Pride Air

Pride Air is a defunct United States airline which operated for three months during 1985. Pride Air was based out of New Orleans International Airport. Flights were scheduled to begin on August 1, 1985.

History

Pride Air was run by several people who failed in the Continental Airlines buyout. Many of the investors were former Continental pilots who left Continental Airlines after the first bankruptcy. They chose New Orleans as a hub because there was no airline based primarily out of the airport at that time. They had previously considered Kansas City, but reconsidered when Eastern Airlines began building up Kansas City.

Operations began on August 1, 1985 and the airline did not start off as a low cost carrier and was structured more as a full service carrier. Due to expanded competition from Continental Airlines in the New Orleans market, and low initial passenger loads, Pride Air suspended operations on November 15, 1985, only three months after it began flying. The airline intended to have a hub in New Orleans and link cities in California and Florida.

Paul Eckel was the chairman and chief executive of Pride Air. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B00E1D61139F935A15755C0A963948260 Pride Air Begins Flights on Aug. 1 - New York Times ] ]

Fleet

*6 Boeing 727-200s
*3 Boeing 727-100s

Destinations

*New Orleans (Primary Hub)
*Denver
*Ft. Lauderdale
*Jacksonville
*Las Vegas
*Los Angeles
*Miami
*Orlando
*Sacramento
*Salt Lake City
*San Diego
*San Francisco
*San Jose
*Sarasota
*Tampa
*West Palm Beach

References