Air New Orleans

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An Air New Orleans Beechcraft C-99

Air New Orleans was a regional commercial airline founded by attorney Tony Jobe in 1981 in Panama City, Florida and headquartered in Birmingham from 1986 until it shut down in 1988. During those two years it was part of the Continental Express regional carrier network.

Originally the service connected New Orleans with Destin, Florida. As it grew, it continued to serve mainly Gulf Coast destinations. By the mid-1980s the airline used Birmingham International Airport and New Orleans International Airport as hubs, with flights to 22 cities in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The company operated eight Beechcraft C-99s, five Piper commuter craft, and four British Aerospace Jetstream 31s. At its peak it employed 289 people to operate 120 regularly-scheduled flights.

On May 26, 1987 an Air New Orleans-operated Continental Express Flight 962 from New Orleans to Eglin Air Force Base crashed just after takeoff. The BAe Jetstream 31 with 11 people on board crashed through the runway fence and onto Airline Highway, injuring two people on the ground. Crew error was blamed for the incident.

Air New Orleans filed for bankruptcy protection in January 1988 and ceased operations on June 17 of that year. Jobe blamed Continental Airlines for unlawful efforts to drive his airline out of business. His suit against Continental, which was itself in bankruptcy proceedings, resulted in a settlement.

External links

References

  • "La.-based commuter airline moving to Birmingham." (January 5, 1986) The Baton Rouge Advocate
  • Hunt, Jennifer C. (May 27, 1987) "Plane bounces into traffic at Kenner, 13 hurt." The Baton Rouge Advocate
  • "Air New Orleans closes down; 95 jobs eventually will go." (June 18, 1988) The Baton Rouge Advocate