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JetAmerica

{{About|the proposed 2009 airline|the airline that operated in the 1980s and merged with Alaska Airlines|Jet America Airlines}}

{{Infobox airline

|airline=JetAmerica

|image=JetAmerica logo.png

|image_size=250px

|IATA=J1

|ICAO=BSK

|callsign=BISCAYNE

|parent=Sun America inc.

|fleet_size=

|destinations=

|founded={{Start date and age|2007}}
(as Air Azul)

|ceased={{End date and age|2009}}

|headquarters=Pinellas County, Florida

|key_people=Steve Schoen

|focus_cities=

|website=

}}

Sun America, Inc., d/b/a JetAmerica, was a proposed American low-cost scheduled public charter airline headquartered in unincorporated Pinellas County, Florida. On March 10, 2009, the airline announced a number of public scheduled charter flights from underutilized airports to Newark and Minneapolis–St. Paul using a Miami Air International Boeing 737-800 to begin on June 30, 2009. On May 27, 2009, the airline held its first press conference at Toledo Express Airport, Ohio, announcing its first focus city and the start of flight operations on July 13, 2009. The airline announced the station markets of Lansing, Michigan; Melbourne, Florida; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Newark, New Jersey; South Bend, Indiana; and Toledo, Ohio. The airline also publicly stated it was evaluating service to Baltimore, Maryland; Charleston, West Virginia Chicago Midway, Illinois; Rockford, Illinois; Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton, Ohio; Greensboro, North Carolina; Hartford, Connecticut; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Clearwater, Florida.{{cite web|url=http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090528/NEWS16/905289971 |title=The Blade ~ Toledo Ohio |publisher=toledoblade.com |date= |accessdate=2010-07-13}} The airline later delayed the start of service to August 14, 2009.{{cite news | title=JetAmerica discount airline delays launch | url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jesInUd3PVIbQEN7LChW1vEGx8uwD996JN800 | work=Google News | agency=Associated Press | date=2009-07-02 | accessdate=2009-07-02}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} However, JetAmerica did not begin service as it was unable to finalize slots at Newark.

On July 18, 2009, the company announced suspension of operations, with refunds to customers who had already bought tickets.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090727144106/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iz6ceJFNNYkQduOAnOYdG8zkRjdwD99GF02O2 Discount air carrier JetAmerica folds]

Original idea – Air Azul

The chairman of Sun America,{{cite web |last=Matzer |first=Marla |url=http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/05/28/jetamerica_investor.ART_ART_05-28-09_A8_C1E0AO6.html?sid=101 |title=Airline's backer has baggage |publisher=The Columbus Dispatch |date=2009-05-28 |access-date=2010-07-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091220214847/http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/05/28/jetamerica_investor.ART_ART_05-28-09_A8_C1E0AO6.html?sid=101 |archive-date=2009-12-20 |url-status=dead }} the "parent company" of JetAmerica, is investor Steve Schoen who also was involved as a primary investor of the failed Southeast Airlines; another low-cost carrier which declined into bankruptcy after concerns about improper record keeping and maintenance issues arose. Steve Schoen put up no money in this most recent business endeavor and was able to convince other investors to put up all the seed money for JetAmerica.{{cite web |url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/airlines/article1005670.ece |title=Tarpon Springs owner of new airline Jet America had recent bankruptcy - St. Petersburg Times |publisher=Tampabay.com |date= |accessdate=2010-07-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607045715/http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/airlines/article1005670.ece |archive-date=2011-06-07 |url-status=dead }}

JetAmerica had planned to operate under the name Air Azul, but on May 4, 2009, the company changed its name to Jet America, citing internal changes including no longer being associated with Sun Country Airlines.{{cite web |last=Bona |first=Thomas V. |url=http://www.rrstar.com/news/x845563177/Air-Azul-changes-to-JetAmerica |title=Air Azul changes to JetAmerica - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star |publisher=Rrstar.com |date=2009-05-04 |access-date=2010-07-13 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914143103/http://www.rrstar.com/news/x845563177/Air-Azul-changes-to-JetAmerica |archive-date=2012-09-14 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|author=with Ben Mutzabaugh |url=http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2009/04/so-long-air-azul-we-hardly-knew-you/65984985/1 |title=So long, Air Azul; We hardly knew you – |publisher=Usatoday.com |date=2009-04-24 |accessdate=2010-07-13}} Concerns were addressed that its name was too similar to a Brazilian airline (Azul Brazilian Airlines) started by former JetBlue founder, David Neeleman.{{Cn|date=June 2024}}

The airline also had partnered with Locair to provide Fairchild Metro service between Somerset, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee. This agreement however was terminated earlier in 2009 when the business plan was changed to the JetAmerica idea.{{cite web |url=http://www.somerset-kentucky.com/local/local_story_094180707.html |title=A NEW DAY: Locair takes over commuter service » Local News » Commonwealth Journal |publisher=Somerset-kentucky.com |date=2009-04-04 |access-date=2010-07-13 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912220611/http://www.somerset-kentucky.com/local/local_story_094180707.html |archive-date=2012-09-12 |url-status=dead }}

Air Azul had planned flights to Newark, Baltimore, and various midwestern cities. The Baltimore flights were dropped after Air Azul suspended flights in April 2009Associated Press. [https://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-04-23-air-azul-change_N.htm Air Azul: New airline to change name, launch later], usatoday.com, April 23, 2009, retrieved 2011-Jun-22 and was renamed JetAmerica.Press Release. [http://www.flylansing.com/news_and_events.aspx?mid=471&newsid471=26&Air-Azul-Announces-New-Nonstop-Air-Service-to-New-York-and-Baltimore-Washington-DC-from-Lansing Air Azul Announces New, Nonstop Air Service to New York and Baltimore-Washington D.C. from Lansing] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004095859/http://www.flylansing.com/news_and_events.aspx?mid=471&newsid471=26&Air-Azul-Announces-New-Nonstop-Air-Service-to-New-York-and-Baltimore-Washington-DC-from-Lansing |date=2011-10-04 }}, flylansing.com, March 13, 2009, retrieved 2011-Jun-22

Destinations

File:Jetamericaroutes.jpg

JetAmerica's proposed schedule included services to the following destinations in the United States:

; Florida

; Indiana

; Michigan

; Minnesota

; New Jersey

; Ohio

Fleet

class="wikitable" style="border-collapse:collapse"

|+ JetAmerica Fleet

Aircraft

!Total

Boeing 737-800

|1

JetAmerica had announced plans to add a second Boeing 737-800 in July,[https://finance.yahoo.com/news/New-lowcost-airline-targets-apf-15348934.html?.v=4 New lowcost airline targets...], yahoo.com{{dead link|date=July 2010}} and up to as many as four by July 2010. The company's business plan, as announced by Weikle, would have added an additional aircraft every four months.

When JetAmerica was known as Air Azul, it planned to operate flights with air crew and aircraft leased from Sun Country Airlines using a Boeing 737-800 with 12 first class seats and 150 coach seats, but financing and business plan changes altered this.

See also

References

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Portalbar|United States|Florida|Companies|Aviation}}

{{Airlines of the United States|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jetamerica}}

Category:Defunct low-cost airlines of the United States

Category:Airlines established in 2007

Category:Airlines disestablished in 2009

Category:Airlines based in Florida