Independence Air
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Founded | December 15, 1989 FLYi, Inc. | (as ||||||
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Headquarters | Loudoun County, Virginia | ||||||
Key people | Kerry Skeen (CEO) | ||||||
Website | www.flyi.com |
Independence Air was a
It ceased all operations at 8:24 p.m.
History
Independence Air started life as
Criticism
From the beginning, the airline faced criticism including that it expanded too quickly, had a poor fleet mix
Promotional activities
On May 20, 2004, even prior to its inaugural flight, Independence Air signed a deal with the
Independence Air became quickly known for the humorous touches it added to the flying experience, such as replacing the flight attendant safety announcements with prerecorded versions of the warnings by celebrities such as James Carville and Mary Matalin.[14] They also attracted attention from their partnership with the Laugh Factory[15] and the use of former baggage handler Dave George as "the Flyi Guy" — the airline's resident comedian.[16]
Corporate affairs
Headquarters
Independence Air had its headquarters in Loudoun Gateway III in the Loudoun Gateway Corporate Center in
Fleet
From the airline's beginning, its fleet mix was cited as one of the causes of its financial troubles.
At the time of its last flight, Independence had 42 planes, down from a peak of 87.[22]
Historical fleet
Independence Air previously operated the following aircraft:[23]
Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Airbus A319-100
|
12 | 2004 | 2006 | |
Bombardier CRJ200ER
|
87 | |||
Fairchild Dornier 328JET | 33 | 2004 |
Decline
After its emergence as an independent brand name, Independence Air became known for offering very low airfares: as little as $29 one-way to Florida from Washington Dulles International Airport.[24] However, the company never overcame a series of financial problems during its transition, and its decline started only six months after its launch.
In February 2005, one of its aircraft was repossessed after the company missed a lease payment,[25] after trying and failing to restructure the lease.[11] Later that year, three more aircraft were sold or repossessed and in November 2005, FLYi, Inc., their parent company, declared bankruptcy.[22] The company cited rising costs in the airline industry as the reason its low-cost strategy did not succeed.[8]
In the intervening months between FLYi's declaration of bankruptcy and Independence Air's cessation of operations, a number of airlines expressed an interest in acquiring the airline's assets including: Mesa Air Group, United Airlines and Richard Branson.[26]
Not finding a suitable buyer in time to keep the planes flying, Independence Air announced on January 2, 2006, that it would cease operations at 7:26 p.m. UTC-5 on January 5, 2006, following a flight from Westchester County Airport in New York.[27] When the airline ceased operations, it employed more than 2,500 staff, [22] many of whom had been with the airline since its inception as Atlantic Coast Airlines.[24] Over its 18 months of operation, Independence carried more than 8 million passengers.[24]
On March 10, 2006,
Destinations
At the time of its shutdown on January 5, 2006, Independence operated 200 daily departures to 37 destinations throughout the United States,[29] up from 78 flights at its launch.[30]
See also
References
- ^ "Independence Air Chapter 11 Bankruptcy" (PDF). PacerMonitor. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- ^ "Fact Sheet re 2/98 Cessation of Ops". Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings. 2006-02-21. Archived from the original on 2008-02-27. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ Matthew French (2004-11-15). "Despite Industry woes, Independence Air Sees Strong Market in Charleston". Charleston Regional Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
- ^ a b c Joe Sharkey (2006-01-10). "Independence Air Ends: No Bang, Some Whimpers". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ Sara Kehaulani (2004-09-30). "Dulles Among Busiest Airports". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ McCaffrey, Scott; Trompeter, Brian (2006-07-06). "Dulles Still Trying to Rebound from Independence Air's Shutdown". Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ a b Keith L. Alexander (2006-01-03). "Despite Persistent Criticism, Airline Chief Stayed His Course". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ a b c "Independence Air is Banktupt". Consumer Affairs. 2005-11-08. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ Peter J. Howe (2006-01-03). "Independence Air to Shut Down". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ "Delta Flight Plan May Include Bankruptcy". consumeraffairs.com. 2005-10-25. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ a b "Flyi's Share Price Continues to Fall". The Washington Post. 2004-11-11. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ Jeff Clabaugh (2004-05-21). "Independence Air Scores Redskins Sponsorship". Baltimore Business Journal. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ Sascha Segan (2005-04-22). "Swap That Hall Pass for an Air Pass & Flit About the US from $249 All Summer". Frommer's. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ "RDU Welcomes Independence Air" (PDF). RDU Update. Raleigh-Durham International Airport. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-14. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ Joe Sharkey (2005-08-16). "What Flies Coast to Coast and Isn't Very Funny?". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ Jayne Clark (2005-08-18). "I Just Flew in from Cleveland...and, Boy, are My Wings Tired!". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ "ANNUAL REPORT TO STOCKHOLDERS For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004." Independence Air. Retrieved on January 31, 2011. "45200 Business Court, Dulles, Virginia (Address of principal executive offices)"
- ^ a b "Loudoun Gateway III Archived 2010-12-12 at the Wayback Machine." The Alter Group. Retrieved on January 31, 2011. "Loudoun Gateway III 45200 Business Court Loudoun Gateway Corporate Center Dulles, VA."
- ^ "FCC delays decision on who can wire buildings." The Washington Times. September 18, 2000. Retrieved on January 31, 2011. "Grubb & Ellis has leased 76982 square feet of office space to Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings Inc in the Loudoun Gateway III complex in Dulles[...]"
- ^ "Independence Air Cuts Fleet to Stay Airborne". consumeraffairs.com. 2005-02-23. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ Jeff Clabaugh (2005-02-22). "Independence Air Pares Fleet". The Business Review (Albany). Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ a b c "Last Run for Independence Air". NBC News. 2006-01-05. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ "Independence Air Fleet". Planespotters. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ a b c Bill Brubaker (2006-01-06). "Foggy Morning, Misty Eyes Usher Out Independence". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ "Repo Man Visits Independence Air". consumeraffairs.com. 2005-02-13. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ Bill Brubaker (2005-12-23). "United Seeks Piece of Independence Air". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ "Final Boarding Call for Independence Air". consumeraffairs.com. 2006-01-02. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ Jewel Gopwani (2006-03-30). "NWA Plans June Start for Carrier". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ "Low-fare Airline to Shut Down Thursday". St. Petersburg Times. 2006-01-03. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ Bill Brubaker (2004-06-17). "Independence Air is Off the Ground at Last". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
External links
- Independence Air official website at the Wayback Machine (archive index)