Skyway Airlines
Encyclopedia
Skyway Airlines is an American ramp and aircraft ground handling
services and catering
company based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin
. Until April 5, 2008, it operated as a regional airline
under the business name Midwest Connect
, feeding Midwest Airlines
's hub at General Mitchell International Airport
with twelve 32-seat Fairchild-Dornier 328JET jet aircraft, and four 19-seat Beechcraft 1900
turboprops. On February 2, 2009, Midwest Air Group
CEO Tim Hoeksema announced in an internal corporate memorandum
that all remaining Skyway functions will be assumed by Midwest Airlines, and that Skyway will cease to exist as a separate entity. No end date for Skyway operations has been announced.
Skyway Airlines, The Midwest Express Connection, began flight operations on April 17, 1989.
Skyway began operations as a division of Phoenix, Arizona
-based Mesa Air Group
. Mesa's Skyway Airlines division operated Beechcraft 1900C
19-passenger airliners, providing regional airline
feed to Midwest Express Airlines in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Rockford, Illinois.
In 1994, Midwest Express established Astral Aviation, Inc., as a wholly owned subisidary to take over the operation of Skyway Airlines. The 1900C aircraft were replaced with 12 brand-new Beechcraft 1900D aircraft. The first flight took place from Milwaukee to Flint, Michigan, on February 15, 1994. Skyway grew to connect Milwaukee with communities in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Toronto, Canada.
In 1999, Skyway became the world launch customer for the Fairchild Dornier 328JET
aircraft, a 32-seat jet. It ultimately acquired 12 328JETs. The 328JETs allowed Skyway to provide new service to cities as far as Hartford, New York City
, Washington, D.C.
, and Raleigh-Durham, and to provide more comfortable passenger accommodations on routes previously served by the Beechcraft 1900. Skyway planned to transition to an all-jet fleet by obtaining additional 328JET aircraft, purchasing German manufacturer Fairchild Dornier's planned 44-seat version, known as the 428JET, and phasing out the Beechcraft 1900.
While the September 11 attacks severely impacted all U.S. airlines, other events brought about the end of Skyway Airlines. Skyway's plans to continue modernizing its fleet with additional Dornier aircraft unwound when Dornier failed, and parent company Midwest Air Group's financial problems caused it to end Skyway's flight operations.
In 2002, Dornier
, an aviation pioneer dating back to the 1930s, became insolvent. Production of the 328JET stopped. This interrupted Skyway's plans to further expand its jet fleet and replace the Beechcraft 1900. AvCraft Aviation, a Virginia-based parts supplier for the 328 turboprop
and the 328JET, purchased the production rights for the 328JET from Fairchild Dornier's receivers, and planned to re-establish production of the type. Then AvCraft went bankrupt. This made further growth of the 328JET fleet effectively impossible.
The other regional jets built by Canadair
and Embraer
had substantial order backlogs, and the training, maintenance and inventory costs of running a small airline with three different aircraft types made another jet purchase financially impractical. Without having an available replacement aircraft, Skyway began to draw down its Beechcraft 1900 fleet, planning to eventually eliminate that fleet.
In March, 2003, Midwest Express Airlines reincorporated and changed its name to Midwest Airlines
. Astral Aviation, Inc., d/b/a Skyway Airlines also reincorporated and changed its name, to Skyway Airlines, Inc., d/b/a Midwest Connect. New logos were designed for both airlines' aircraft and uniforms, and the connection between Midwest Airlines and Midwest Connect was made more obvious for marketing purposes.
In 2006, Midwest Airlines announced that it would obtain additional regional feed from SkyWest Airlines
, an independently-owned airline based in St. George, Utah which operated Canadair regional jets
. The SkyWest aircraft would also bear the name "Midwest Connect." Midwest announced that it would operate the SkyWest and Skyway operations side-by-side.
In 2006 and 2007, Midwest Air Group also fought off a hostile takeover attempt by rival airline AirTran Airways
. Midwest Air Group's leadership persuaded Northwest Airlines
and private equity firm TPG Capital to enter the bidding as a white knight
. Northwest and TPG purchased Midwest Air Group, with 47% and 53% ownership stakes, respectively.
Following the Northwest Airlines/TPG purchase, Midwest announced on January 16, 2008 that it would terminate all Skyway Airlines flight operations and transfer the remaining Midwest Connect flying to SkyWest. Midwest also discussed a potential contract with Great Lakes Airlines
to provide code-share feed to a the Essential Air Service cities they would serve from Milwaukee. The Skyway subsidiary would remain as a ramp services and catering company for Midwest Airlines and for certain (SkyWest) Midwest Connect operations.
