Would an airline owned and run by a pilot or pilots work?

[mudkow60]

Are there any airlines owned by ex-pilots? If not, with all the apparently "odd" business decisions being made by higher-ups, doesn't this seem like it would be a smart idea?

Reason I ask is that I used to rent airplanes from a place in AZ that was owned by a pilot or pilots (SWA I think). Things seemed to work and be run efficiently and all very pilot friendly.

 

[dispatchguy]

Pilots did try it, once


Called it Kiwi International Airlines; out of EWR; B727s up and down the east coast

Failed miserably.

Pilots should stick to just flying airplanes; I'll stick to just dispatching

 

[Icelandair]

You'd be underbid by mesa in about 2 weeks if you tried such an experiment.

 

[FN FAL]

Soon, all restaraunts will be Taco Bell.

.....

 

[TonyC]

Would an airline owned and run by a pilot or pilots work?

Does the name Eddie Rickenbacker ring a bell?






.

 

[Lead Sled]

Would an airline owned and run by a pilot or pilots work?

I'd just love to see one run by non-pilots that worked.

Sled

 

[FoxHunter]

Pilots did try it, once


Called it Kiwi International Airlines; out of EWR; B727s up and down the east coast

Failed miserably.

Pilots should stick to just flying airplanes; I'll stick to just dispatching

Before Kiwi there was Pride Air, started by ex Continental strikers, 727s, hub KMSY, lasted less than 6 months if I recall.

Never invest with a Pilot or fly with a Doctor.

 

[schafjet]

Sun Country Airlines in its younger days was started and run by ex Braniff pilots and Flight attendants. Seemed to work great back then (great profit sharing checks), but then they sold to a banker who then sold to Mark travel out of Wis. who ran it into the ground. Now the new Sun Country is out of bankruptcy and is run by a mix of investors which include a few ex Braniff people again. Things seem to be going well again or as well as can be expected in this industry. So it seems that in this case pilots and flight attendants have had a positive hand in the business, but time will tell.

 

[blahblah]

Publishers??

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

How about Frank Borman, Pilot/Astronaut.....

When pilots talk about the airline industry, it's economics and management it's like reading a tabloid.

Pilots fly airplanes incredibly well. And that is about it.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

United Airlines: Employee Owned.

 

[CE402]

A pilot who owns or runs an airline is a businessman first and a pilot second. All of his or her decisions will reflect this fact.

 

[typhoonpilot]

How about Juan Trippe, Howard Hughes, Gordon Bethune, and the last guy to run TWA ?


A lot of airlines were started or run at some point by pilots. Some have morphed into other carriers, some have failed, some have succeeeded. A pilot would have a bit more operational knowledge of an airline and may treat the employees better, but he would still need to have a good head for business.



TP

 

[bobs98tlr]

I was on my way back from Idaho on a flight from Salt Lake city to DFW on an AA MD-80 and talked with a lady whos husband retired from TWA with 28 years of serivce. He was apart " USA Africa Airways." I was shocked because when i was growning up i lived right next to AFW. My dad worked out there and i remember watching the MD-11's (leased or bought i dont know, but they had 3 of AA's Ex MD-11's) with the new paint making touch and goes. The airline didnt last long, 6 months i think.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

I believe Joel Hall, the gentleman who started up Chautauqua Airlines in Jamestown, NY in 1973 was a pilot for Allegheny Airlines at the time.

The airline started with service to Pittsburgh and Buffalo (feeding Allegheny) with 2 Beech 99s.