Pride Air

Pride Air was a United States airline that operated for three months during 1985. Pride Air was based out of New Orleans International Airport (MSY).

IATA ICAO Callsign
NI[1] - -
Commenced operationsAugust 1, 1985
Ceased operationsNovember 15, 1985
Operating basesLouis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Fleet sizeSee Fleet below
DestinationsSee Destinations below
HeadquartersNew Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Key peoplePaul Eckel (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer) Fred Gardner

History

Pride Air was managed by several people who participated in an unsuccessful attempt to acquire Continental Airlines. Many of the investors were former Continental pilots who left the airline after Continental's first bankruptcy. They chose New Orleans (MSY) as a hub because there was no one dominant airline operating from the airport at that time. Pride Air management had previously considered Kansas City as possible hub but then reconsidered when Eastern Airlines began building up their service at Kansas City.

Operations began on August 1, 1985. Pride Air did not initially offer service as a low-cost carrier and was instead structured more as a full service airline. However, due to increased competition from Continental Airlines in the New Orleans market in tandem with low initial passenger loads, Pride Air suspended operations on November 15, 1985, only three months after it began flying. The business plan for the airline centered on a hub operation in New Orleans which would link cities in California and Florida. Northeastern International Airways had previously tried this approach in New Orleans in 1984.[2]

Paul Eckel was the chairman and chief executive of Pride Air.[3]

Fleet

Destinations

See also

References
  1. Pride Air advertisement, 1985
  2. http://www.departedflights.com, May 1, 1984 Northeastern International Airways system timetable
  3. Staff writer(s) (June 25, 1985). "Pride Air Begins Flights on Aug. 1". New York Times.


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