Skyway's last day of flight operations was April 5, 2008. On the last day of flight operations, Skyway Airlines operated 12 328JETs and 4 Beechcraft 1900D aircraft. The last 328JET flight operated from Indianapolis to Milwaukee. The last Beech flight operated a round-robin from Milwaukee to Muskegon and Manistee, Michigan, and back to Milwaukee.
Midwest, already in a financially-weakened condition following the September 11, 2001 attacks and the aforementioned takeover battle, suffered another severe financial blow as a result of the 2008 fuel price spike. Midwest's fleet of MD-80 airliners had been well suited to its markets and Midwest's high-service business model during the 1990s, but by 2008 it was no longer fuel efficient as compared with newer aircraft designs. Midwest terminated the leases on those aircraft and returned them to their lessors. Shortly thereafter, as the result of a failed lease renegotiation with Boeing, Midwest also lost the leases on 16 of its 25 newer Boeing 717
aircraft, leaving the airline with only 9 of the 38 aircraft with which it had started the year.
On September 3, 2008, Skyway's parent Midwest Airlines announced an agreement to transfer most of its mainline flight operations to another independent regional airline, Republic Airways. Republic agreed to operate 12 76-seat Embraer 170 jets under the Midwest Connect name and provide Midwest $20 million in financing. As a result, Midwest furloughed 269 of its 399 pilots and total employee cuts for the year were approximately 1,850.
On February 2, 2009, Midwest Air Group
CEO Tim Hoeksema announced in an internal corporate memorandum
that all remaining Skyway functions will be assumed by Midwest Airlines, and that Skyway will cease to exist as a separate entity. No end date for Skyway operations had been announced. It remains unclear if Skyway had been fully integrated into Midwest prior to Republic Airways' acquisition of Midwest from TPG.
and the United States
. The airline's hub was at Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport
. Most destinations were taken over by SkyWest
on April 6, 2008. The remaining few (part of the essential air service
program) saw a termination of service.
Aircraft ground handling
In aviation, aircraft ground handling defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and parked at a terminal gate of an airport.-Overview:...
services and catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
company based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Oak Creek is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 28,456 at the 2000 census. In 2009, its population was estimated at 33,946.-History:...
. Until April 5, 2008, it operated as a 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...
under the business name Midwest Connect
Midwest Connect
Midwest Connect was the brand name for the regional airline service of Midwest Airlines, rather than a certificated airline carrier. Skyway Airlines was the sole operator of Midwest Connect since its inception in 1989, until SkyWest Airlines began additional Midwest Connect service on April 1, 2007...
, feeding Midwest Airlines
Midwest Airlines
Midwest Airlines was a U.S.-based airline and was also an operating brand of Republic Airways Holdings based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. operating from Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport...
's hub at General Mitchell International Airport
General Mitchell International Airport
General Mitchell International Airport is a county-owned public airport located five miles south of the central business district of Milwaukee, a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States....
with twelve 32-seat Fairchild-Dornier 328JET jet aircraft, and four 19-seat Beechcraft 1900
Beechcraft 1900
The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
turboprops. On February 2, 2009, Midwest Air Group
Midwest Airlines
Midwest Airlines was a U.S.-based airline and was also an operating brand of Republic Airways Holdings based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. operating from Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport...
CEO Tim Hoeksema announced in an internal corporate memorandum
Memorandum
A memorandum is from the Latin verbal phrase memorandum est, the gerundive form of the verb memoro, "to mention, call to mind, recount, relate", which means "It must be remembered ..."...
that all remaining Skyway functions will be assumed by Midwest Airlines, and that Skyway will cease to exist as a separate entity. No end date for Skyway operations has been announced.
History
Skyway began operations as a division of Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
-based Mesa Air Group
Mesa Air Group
Mesa Air Group, Inc. is a Nevada Corporation commercial aviation holding company with headquarters in Suite 100 at 410 North 44th Street in the Camelback East area of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The company operates one regional airline subsidiary: Mesa Airlines, and five supporting...
. Mesa's Skyway Airlines division operated Beechcraft 1900C
Beechcraft 1900
The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
19-passenger airliners, providing 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...
feed to Midwest Express Airlines in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Rockford, Illinois.
