Aspen Airways

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Aspen Airways

IATA ICAO Callsign AP ASP ASPEN AIR
Founded	1952
Ceased operations	1990
Operating bases	Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado
Headquarters	Denver, Colorado, United States
Key people	Walter Paepcke (Founder) Bill Ringsby (Owner)

Aspen Airways (IATA: AP, ICAO: ASP, call sign: Aspen Air) was an airline carrier and regional affiliate of United Express and based in Hangar 5 in Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado.^[1] Aspen ceased operations on April 1, 1990, when separate portions of the airline were acquired by Mesa Airlines and Air Wisconsin Services, Inc.

History

Aspen Airways was named after the aspen tree and not the town of Aspen, Colorado, where it was originally based before moving its headquarters to Stapleton International Airport (DEN) in Denver.

Aspen Airways was founded in 1952 by Walter Paepcke, as the flight department of the

In 1963, Aspen Airways was purchased by J.W. "Bill" Ringsby. During the late 1960s, Aspen operated a

In September 1986, Aspen Airways became a United Express affiliate carrier, providing passenger feed to and from the United Airlines hub in Denver (DEN). By 1986, Aspen Airways was providing seasonal BAe 146 jet service from Aspen nonstop to Dallas/Ft Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Houston (IAH), Chicago (ORD) and Long Beach (LGB).

Service from Denver also included flights to Colorado Springs, Durango, Gunnison, Hayden, Montrose, and Rifle in Colorado as well as to Farmington, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sioux City and Waterloo, Iowa, and Cheyenne, Sheridan and Gillette in Wyoming. The airline also operated nonstop service at one point between Salt Lake City (SLC) and Aspen, Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC), and West Yellowstone, Montana (WYS).

In 1989, Aspen offered itself up for sale. Several suitors attempted to purchase the airline. Its employees attempted to acquire the airline, but were unable to come up with the capital. Next, the Giant Group, a conglomeration of cement and recycling companies, offered to purchase the airline, but their offer fell through. In the end, Mesa Airlines acquired Aspen's Denver hub and routes except for the Denver to Aspen route, stations and ground equipment. Air Wisconsin Services Inc., the parent company for Air Wisconsin, acquired all of Aspen's common stock, its Aspen routes, and its BAe 146 and Convair 580 aircraft. In April 1995 during the late ski season, Air Wisconsin was operating shuttle service as United Express with BAe 146 jets on the former Aspen Airways route between Aspen and Denver with no less than fourteen (14) daily nonstop flights in each direction.^[2]

Air Wisconsin Services continued to operate Aspen Airways as a wholly owned

Final Fleet & Replacement Air Service at Aspen

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At the time of the separate sale and merger, Aspen Airways operated four BAe 146 jets and ten Convair 580 turboprops. The Convair 580 turboprops were parked and eventually sold while Air Wisconsin continued to fly the BAe 146 jet aircraft as this regional carrier already operated the BAe 146 in their fleet.

Destinations

Aspen Airways served the following destinations as an independent airline or as a

Aspen Airways also flew

Fleet

Aspen Airways operated the following aircraft during its existence:

• Aero Commander 500B
• BAe 146-100
  (only jet aircraft type operated by the airline)
• Convair 240
• Convair 340
• Convair 440
• Convair 580
• de Havilland Heron
• Douglas DC-3
• Fairchild F-27
• Piper Navajo

At the time of its acquisition and merger, Aspen was operating BAe 146 jet and Convair 580 turboprop aircraft.

See also

• List of defunct airlines of the United States

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aspen Airways.