in using its service.
After a promising start, the new management change in strategy to focus on longer haul travel to major cities in the Mid West and Northeast, resulted in many flight delays and cancellations on the heavily competitive routes to New York and Chicago where winter weather always impacts flight operations. At one point it had to contract Viscount Airlines, a charter operator with scheduled authority, to cover some of its flights. Its ability to obtain additional aircraft to reduce unit costs was then also impacted. While the state debt service costs were reasonable, conditions were onerous, severely restricting its operational flexibility. Following the Valujet accident in Florida in 1996 startup carriers had many operational restrictions imposed on them by the FAA resulting in further increasing unit costs. This resulted in the failure of many airlines and even the merger of the highly successful Valujet itself.
Air South ceased operations on August 28, 1997 having lost $60 million , including $12 million debt financing from the state of South Carolina and some $1.5 million each from the City of Columbia and counties, and the equity investments of its founders, local investors and employees, and the professional investors who followed.
Southwest Airlines
shortly afterwards started operations in, and to most of the Florida cities in the original Air South plan and adding most other routes over time, with the exception of Atlanta and Columbia itself. They have since reported that this was the one of their most successful service starts to a new region.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
known as Air South.
1968-1975
Air South was a regional airlineRegional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
operating out of Atlanta Municipal Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
. Founded as Nationwide Airlines Southeast in 1968, it served a variety of destinations in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Its all-propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
aircraft fleet included the Martin
Glenn L. Martin Company
The Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
4-0-4
Martin 4-0-4
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979, pp. 95, 217. ISBN 0-904597-22-9....
as well as the Beechcraft 99
Beechcraft Model 99
|-See also:-External links:*...
, one of which crashed near Monroe, Georgia
Monroe, Georgia
Monroe is a city in Walton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 13,381 at the 2008 census. The city is the county seat of Walton County, Georgia.-Geography:Monroe is located at ....
on July 6, 1969.
Turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
equipment was acquired during the early 1970s in the form of Fairchild Hiller F-27 and Beech 99 twin-engined airliners.
The crash of Air South Flight 168 was flown with a Beech 99 and crashed near Monroe, Georgia.
All 14 aboard were killed. The Passenger list is as follows:
Erwin Wood, Mapleton, GA/Pilot
Thomas Wagner, Forest Park, GA/Co-Pilot
Christopher Gibson, Spartanburg, SC
Nancy Griffin, Sumter, SC
Lee Hobart, Pontiac, IL
Mark Swaggart, Phoenix, AZ
Gregory Damron, Richmond, VA
Reba Roberts, Anderson, SC
William Vogel, Baltimore, MD
Col. James Winterbottome, Shaw AFB, SC
SSgt John Bickel, Shaw AFB, SC
A1C Michael Flynn, Shaw AFB, SC
Sgt Doulgas Swickard, Shaw AFB, SC
The aircraft was en route from Atlanta to Sumter, SC
In 1975 it was acquired along with Shawnee Airlines by Florida Airlines
Florida Airlines
Florida Airlines was a commuter airline based in Florida that operated from 1960 to 1982. It is said to have had the largest Douglas DC3 fleet in the world in 1976Airline deregulation eventually resulted in the demise of the airline.- Fleet :...
. Florida Airlines went into rapid decline almost immediately with the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act
Airline Deregulation Act
The Airline Deregulation Act is a United States federal law signed into law on October 24, 1978. The main purpose of the act was to remove government control over fares, routes and market entry from commercial aviation...
and ceased operations in 1978.
1994-1997
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
and the Southeastern United States as far south as Miami and as far north as Baltimore. It operated from 1994 to 1997 using seven Boeing 737-200 aircraft to initially offer low cost, high frequency jet service, to smaller local markets rarely served with jet aircraft, using where possible, alternative airports such as St Petersburg. It had planned to operate to the alternative Orlando-Sanford airport (Orlando) and Fort Lauderdale Airport (Miami) and did operate for a short period to Baltimore (Washington). Later, new management canceled this low cost Southwest Airlines style strategy, and many of those markets, choosing instead to serve high cost more markets with low frequency service to New York (JFK and Newark) and Chicago, and to compete with the major airlines. This was a financial disaster which drove up the low seat mile costs at its first operating year end (8.5 cents) to as a high as 13 cents in 1997.
The first startup airline partially financed by South Carolina, Air South also boasted initial equity investment from its founders and directors, and local citizens. It had the support of South Carolina Governor Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. and Columbia mayor Bob Coble. As a condition of its low cost state loans, it hired several hundred local staff in Columbia, a highly successful project.
Unlike some startup airlines, it also supported the travel agent distribution system and was listed in all Global Distribution Systems [1]. The basic strategy, aircraft type and seating, in-flight service and philosophy mirrored that of Southwest Airlines, not then operating in the region. Its initial plan was to operate through its base at Columbia to:
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
;
Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
;
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
;
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
;
Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
;
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
;
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina;
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
;
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
;
Baltimore, Maryland
And then, as additional aircraft became available to add Jackson (Miss), Mobile (Ala), Birmingham (Ala), Nashville (Tenn), New Orleans and similar cities in the Southeast USA
The airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
's experiment of seeking debt financing from the state and local governments was strongly criticized by a very negative local press, a most unusual reaction when an airline increases air service to a market. This, even after its first profitable month occurred in its first year of operations, something not even achieved by Southwest Airlines during its startup. This drumbeat of negative news in turn heavily impacted local confidence in using its service.
After a promising start, the new management change in strategy to focus on longer haul travel to major cities in the Mid West and Northeast, resulted in many flight delays and cancellations on the heavily competitive routes to New York and Chicago where winter weather always impacts flight operations. At one point it had to contract Viscount Airlines, a charter operator with scheduled authority, to cover some of its flights. Its ability to obtain additional aircraft to reduce unit costs was then also impacted. While the state debt service costs were reasonable, conditions were onerous, severely restricting its operational flexibility. Following the Valujet accident in Florida in 1996 startup carriers had many operational restrictions imposed on them by the FAA resulting in further increasing unit costs. This resulted in the failure of many airlines and even the merger of the highly successful Valujet itself.
Air South ceased operations on August 28, 1997 having lost $60 million , including $12 million debt financing from the state of South Carolina and some $1.5 million each from the City of Columbia and counties, and the equity investments of its founders, local investors and employees, and the professional investors who followed.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
shortly afterwards started operations in, and to most of the Florida cities in the original Air South plan and adding most other routes over time, with the exception of Atlanta and Columbia itself. They have since reported that this was the one of their most successful service starts to a new region.
Other airlines by same name
- Ex-Airline in US taken over
- 1981-1982 - small commuter airline based in MobileMobile, AlabamaMobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... - 1986-1987 - small commuter airline based in HomesteadHomestead, FloridaHomestead is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area....
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...