L'Express Airlines

Infobox Airline
airline = L'Express Airlines


image_size = 150 px
IATA = LEX
ICAO =
callsign = LEX
founded = 1989
ceased = 1992
hubs = MSY & HOU
secondary_hubs =
focus_cities =
frequent_flyer =
lounge =
alliance =
subsidiaries =
fleet_size = 10
destinations = 11
parent =
company_slogan =
headquarters = Kenner, LA
key_people = Stephen Read
website =

L'Express Airlines was an airline that was conceived as a regional airline to provide service to cities throughout Louisiana from its hub at New Orleans International Airport from 1989 to 1991. The airline's headquarters was in Kenner, and it commenced service on August 9, 1989.

History

Originally announced in April 1989,cite news
last =Flournoy
first =Katheryn
coauthors =
title =New airline to link all major Louisiana cities
work =The Baton Rouge Advocate
pages =2D
date =April 20, 1989
url =
accessdate = ] , L'Express was founded by local entrepreneur Stephen Read with the intention of providing an intrastate airline to serve the major cities of Louisiana. The airline originally served New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Lafayette and Lake Charles with 45 weekly flights.cite news
last =Falgout
first =Cyndy
coauthors =
title =L'Express adds Alabama routes
work =The Baton Rouge Advocate
pages =15C
date =September 1, 1990
url =
accessdate = ] Service was originally to commence in June 1989, however, service began later that August. For its first year, the airline saw gross revenues of $7 to $8 million.

By September 1990 L'Express was looking to expand service into other areas of the Gulf South area outside Louisiana. Service was first expanded to Houston, Birmingham and Mobile with future plans to expand to Jackson and Little Rock in Fall 1990 and to both Pensacola and Dallas/Fort Worth by Winter 1991.

Due to increasing fuel costs, on January 9, 1991, L'Express filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.cite news
last =Plume
first =Janet
coauthors =
title =L'Express files for Chapter 11 protection
work =The New Orleans Times-Picayune
pages =D2
date =January 10, 1991
url =
accessdate = ] In February 1992, the airline ceased operations after its nine planes were repossessed by their manufacturer, The Beech Aircraft Corporation due to non-payment.cite news
last =East Jefferson Bureau
first =
coauthors =
title =L'Express cancels flights
work =The New Orleans Times-Picayune
pages =C2
date =February 19, 1992
url =
accessdate = ] Grounded on February 15, airline officials officially shut down its operation on February 28.cite news
last =Chatelain
first =Kim
coauthors =
title =L'Express Airlines grounded for good
work =The New Orleans Times-Picayune
pages =C1
date =February 29, 1992
url =
accessdate = ]

Fleet

*7 Beechcraft C-99s
*3 Beechcraft 1900s cite news
last =Theim
first =Rebecca
coauthors =
title =L'Express to begin intrastate flights from N.O. August 1
work =The New Orleans Times-Picayune
pages =C1
date =July 21, 1989
url =
accessdate = ]

With the company being based out of New Orleans, the color scheme included stripes of the traditional mardi gras colors of green, yellow and purple painted across white aircraft.

Destinations

Service beginning in August 1989:
*Louisiana
**Alexandria (Alexandria International Airport)
**Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport)
**Lafayette (Lafayette Regional Airport)
**Lake Charles (Lake Charles Regional Airport)
**Monroe (Monroe Regional Airport)
**New Orleans (New Orleans International Airport) (Primary Hub)
**Shreveport (Shreveport Regional Airport)

Service beginning in September 1990:
*Texas
**Houston (William P. Hobby Airport)
*Alabama
**Birmingham (Birmingham International Airport (US))
**Mobile (Mobile Regional Airport)

Service beginning in 1991:
*Texas
**Longview (East Texas Regional Airport)

Incidents and accidents

* On July 10, 1991, a L'Express Beechcraft C-99 (Registration N7217L), flying as Flight 508, crash landed while attempting to make an ILS approach at Birmingham International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama. The plane crashed in the Ensley neighborhood and subsequently injured four persons on the ground, as well as destroying two homes. Of the 15 occupants onboard, there were 13 fatalities. The cause of the crash was attributed to severe thunderstorms.cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title =L'Express Airlines, Inc., Flight 508 Aircraft Accident Report
work =NTSB
pages =
date =
url =http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR92-01.pdf
accessdate =2007-09-26 |format=PDF]

References