Metro Airlines
Encyclopedia
Metro Airlines, originally Houston Metro Airlines, was a commuter airline that was originally headquartered in Houston, Texas
, United States
, while at a later time it was headquartered on the grounds of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
and in Grapevine, Texas
. Metro evolved into an airline holding
firm
with the acquisition of a number of different airlines.
In 1972 the airline carried between 90,000 and 100,000 passengers per year. It displayed a profit of $156,510 U.S. dollars in an eight-month period.
In 1978 Metro enters the "stand up widebody cabin age" when the first orders for 5 Shorts 330
's are announced. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1978/1978%20-%202798.html These aircraft would be used to complement the Twin Otters already in use, upon higher demand routes, and offered far more comfortable seating for passengers and required Metro to make provisions for flight attendant
s to join the ranks of the regional airline
.
In 1982 Metro purchased Frontier airlines Convair 580 fleet.
Metro Airlines operated out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport under the American Eagle Airlines
brand beginning on November 1, 1984. In 1985 the airline announced that it would end service to Houston Intercontinental Airport (now George Bush Intercontinental Airport
).
airline, Metro Airlines off and formed a holding company of airlines. Among the "airline holdings" acquired by Metro were:
airline and the regional
during the middle part of the 1980s.
at Beaumont, TX on May 20, 1983.
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19830520-1
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, while at a later time it was headquartered on the grounds of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, and is the busiest airport in the U.S. state of Texas...
and in Grapevine, Texas
Grapevine, Texas
Grapevine is a city in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census the city population was 46,334. The city's moniker is derived from the native grapes prevalent in the area. In recent years several wineries have...
. Metro evolved into an airline holding
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
firm
Firm
A firm is a business.Firm or The Firm may also refer to:-Organizations:* Hooligan firm, a group of unruly football fans* The Firm, Inc., a talent management company* Fair Immigration Reform Movement...
with the acquisition of a number of different airlines.
History
In 1969 the airline was founded to serve the Houston area.In 1972 the airline carried between 90,000 and 100,000 passengers per year. It displayed a profit of $156,510 U.S. dollars in an eight-month period.
In 1978 Metro enters the "stand up widebody cabin age" when the first orders for 5 Shorts 330
Shorts 330
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes C.H. and James Derek N. Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London: Putnam, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-819-4.* Donald, David, ed. The Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London: Aurum, 1999. ISBN 1-85410-642-2....
's are announced. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1978/1978%20-%202798.html These aircraft would be used to complement the Twin Otters already in use, upon higher demand routes, and offered far more comfortable seating for passengers and required Metro to make provisions for flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
s to join the ranks of the regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
.
In 1982 Metro purchased Frontier airlines Convair 580 fleet.
Metro Airlines operated out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport under the American Eagle Airlines
American Eagle Airlines
American Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...
brand beginning on November 1, 1984. In 1985 the airline announced that it would end service to Houston Intercontinental Airport (now George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, is a Class B international airport in Houston, Texas, serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Located north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 59...
).
Metro Airlines acquisitions
Metro Airlines spun its certificatedOperating certificate
Operating certificate is a category of license issued by a government agency allowing an individual or company to provide a controlled type of service. These certificates are generally issued for a limited time period...
airline, Metro Airlines off and formed a holding company of airlines. Among the "airline holdings" acquired by Metro were:
- Brockway AirBrockway AirBrockway Air was a regional airline, which was formerly known as Air North and originally as Northern Airways.Headquartered in Burlington, VT the airline began operating in the late 1960s under a marketing relationship with Mohawk Airlines, replacing or supplementing Mohawk's service at small...
- acquired in the summer of 1989, Metro changed its name Air Northeast, but operated as a banner carrier codeshare parter for TW Express, - Chaparral Airlines merged into the (Metro Leasing) operations of the Metroflight - "the American Eagle codeshare branded banner flying"
- Metro Express II- spun off from the original Metro airlines - "the Eastern Express branded banner flying and Metro Airlines"
- Sunaire - name changed to Aviation Associates operated for/as Eastern Express in the Caribbean.
Bankruptcy
In May 1993 Metro Airlines went bankrupt. The airline assets were promptly purchased and renamed by AMR Corporation whom were already involved with Metro Airlines by way of the "banner carrier" codeshare flying Metro Airlines performed for AMR as Metroflight, which was begun cooperatively by the legacy carrierLegacy carrier
A legacy carrier, in the United States, is an airline that had established interstate routes by the time of the route liberalization which was permitted by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 and was thus directly affected by that act...
airline and the regional
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
during the middle part of the 1980s.
Fleet
- Beechcraft Model 99Beechcraft Model 99|-See also:-External links:*...
- de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterDe Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterThe DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
- Short 330
- Convair 580
Destinations
Destinations served by Metro Airlines include:- Clear Lake City, Texas STOLportSTOLportA STOLport or STOLPORT is an airport designed with STOL operations in mind, normally having a short single runway; shorter than . The term does not appear to be in common usage as of 2008...
- Lake Jackson / Angleton TexasLake Jackson, TexasLake Jackson is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city population was 27,614....
- Brazoria County AirportBrazoria County AirportTexas Gulf Coast Regional Airport , previously known as Brazoria County Airport, is a county-owned public-use airport located four miles southwest of the central business district of Angleton and north of Lake Jackson, both cities in Brazoria County, Texas, United States.Although most U.S... - Houston - Houston Intercontinental Airport (now George Bush Intercontinental AirportGeorge Bush Intercontinental AirportGeorge Bush Intercontinental Airport, is a Class B international airport in Houston, Texas, serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Located north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 59...
) - VictoriaVictoria, TexasVictoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
Accidents and Incidents
Shorts 330 destroyed by a tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
at Beaumont, TX on May 20, 1983.
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19830520-1