In 1994, Midwest Express established Astral Aviation, Inc., as a wholly owned subisidary to take over the operation of Skyway Airlines. The 1900C aircraft were replaced with 12 brand-new Beechcraft 1900D aircraft. The first flight took place from Milwaukee to Flint, Michigan, on February 15, 1994. Skyway grew to connect Milwaukee with communities in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Toronto, Canada.
In 1999, Skyway became the world launch customer for the Fairchild Dornier 328JET
Fairchild Dornier 328JET
|-References:* Much of the content of this article comes from the equivalent German-language Wikipedia article .-External links:*...
aircraft, a 32-seat jet. It ultimately acquired 12 328JETs. The 328JETs allowed Skyway to provide new service to cities as far as Hartford, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and Raleigh-Durham, and to provide more comfortable passenger accommodations on routes previously served by the Beechcraft 1900. Skyway planned to transition to an all-jet fleet by obtaining additional 328JET aircraft, purchasing German manufacturer Fairchild Dornier's planned 44-seat version, known as the 428JET, and phasing out the Beechcraft 1900.
While the September 11 attacks severely impacted all U.S. airlines, other events brought about the end of Skyway Airlines. Skyway's plans to continue modernizing its fleet with additional Dornier aircraft unwound when Dornier failed, and parent company Midwest Air Group's financial problems caused it to end Skyway's flight operations.
In 2002, Dornier
Dornier Flugzeugwerke
Dornier Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer founded in Friedrichshafen in 1914 by Claudius Dornier. Over the course of its long lifespan, the company produced many notable designs for both the civil and military markets.-History:...
, an aviation pioneer dating back to the 1930s, became insolvent. Production of the 328JET stopped. This interrupted Skyway's plans to further expand its jet fleet and replace the Beechcraft 1900. AvCraft Aviation, a Virginia-based parts supplier for the 328 turboprop
Dornier 328
|-See also:- References :* Swanborough, Gordon. "Dornier 328: A Daimler for Commuters". Air International, March 1992, Vol. 42 No. 3. pp. 123–128. ISSN 0306-5634....
and the 328JET, purchased the production rights for the 328JET from Fairchild Dornier's receivers, and planned to re-establish production of the type. Then AvCraft went bankrupt. This made further growth of the 328JET fleet effectively impossible.
The other regional jets built by Canadair
Bombardier CRJ200
The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:...
and Embraer
Embraer ERJ 145 family
The Embraer ERJ 145 family is a series of regional jets produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace company. Family members include the ERJ 135 , ERJ 140 , and ERJ 145 , as well as the Legacy business jet and the R-99 family of military aircraft. The ERJ 145 is the largest of the group...
had substantial order backlogs, and the training, maintenance and inventory costs of running a small airline with three different aircraft types made another jet purchase financially impractical. Without having an available replacement aircraft, Skyway began to draw down its Beechcraft 1900 fleet, planning to eventually eliminate that fleet.
In March, 2003, Midwest Express Airlines reincorporated and changed its name to Midwest Airlines
Midwest Airlines
Midwest Airlines was a U.S.-based airline and was also an operating brand of Republic Airways Holdings based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. operating from Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport...
. Astral Aviation, Inc., d/b/a Skyway Airlines also reincorporated and changed its name, to Skyway Airlines, Inc., d/b/a Midwest Connect. New logos were designed for both airlines' aircraft and uniforms, and the connection between Midwest Airlines and Midwest Connect was made more obvious for marketing purposes.
In 2006, Midwest Airlines announced that it would obtain additional regional feed from SkyWest Airlines
Skywest Airlines
Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline company based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia; servicing key towns in the state of Western Australia, Darwin, Northern Territory and Melbourne, Victoria; as well as charter flights to Bali, Indonesia....
, an independently-owned airline based in St. George, Utah which operated Canadair regional jets
Bombardier CRJ200
The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:...
. The SkyWest aircraft would also bear the name "Midwest Connect." Midwest announced that it would operate the SkyWest and Skyway operations side-by-side.
In 2006 and 2007, Midwest Air Group also fought off a hostile takeover attempt by rival airline AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
. Midwest Air Group's leadership persuaded Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
and private equity firm TPG Capital to enter the bidding as a white knight
White knight (business)
In business, a white knight, or "friendly investor," may be a corporation or a person that intends to help another firm. There are many types of white knights...
. Northwest and TPG purchased Midwest Air Group, with 47% and 53% ownership stakes, respectively.
