Falcon Air Express is an airline

Airline

An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...

 based in Miami

Miami, Florida

Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It operated charter services and wet-leasing of aircraft. Its main base is Miami International Airport

Miami International Airport

Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...

. Falcon Air sub-contracts for Venezuelan carrier Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela

Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela

Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela, normally referred to as just Aeropostal, is a flag carrier and the national airline of Venezuela also an airline based in Torre Polar Oeste in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates domestic services and international services in the Caribbean...

. Although the airline filed for bankruptcy in May 2006, they continue to operate one MD-80 aircraft for Aeropostal, flying for the Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

, universities, tour operators, cruise line groups as well as international carriers like Bahamasair

Bahamasair

Bahamasair Holdings Limited, operating as Bahamasair, is an airline based in the Bahamasair House in Nassau, Bahamas. It is the national airline and operates domestic scheduled services to 15 destinations and regional scheduled services to Havana and four cities in Florida. Its main base is Lynden...

 and Cayman Airways

Cayman Airways

Cayman Airways is the national flag carrier of the Cayman Islands. With its head office in Grand Cayman, it operates mainly as an international and domestic scheduled passenger carrier, with cargo services available on all routes...

.

History

The airline was established in 1995 and started operations in March 1996. It was privately owned and was founded by Emilio Dirube (President and Chief Executive). It was certified as a US domestic airline in 1998, operating the Boeing 727-200 to mostly Caribbean destinations. Falcon is a 14 CFR part 121 Air Carrier with Domestic, Flag and Supplemental Authority.

On 11 May 2006 Falcon Air Express filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and laid off 73 of its 169 employees. Falcon will now fly with one remaining MD-82 and one MD-83 aircraft. The airline will continue to fly with a reduced fleet as it works to reorganize, said Brian Rich, a bankruptcy lawyer for Berger Singerman, which represented Falcon Air. Falcon Air Express flies 5 MD-83's and will be adding a sixth this summer with more to follow. Falcon Air Express is one of the few Part 121 Airlines to have earned Argus Gold standing. Now back up to over 150 employees a solid business model is working for a promising future.