Midway Airlines (1993-2003)

Infobox Airline
airline=Midway Airlines
logo=Logonamemidwayairlines1994.jpg
logo_size=200
fleet_size=33
destinations=33
IATA=JI
ICAO=MDW
callsign=Midway
founded=1993-11-15cite book|last=Norwood|first=Tom|coauthors=Wegg, John|title=North American Airlines Handbook|publisher=Airways International|pages=p. 70|location=Sandpoint, ID|date=2002|edition=3rd|isbn=0-9653993-8-9|url=http://www.airwaysnews.com]
ceased=October 30, 2003
headquarters=Morrisville, North Carolina
key_people=Robert R. Fergeson (CEO)
hubs=Raleigh-Durham International Airport
frequent_flyer=AAdvantage (through American Airlines)
website=

Midway Airlines was an airline based out of Morrisville, North Carolina, between 1993 and 2003.

History

Midway Airlines was formed by Jet Express, a carrier that fed Trans World Airlines and USAir during the late 1980s and early 1990s. After an abortive attempt at New York-Chicago service, Midway moved to Morrisville, North Carolina and set up a hub at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Midway's arrival at RDU coincided with the closure of an American Airlines hub there.

At the height of its operations, Midway offered almost 200 flights daily from RDU to 25 destinations on the East Coast, and was used by many passengers travelling between the Northeast and Southeast.

Midway used a variety of aircraft while hubbed at RDU. Initially the fleet consisted only of the Fokker F100. Midway added Airbus 320s to fly longer routes, but these routes were unprofitable and the 320s were soon disposed of. Midway then obtained a large number of CRJ-200s for expansion. As time passed the F100s became expensive to operate, so Midway replaced them with Boeing 737-700s . Two regional carriers, first Great Lakes Aviation and later Corporate Airlines, also flew Beechcraft 1900 and Jetstream 31 aircraft respectively, providing service between smaller markets and RDU.

The high-tech slump of 2000-01 hurt Midway, and the carrier abruptly filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on the evening of August 13, 2001. Thousands of employees were laid off immediately with no warning, and their access cards to the airport ramp were deactivated overnight. [http://www.carrboro.com/midway/] Increasingly relying on the higher seating capacity of the 737-700s, Midway continued to fly during reorganization; but after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Midway never restarted operations after airspace was shut down, and ceased operations on September 12 (the last flights were on the morning of 9/11). Following $12.5M in financial infusion from the US federal government, Midway resumed limited service to six destinations from RDU under its own livery on December 19, 2001. [http://www.businessnc.com/archives/2002/03/midway_airlines.html] [http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2001/12/24/daily4.html]

After Midway's bankruptcy filing, almost all of its aircraft were sold except for six small regional jets. On July 17, 2002, Midway ceased operations under its own livery and reconfigured as a US Airways Express carrier, focusing on regional flights within North and South Carolina. It finally ceased operations on October 30, 2003 through a Chapter 7 bankruptcy when it was unable to acquire enough capital to stay afloat.

Midway destinations

* Raleigh-Durham International Airport (Hub)
* Craven County Regional Airport
* San Jose International Airport
* Los Angeles International Airport
* Denver International Airport
* Bob Adams Field - Steamboat Springs Airport
* Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
* Birmingham International Airport (US)
* Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
* Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport
* Indianapolis International Airport
* Dayton International Airport
* Port Columbus International Airport
* Columbia Metropolitan Airport
* Charleston International Airport
* Jacksonville International Airport
* Orlando International Airport
* Tampa International Airport
* Palm Beach International Airport
* Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
* Miami International Airport
* Norfolk International Airport
* Louisville International Airport
* Pittsburgh International Airport
* Philadelphia International Airport
* Buffalo Niagara International Airport
* Greater Rochester International Airport
* LaGuardia Airport
* Stewart International Airport
* Washington National Airport
* Washington Dulles International Airport
* Bradley International Airport
* T. F. Green Airport
* Logan International Airport
* Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Fleet

=Midways Airlines Mainline Fleet=

*Boeing 737-700
*Airbus A320
*Fokker 100
*Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet

Midway Airlines Outsourced Fleet

* BAe Jetstream 31
* Beechcraft 1900

References

External links

* [http://www.gao.gov/htext/d05945.html Bankruptcy history from the US GAO]