Summary
- Miami Air denied an ACMI application on account of an incomplete submission, partly on account of its ongoing financial fitness issues.
- DOT allows the resubmission of latest applications provided that fully accomplished, giving hope for the Florida carrier in the longer term.
- Some airlines, like Eastern, have had successful comebacks, even after initial bankruptcy, specializing in charter flights.
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) dismissed an application from Miami Air to operate as an Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance (ACMI) airline after the corporate couldn’t provide all of the relevant information when submitting the request.
Photo Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Based on ch-aviation, the DOT dismissed the airline’s interstate and foreign charter passenger operations application after the charter airline didn’t prove its financial fitness. The method included reducing its fleet to at least one aircraft, limiting its ACMI capability. This comes only 4 years after its attempted takeover of defunct Miami Air International, which operated as a wet lease company, covering busy summer seasons for carriers resembling Transavia. It worked for nearly thirty years before ceasing operations in 2020, becoming one in every of the numerous airlines victims of world lockdowns.
Miami Air Seeks Liquidation After Almost 30 Years Of Operations
The startup attempted to revive the trusted brand but unfortunately didn’t submit the entire application by September 15, 2021. A second unsuccessful attempt was made the next 12 months and in 2023. The carrier should still file latest applications, however the USDOT will only examine them in the event that they are complete.
Miami Air’s sole remaining 737-800, registered as N735MA, has since been repossessed by its lessor and now operates for UK-based TUI as G-TUKR.
From defunct to a brand latest ACMI carrier
While the fate of Florida-based Miami Air stays uncertain, one other defunct airline has made a successful comeback previously decade. Eastern Airlines. Some readers may remember the unique airline, a staple of US Air Travel within the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.
The airline operated classic airliners just like the L-1011, 725, and 757. Very similar to Miami Air, Eastern had strong ties to the Sunshine State, calling itself the “Official Airline of the Tampa Bay Bucs” within the late Eighties. Unfortunately, the airline began registering losses within the late Eighties. It was sold to Texas Air in February 1986. In 1991, the airline flew for the last time. Or so did people consider on the time.
In a surprising turn of events, and exactly twenty years after Eastern’s final industrial flight, the airline was reborn, following a distinct business model. It inherited the defunct airline’s callsign “Eastern” and ICAO code “EAL” – the one notable difference is the IATA code “D2,” which is exclusive to the brand new airline.
EAL specializes mainly in military charter flights and ad-hoc wet lease operations. It also operates a singular monthly 767-200ER flight between Miami and Santo Domingo, the one remaining often scheduled flight within the western hemisphere.
Eastern Airlines: The whole lot You Need To Know About This Quirky Carrier
The North American airline has a bizarre history.
Looking ahead
Overall, the charter business in aviation is extremely competitive, meaning that venturing into it may well prove difficult for operators, resulting in bankruptcies and failed takeovers. Nevertheless, like within the case of Eastern, sometimes airlines could make a comeback. For this reason we must remain hopeful; in the future, the Sunshine State might even see Miami Air grace the skies again.
Have you ever flown with Miami Air International? Have you ever been on a charter plane? How was it? Tell us within the comment section.