Sunbird Airlines
Encyclopedia
Sunbird Airlines, "The Carolina Connection", was founded in Denver, North Carolina
in 1979.
Operating the Cessna 402
, and later the Cessna 404
aircraft, the company shared equipment, operations, maintenance and facilities with parent company Mountain Air Cargo
. In 1983, Sunbird acquired the Beechcraft C99 turboprop aircraft, and was the launch customer for the -C model (larger baggage pod, etc). Also in 1983, Mountain Air acquired Atlanta Express Airlines, and merged this operation with that of Sunbird.
Sunbird was only marginally successful those initial years, managing only because of the shared facilities of the parent. Through the various cycles of the parent company, the decision was made in late 1983 to divest the Sunbird operation to Roy Hagerty. Mr Hagerty had financing, and previous airline experience, he being one of the creators of Southeastern Airlines
. That company later was absorbed into the company now known as Atlantic Southeast Airlines
. On the completion of the Sunbird purchase, Hagerty moved the entire Sunbird operation to the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
in Charlotte, NC.
Under the period of Hagerty ownership, the Company was known as Sunbird Airlines 1984, Inc. With the Hagerty leadership, a program of aggressive growth began. New cities were added, and the acquisition of Short 330 aircraft began. 1n 1985, a code-sharing agreement was reached with Piedmont Airlines
for Sunbird to begin operations as Piedmont Commuter at the Charlotte Piedmont hub. At this time, the "Sunbird" radio callsign was lost to history, and the Sunbird/Piedmont Commuter flights were under the "Carolina" call. In 1987, the company was renamed CCAir
.
Denver, North Carolina
Denver, formerly known as "Dry Pond," is an unincorporated community located in Lincoln County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is situated on North Carolina State Highway 16 on the west side of Lake Norman on the Catawba River...
in 1979.
Operating the Cessna 402
Cessna 402
The Cessna 401 and 402 are series of 6 to 10 place, light twin, piston engine aircraft. This line was manufactured by Cessna from 1966 to 1985 under the name Utiliner and Businessliner...
, and later the Cessna 404
Cessna 404
|-See also:-External links:* *...
aircraft, the company shared equipment, operations, maintenance and facilities with parent company Mountain Air Cargo
Mountain Air Cargo
Mountain Air Cargo is an American cargo airline based in Denver, North Carolina, USA. It is a major contract carrier for FedEx Express, operating in the eastern USA and the Caribbean. Previous operations in South America have been discontinued by FedEx who now operate jet aircraft in that area. Its...
. In 1983, Sunbird acquired the Beechcraft C99 turboprop aircraft, and was the launch customer for the -C model (larger baggage pod, etc). Also in 1983, Mountain Air acquired Atlanta Express Airlines, and merged this operation with that of Sunbird.
Sunbird was only marginally successful those initial years, managing only because of the shared facilities of the parent. Through the various cycles of the parent company, the decision was made in late 1983 to divest the Sunbird operation to Roy Hagerty. Mr Hagerty had financing, and previous airline experience, he being one of the creators of Southeastern Airlines
Southeastern Airlines
Southeastern Airlines was a regional airline that was acquired by Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a Delta Connection carrier, on April 1, 1983. It was formed in 1982 by Atlanta entrepreneur Michael J...
. That company later was absorbed into the company now known as Atlantic Southeast Airlines
Atlantic Southeast Airlines
Atlantic Southeast Airlines is an American airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia, flying to 144 destinations as a Delta Connection carrier and, as of February 2010, commenced service as a United Express carrier. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. ASA operates...
. On the completion of the Sunbird purchase, Hagerty moved the entire Sunbird operation to the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...
in Charlotte, NC.
Under the period of Hagerty ownership, the Company was known as Sunbird Airlines 1984, Inc. With the Hagerty leadership, a program of aggressive growth began. New cities were added, and the acquisition of Short 330 aircraft began. 1n 1985, a code-sharing agreement was reached with Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines is an American regional airline operating for US Airways Express. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the US Airways Group, headquartered in unincorporated Wicomico County, Maryland, near the city of Salisbury, it conducts flight operations using De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft...
for Sunbird to begin operations as Piedmont Commuter at the Charlotte Piedmont hub. At this time, the "Sunbird" radio callsign was lost to history, and the Sunbird/Piedmont Commuter flights were under the "Carolina" call. In 1987, the company was renamed CCAir
CCAir
CCAir, Inc. was a regional airline headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.CCAir was created in 1987 when Sunbird Airlines was renamed. Operating as a Piedmont Commuter / USAir Express code-sharing partner, its radio call sign was "Carolina". The CC stood for Carolina Commuter...
.
Cities Served
- Asheville, North CarolinaAsheville, North CarolinaAsheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
- Athens, GeorgiaAthens, GeorgiaAthens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
- Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta 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...
- Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
- Columbia, South CarolinaColumbia, South CarolinaColumbia 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...
- Durham, North CarolinaDurham, North CarolinaDurham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
- Fayetteville, North CarolinaFayetteville, North CarolinaFayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
- Florence, South CarolinaFlorence, South Carolina-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
- Greenville, North CarolinaGreenville, North CarolinaGreenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain and in 2008 was listed as the Tenth Largest City in North Carolina...
- Hickory, North CarolinaHickory, North CarolinaHickory is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina. Hickory has the 162nd largest urban area in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 341,851, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. The city's population was 37,222...
- Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaHilton Head Island, South CarolinaHilton Head Island or Hilton Head is a resort town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is north of Savannah, Georgia, and south of Charleston. The island gets its name from Captain William Hilton...
- Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, FloridaJacksonville 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...
- Kinston, North CarolinaKinston, North CarolinaKinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
- Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, VirginiaNorfolk 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....
- Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
- Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
- Roanoke Rapids, North CarolinaRoanoke Rapids, North CarolinaRoanoke Rapids is a city in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 16,957 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Roanoke Rapids Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- Rocky Mount, North CarolinaRocky Mount, North CarolinaRocky Mount is an All-America City Award-winning city in Edgecombe and Nash counties in the coastal plains of the state of North Carolina. Although it was not formally incorporated until February 28, 1867, the North Carolina community that became the city of Rocky Mount dates from the beginning of...
- Tri-Cities, TennesseeTri-Cities, TennesseeIn Tennessee and Virginia the name "Tri-Cities" refers to the region comprising the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol and the surrounding smaller towns and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia...
- Wilson, North CarolinaWilson, North CarolinaWilson is a city and the county seat of Wilson County in the Coastal Plain region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The 18th largest city in the state, Wilson had a population of 49,167 according to the 2010 census.- Geography :...
- Winston-Salem, North CarolinaWinston-Salem, North CarolinaWinston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...