Following the Northwest Airlines/TPG purchase, Midwest announced on January 16, 2008 that it would terminate all Skyway Airlines flight operations and transfer the remaining Midwest Connect flying to SkyWest. Midwest also discussed a potential contract with Great Lakes Airlines
Great Lakes Airlines
Great Lakes Airlines , is an American regional airline operating domestic scheduled and charter services. Corporate headquarters are located in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with hubs at Denver International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, McCarran...
to provide code-share feed to a the Essential Air Service cities they would serve from Milwaukee. The Skyway subsidiary would remain as a ramp services and catering company for Midwest Airlines and for certain (SkyWest) Midwest Connect operations.
Skyway's last day of flight operations was April 5, 2008. On the last day of flight operations, Skyway Airlines operated 12 328JETs and 4 Beechcraft 1900D aircraft. The last 328JET flight operated from Indianapolis to Milwaukee. The last Beech flight operated a round-robin from Milwaukee to Muskegon and Manistee, Michigan, and back to Milwaukee.
Midwest, already in a financially-weakened condition following the September 11, 2001 attacks and the aforementioned takeover battle, suffered another severe financial blow as a result of the 2008 fuel price spike. Midwest's fleet of MD-80 airliners had been well suited to its markets and Midwest's high-service business model during the 1990s, but by 2008 it was no longer fuel efficient as compared with newer aircraft designs. Midwest terminated the leases on those aircraft and returned them to their lessors. Shortly thereafter, as the result of a failed lease renegotiation with Boeing, Midwest also lost the leases on 16 of its 25 newer Boeing 717
Boeing 717
The Boeing 717 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner, developed for the 100-seat market. The airliner was designed and marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, a third-generation derivative of the DC-9. Capable of seating of up to 117 passengers, the 717 has maximum range of...
aircraft, leaving the airline with only 9 of the 38 aircraft with which it had started the year.
On September 3, 2008, Skyway's parent Midwest Airlines announced an agreement to transfer most of its mainline flight operations to another independent regional airline, Republic Airways. Republic agreed to operate 12 76-seat Embraer 170 jets under the Midwest Connect name and provide Midwest $20 million in financing. As a result, Midwest furloughed 269 of its 399 pilots and total employee cuts for the year were approximately 1,850.
On February 2, 2009, Midwest Air Group
Midwest Airlines
Midwest Airlines was a U.S.-based airline and was also an operating brand of Republic Airways Holdings based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. operating from Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport...
CEO Tim Hoeksema announced in an internal corporate memorandum
Memorandum
A memorandum is from the Latin verbal phrase memorandum est, the gerundive form of the verb memoro, "to mention, call to mind, recount, relate", which means "It must be remembered ..."...
that all remaining Skyway functions will be assumed by Midwest Airlines, and that Skyway will cease to exist as a separate entity. No end date for Skyway operations had been announced. It remains unclear if Skyway had been fully integrated into Midwest prior to Republic Airways' acquisition of Midwest from TPG.
Destinations
At the end of flight operations, Skyway Airlines flew to 19 destinations in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airline's hub was at Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport
General Mitchell International Airport
General Mitchell International Airport is a county-owned public airport located five miles south of the central business district of Milwaukee, a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States....
. Most destinations were taken over by SkyWest
SkyWest
SkyWest Airlines, Inc. is a North American regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah, flying to 159 cities in 40 U.S. states, 6 Canadian Provinces, and 1 city in Mexico. The airline serves as a feeder airline, operating under contract with various major carriers...
on April 6, 2008. The remaining few (part of the essential air service
Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which, prior to deregulation, were served by certificated airlines, maintained commercial service. Its aim is to maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service to these...
program) saw a termination of service.
Fleet
As of April 5, 2008, the Skyway Airlines fleet included 16 aircraft:| Aircraft | Total | Passengers (Economy) |
Routes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft 1900 Beechcraft 1900 The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner... |
4 | 19 | Commuter | All operated as Midwest Connect Midwest Connect Midwest Connect was the brand name for the regional airline service of Midwest Airlines, rather than a certificated airline carrier. Skyway Airlines was the sole operator of Midwest Connect since its inception in 1989, until SkyWest Airlines began additional Midwest Connect service on April 1, 2007... |
| Fairchild-Dornier 328JET | 12 | 32 | Commuter | All operated as Midwest Connect Midwest Connect Midwest Connect was the brand name for the regional airline service of Midwest Airlines, rather than a certificated airline carrier. Skyway Airlines was the sole operator of Midwest Connect since its inception in 1989, until SkyWest Airlines began additional Midwest Connect service on April 1, 2007... |
- All Skyway/Midwest Connect aircraft featured leather seating, and jet aircraft featured freshly baked cookies on select routes.