Scenic Airlines

Infobox Airline
airline=Scenic Airlines
logo=
logo_size=250
fleet_size= 16 (DHC-6)
destinations=
IATA=YR
ICAO=EGJ
callsign=SCENIC
parent =Grand Canyon Airlines
founded=1967
headquarters= Paradise
key_people=Mark Slack (President, CEO)
hubs=Las Vegas
frequent_flyer=
lounge=
alliance=
website= http://www.scenic.com

Scenic Airlines is an American regional airline based in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. It operates sightseeing flights and is based at Boulder City Airport.Flight International 12-18 April 2005]

History

Do not confuse Scenic Airlines with Scenic Airways. Scenic AIRWAYS was started in 1927 by J. Parker Van Zandt at Grand Canyon, Arizona with a Stinson SM-1 Detroiter and Ford Tri-Motor aircraft. Scenic Airways changed its name to [Grand Canyon Airlines] in 1930 and Grand Canyon Airlines still exists and is believed to be the world's oldest air tour company in continuous operations.

It was forty years later that Scenic AIRLINES was started by John & Elizabeth Seibold and their single engine Cessna airplane in North Las Vegas, Nevada in 1967. Between 1967 and 1993 Scenic Airlines grew to be one of the world's largest and most successful fixed-wing air tour operations. At one point Scenic was also the fifth largest regional airline in the US. In 2000, Mr. Seibold was recognized by the Las Vegas Review Journal as being one of the most influential businessmen in Las Vegas in the previous 100 years, and is credited with being one of the first in Las Vegas to market Las Vegas and Grand Canyon internationally. In 1983, Scenic Airlines and Grand Canyon Airlines co-developed the modified deHavilland Twin Otter VISTALINER air tour airplane, which is widely considered to be the most successful air tour airplane ever built and is classified by the FAA and National Park Service as being one of the quietest aircraft to give tours over Grand Canyon. [http://www.1st100.com/part3/siebold.html] The airline eventually moved to Las Vegas McCarran airport where it continued to grow and prosper amidst enormous competition and increasing federal regulations.

In 1993 the Seibolds sold the airline to SkyWest Airlines and it continued to see growth until it was sold to Eagle Canyon Airlines in 1998. In spring 2006, the airline announced it would be ceasing scheduled passenger operations to focus on its sightseeing flights, citing rising fuel costs, thus abandoning its scheduled services using its fleet of three Raytheon Beech 1900 aircraft. Almost all of the scheduled service routes were Essential Air Service routes and have been picked up by US Airways, operated by Air Midwest. Since it serves many out-of-the-way airports, Scenic was often the largest or only tenant.Fact|date=February 2007

In March 2007, Scenic Airlines was sold yet again to Grand Canyon Airlines and today the airline operates from the Boulder City, Nevada airport providing services to Grand Canyon West, Grand Canyon, Page, Monument Valley, and Rainbow Bridge.

Scenic airlines has most recently been purchased by Grand Canyon Airlines(March 2007) and still continues sight seeing service to the Grand Canyon everyday of the year.

Destinations [ [http://res.scenic.com/cgi-bin/oecgi.exe/inet_cal_entry Scenic Airlines schedule] ]

cheduled Flight Destinations

*Arizona
**Grand Canyon (Grand Canyon National Park Airport)

*Nevada
**Boulder City (Boulder City Municipal Airport)

cheduled Sightseeing Destinations

*Grand Canyon
*Monument Valley

Incidents and accidents

Since 1962, Scenic Airlines and its predecessor have experienced six accidents and two incidents. [NTSB database search by airline, 1962-2007] Three accidents have resulted in fatalities:

* October 16, 1971 (NTSB LAX72AL024): A flight from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon crashed while attempting to turn away from poor weather conditions on a sightseeing tour. All aboard were killed, including nine passengers and the pilot.

* November 30, 1975 (NTSB OAK76AP029): A flight from Ely, Nevada to Elko, Nevada crashed in poor weather due to improper IFR procedures. The pilot and the sole passenger were killed.

* July 21, 1980 (NTSB DCA80AA021): A Phoenix, Arizona-bound flight experienced engine failure on take-off due to foreign material, improper maintenance, and improper procedures. All eight persons aboard (seven passengers and one crew member) were killed.

External links

* [http://www.scenic.com Scenic Airlines]

References