- Southeast Airlines
Southeast Airlines airline codes|SL|SNK|SMILE, will be a low fare public
charter airline in theUnited States , headquartered inChicago, Illinois , intending to operate regular service to various vacation/leisure destinations. UsingDouglas DC-9 and fourMcDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft. It abruptly ceased operations onNovember 30 ,2004 . Leading up to the carrier's final days former employees testified against Southeast Airlines claiming inadequate training, company procedures, and shockingly questionable practices. [Southeast Airlines Skirted Safety, Pilots allege http://www.sptimes.com/2004/07/04/news_pf/Tampabay/Southeast_Airlines_sk.shtml] Passengers that were scheduled to fly were advised via the airline's website to request a chargeback from their credit card company or file a request for a refund from the airline'sescrow fund if they paid in cash. Charter lines, including Southeast, are required to keep all fare payments by customers in an escrow fund until the flights actually occur. Various airlines offered displaced customers standby status on their flights. It had been flying for twelve years at the time of shutdown.The airline employed over three hundred people at the time of its shutdown; nearly all of them were laid off when the airline ceased operations. Many employees were not able to cash their final paycheck due to the airline running out of cash. In addition, southeast's escrow account had a negative balance in the millions after refunds were issued to customers. (ref: 14 CFR chapter 121 Supplemental Ops)
Southeast had secured the rights to use the "Sun King" logo as their airline's logo. The "Sun King" is famous for being the symbol of
National Airlines , a US airline which merged withPan American World Airways in the 1980s.Destinations served
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Baltimore/Washington International,Maryland
*Chicago Midway International,Illinois
*Columbus/Port Columbus International,Ohio
*Detroit Metro Wayne County International,Michigan
*Milwaukee General Mitchell International,Wisconsin
*Minneapolis/St.Paul International,Minnesota
*Nashville International,Tennessee
*Orlando Sanford International,Florida
*Pittsburgh International,Pennsylvania
*St.Louis Lambert International,Missouri
*St. Petersburg/Clearwater International,Florida References
Reflist
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