Throwbacks

In the late 1980s, Partnair was flying the Norwegian skies, becoming the fifth largest airline in Norway by revenue. The airline was founded in 1968 as Paralift Air Service by a group of parachuters to own and operate an aircraft so that they did not have to rent. The service began with a Cessna 180 […]

With British West Indies Airways removing its island hopping service in the 1990s, new carriers started to pop up. One of these new carriers was the Antigua and Barbuda based Caribbean Star Airlines. The carrier started operations in the eastern portion of the Caribbean in June 2000 with the use of Bombardier Dash 8 turboprops. […]

Headquartered in Terre Haute, Ind., Britt Airways established operations in 1964, and for over three decades, lived primarily off of codeshare partnerships while serving numerous cities in Indiana and several surrounding states. Throughout their history, the airline flew a vast variety of aircraft. Initially starting out with the Beechcraft 99 in 1971, their fleet would […]

The first airline of Cyprus took off for its inaugural flight 69 years ago in April of 1948, after being established just a few months before in September of 1947. The airline started off with three Douglas DC-3s and continued to expand with the addition of more aircraft and new routes during the 1950s. By […]

Strategic Airlines was founded in the early 1990s as an Australia based cargo operator. The airline started operations in 1991 and specialized in using old Soviet aircraft for charter flights and Boeing 747s for cargo flights. In some cases, the carrier worked alongside the Australian government, which prompted the addition of the Airbus A330 to […]

For years Braathens plowed the Norwegian skies as the largest domestic carrier in the country. The airline was founded in 1946 by Ludvig Braathens, as a subsidiary of his shipping company, Braganza. The airline was originally named Braathens South American and Far East Air Transport, or shortened to Braathens SAFE. His original plan for the […]

Founded in 1962, Air Mauritanie was once the national airline of Mauritania, and experienced several decades of glory before hitting hardship and ultimately being replaced. During their history, however, the airline expanded a great distance beyond domestic borders. Initially, the airline operated leased DC-3s. Over the years, their fleet would expand to include a Nord […]

While many carriers start with a vision and operational aircraft, Legend Airlines started with a vision and a court case. T. Allan McArtor, a former FAA employee, wanted to bypass the Wright Amendment and fly between Dallas Love Field and the coasts, which was strictly prohibited under the law. However, the Wright Amendment also didn’t […]

In 1994, the holding company for Mesaba Airlines, AirTran Corporation, purchased a start-up carrier called Conquest Sun. Conquest Sun was formed from former Eastern employees and operated with Boeing 737-200 aircraft. After the purchase, the airline was renamed to AirTran Airways, and their headquarters was moved from Minnesota to Orlando. In the first year, the […]

In 1977, the presence of a new red and white livery marked the launch of Aero Virgin Islands Corp. into the Caribbean market. The airline would go on to survive a brief 13 years before being overcome by a multitude of problems and hardships, despite what could appear as an advantageous route network for Caribbean […]