Southern Air Inc. is a United States airline based in Norwalk, Connecticut

Norwalk, Connecticut

Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...

, United States

United States

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

.

A U.S. FAA part 121 supplemental cargo carrier and portfolio company of Oak Hill Capital Partners, Southern Air, through an all-Boeing fleet of 777

777

Year 777 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 777 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Charlemagne defeats the Saxons; their...

Fs, 747-400BCFs and 747-200s, provides a wide range of services including long-term ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance), air cargo solutions, on-demand charters, Department of Defense CRAF

CRAF

CRAF may refer to:* Civil Reserve Air Fleet* Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby...

 lift as well as humanitarian relief flights. As the World’s only ACMI provider of 777 freighters, Southern Air is able to offer the most versatile and efficient cargo solutions, assuring clients greater flexibility, responsiveness and value.

History

The airline was established on 5 March 1999, out of the assets of Southern Air Transport

Southern Air Transport

-Southern Air Transport :The first Southern Air Transport, based in Dallas, Texas, formed on February 11, 1929 when businessman A. P. Barrett consolidated Texas Air Transport and several other small aviation companies...

 and started operations in November 1999.

On September 7, 2007, Oak Hill Capital Partners acquired majority ownership of Southern Air and merged Cargo 360

Cargo 360

Cargo 360 was a cargo airline based in Seattle, Washington, USA. It specialised in ACMI wet lease operations. Its main headquarters was Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.-History:...

 into the airline. The company currently has approximately 750 employees.

In February and March 2010, Southern Air took delivery of two Boeing 777 freighters. At the same time, reflecting the change in direction provided by fresh corporate leadership, Southern Air introduced new aircraft livery as well as new corporate branding.

In early 2011, Southern Air entered into a multiple year contract with DHL Aviation

DHL Aviation

DHL Aviation is a division of DHL Express responsible for providing air transport capacity. It is not a single airline but refers to several airlines owned, co-owned or chartered by DHL Express...

; by utilizing the 777's fuel efficiencies, long range and cargo capabilities, SAI was able to augment DHL's overnight express package delivery service through hubs in Cincinnati, Bahrain

Bahrain

' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...

, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 and Anchorage, increasing package delivery options provided by DHL to its customers.

Southern Air announced plans to gradually retire the fleet of Boeing 747-200 and 747-300 with 747-400SF models with the first delivery expected in late 2011.

In addition to DHL, Southern Air flies charter contracts for Thai Air

Thai Airways International

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...

, Korean Airlines

Korean Air

Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. , operating as Korean Air, is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of South Korea, with global headquarters located in Seoul, South Korea. Korean Air's international passenger division and related subsidiary cargo division together serve 130 cities in 45...

, Lufthansa Cargo

Lufthansa Cargo

Lufthansa Cargo AG is a cargo airline from Germany, operating worldwide air freight and logistics services on behalf of Lufthansa, of which it is a wholly owned subsidiary. The company is headquartered in Building 451 of the Frankfurt Airport area in Frankfurt, the major hub of Lufthansa...

, MASkargo, Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines , formerly Ethiopian Air Lines, often referred to as simply Ethiopian, is an airline headquartered on the grounds of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It serves as the country's flag carrier, and is wholly owned by the Government of Ethiopia...

, Saudi Arabian Airlines

Saudi Arabian Airlines

Saudi Arabian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America...

, TNT

TNT Airways

TNT Airways, a subsidiary of TNT Express, is a cargo and passenger airline, operating chartered flights to mainly European destinations...

, UPS

UPS Airlines

UPS Airlines is an American cargo airline owned by United Parcel Service Inc. . The company is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Its home airport is located at Louisville International Airport...

 (seasonal) Centurion Air Cargo

Centurion Air Cargo

Centurion Air Cargo is a cargo airline with its headquarters in Building 706 on the grounds of Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA. It operates all-cargo services to Central America and South America, serving 16 scheduled destinations. It specializes in...

 and the United States Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

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

.

Fleet

Southern Air Fleet

Aircraft	In Fleet	Notes
Boeing 747-200	9
Boeing 747-300	2
Boeing 777-F	3 additional order for three more “Triple 7s”
Total	14

External links