Florida Express
Florida low-cost carrier (1984-1988)
| |||||||
| Founded | 24 January 1983 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 26 January 1984 (1984-01-26) | ||||||
| Operating bases | Orlando International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | See Fleet below | ||||||
| Destinations | See Destinations below | ||||||
| Headquarters | Orlando, Florida, United States | ||||||
| Key people | Gordon Linkon | ||||||
| Employees | 385 (1985) | ||||||
Florida Express was an airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida, United States. Orlando International Airport (MCO) served as the airline's hub with a point-to-point linear route system in the eastern U.S. and Florida. Established in 1984,[1] the air carrier operated a small fleet consisting exclusively of British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven twin jet aircraft and employed approximately 385 employees in 1985.[2] It was incorporated in Delaware on January 24, 1983[3] and received its economic certificate from the Civil Aeronautics Board exactly a year later on January 24, 1984.[4] First flight was January 26, 1984 and it was co-founded and led by Gordon Linkon, a former Midway Airlines president and Frontier Airlines executive.[5] The airline completed an initial public offering on October 16, 1985, raising $13mm.[6] The airline's toll-free phone number was 1-800-FAST-JET.[7]
On October 28, 1987, the second incarnation of Braniff announced its acquisition of Florida Express in a deal worth $20mm (over $50mm in 2024 dollars).[8] After government approvals, the deal closed on April 19, 1988.[9] However, before the deal closed, from January 15, 1988 onward, Florida Express flew for Braniff under the name Braniff Express.[10]
Fleet
1987-88 World Airline Fleets (copyright 1987) lists the Air Florida fleet as follows:[11]
- 6 BAC 1-11-201AC
- 9 BAC 1-11-203AE
- 3 BAC 1-11-401AK
- 1 BAC 1-11-414AE
The 203AE series aircraft were originally delivered to Braniff International Airways,[12] the US trunk carrier that ceased operation in 1982, a separate but related carrier from the Braniff that bought Florida Express.
January 1984 Destinations
The following destination information is taken from the January 26, 1984 Florida Express system timetable:[13]
April 1986 Destinations
The following destination information is taken from the April 27, 1986 Florida Express system timetable:[14]
- Alabama
- Birmingham (BHM)
- Florida
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- Miami (MIA)
- Orlando (MCO - Hub)
- St. Petersburg/Clearwater/Tampa (PIE)
- West Palm Beach (PBI)
- Indiana
- Indianapolis (IND)
- Kentucky
- Cincinnati, Ohio (CVG)
- Louisville (SDF)
- Louisiana
- New Orleans (MSY)
- Ohio (for Cincinnati, see Kentucky)
- Columbus (CMH)
- Pennsylvania
- Harrisburg (MDT)
- Wilkes-Barre / Scranton (AVP)[15]
- Tennessee
See also
References
- ^ Florida Express, Sunshine Skies, retrieved August 12, 2018
- ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 30, 1985. 78." Retrieved on June 17, 2009.
- ^ "Open Corporates record for Delaware incorporation of Florida Express". opencorporates.com. Open Corporates. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ "Florida Express, Fitness Investigation". Civil Aeronautics Board Reports. 105: 389–392. November 1983 – January 1984. hdl:2027/osu.32437000534046.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date format (link) - ^ Florida Express From the Ground Up, Orlando Sentinel, July 9, 1984
- ^ Florida Express stock stale misses target by $3 million, Orlando Sentinel, October 17, 1985
- ^ "1987 - Ad for Florida Express Airlines" (video). youtube.com. TheClassicSports. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ Braniff, Florida Express announce merger plans, Orlando Sentinel, October 29, 1987
- ^ Florida Express no more - It's Braniff from now on, Orlando Sentinel, April 20, 1988
- ^ Braniff, Florida Express have a date at the altar, Palm Beach Post, April 18, 1988
- ^ Gunter G. Endres (1987). 1987-88 World Airline Fleets. Feltham, Middlesex, UK: Browcom Publishing. p. 170. ISBN 0946141304.
- ^ Malcolm L. Hill (1999). BAC One-Eleven. Ramsbury, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press. p. 187. ISBN 1861262191.
- ^ January 26, 1984 Florida Express timetable
- ^ April 27, 1986 Florida Express timetable
- ^ newspaper/timetable
Norwood, Tom (1996). Deregulation Knockouts: Round One. Sand Point, Idaho: Airways International. p. 86. ISBN 9780965399302.
External links
"1987 - Ad for Florida Express Airlines" (video). youtube.com. TheClassicSports. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
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