Throwbacks

With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990, the Russian aviation corporations had seen the end of the communist rule as a way to start new airlines to compete against the government backed Aeroflot. Utilizing old Soviet airframes, Atlant-Soyuz Airlines was born. The airline started in 1993 focusing on the ability to provide domestic […]

Today, the town of Bournemouth, on the south coast of the UK is known for the Little Premier League team of AFC Bournemouth and for their miles of beaches. However, five years ago the town was home to an airline that had been rated third for best short-haul airline in the world. The airline was […]

Air Aruba’s history began in September 1986 when the company was formed as a ground handling agent for airlines in Aruba. However, after about two years and with assistance from KLM, the airline took flight with a YS-11 turboprop, operating flight between Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and Caracas. The carrier had a superior reputation for excellent customer service, […]

AeroGal, formed under the original name of Aerolíneas Galapagos S.A., started service in 1986 with the goal of flying throughout the Galapagos Islands. The airline started with two Dornier DO-28s while also flying charter flights in Eastern Ecuador. Through the rest of the 1980s, the carrier expanded its Ecuadorian presence allowing for flights to Quito […]

In 1981, Israeli Morris Nachtomi emigrated from Israel to the United States. For the previous 30 years, Nachtomi had worked for the Israeli state airline El Al. When he arrived in America, Nachtomi joined the Tower Travel Corporation. The tour package operator had been founded in the 1970s to help promote low-cost travel to Israel […]

Australian regional carrier East-West Airlines first took flight in 1947 from Tamworth, New South Wales, and charted a long course for success. Within the decade prior to its downfall, the airline had become the third largest domestic carrier in the country. The carrier’s first service was operated with a Tiger Moth aircraft, which operated scheduled […]

Virgin Nigeria was formed in 2004 after the Nigerian flag carrier Nigeria Airways went bankrupt in 2003. The airline was formed with Nigerian private investors and Virgin Group taking a 50% split each in the airline. The airline was focused on providing regional service for the Nigerian people, with hopes of expansion after gaining popularity. […]

In 2002, Scottish brothers John and Hugh Boyle founded Zoom Airlines to fill a gap in the Canadian leisure market. The brothers founded the airline with previous experience from their homeland. The two had founded a successful holiday company, named Falcon Holidays. This became a success in Scotland and was eventually sold off to a […]

Puerto Rican airline Caribair, commenced operations in 1939, eventually going on to serve a wide variety of Caribbean Islands. Popular with both locals and tourists alike, Caribair was the first Puerto Rican airline to operate jet airplanes on regularly scheduled passenger routes, giving their few but important DC-9s special status. The carrier took flight as Caribbean […]

Air Inter was formed in 1958 as a way to provide domestic travel to French citizens without paying the high costs that were seen after World War II by Air France. The low-cost carrier was created by the French government with Air France and the French railway SNCF being the two largest shareholders, combining for […]