Branson Air Express

Last updated
Branson AirExpress
Branson Air Express Logo.png
IATA ICAO Callsign
1X
FoundedMay 17, 2010 (May 17, 2010)
Ceased operations2017
Hubs Branson Airport
Parent company Branson Airport, LLC
Headquarters Hollister, Missouri
Website www.bransonairexpress.com

FlyBranson Travel, LLC, branded as Branson Air Express, is a defunct air travel marketing brand, based at Branson Airport near Branson, Missouri. Branson AirExpress used the air carrier services of DOT and FAA certificated airlines such as Elite Airways and Southern Airways Express but does not have any aircraft upon its own air carrier operating certificate. This practice was much like that of Southern Skyways or Direct Air. It commenced operations in the fall of 2009. From that date until October 31, 2010, flights were operated by ExpressJet Airlines utilizing two Embraer EMB-145 regional jets. Beginning on November 1 all flights began to be operated by Vision Airlines using two Dornier 328 turboprops. For 2011, the scaled back service was operated by a single Corporate Flight Management BAe Jetstream 41. All 2012 service ended for the Autumn and winter and it did not resume in 2013. With the exit of Southwest Airlines from Branson, the concept was revived with a new name, Buzz Airways, through the summer of 2014.

In November and December, 2014 service under the Branson Air Express name transitioned to Elite Airways larger Bombardier CRJ-200 jet aircraft. Branson Air Express and Buzz Airways operated side-by-side during the summer of 2015, with CFM/Buzz Airways serving Chicago and Austin and Elite Airways operating Branson Air Express service to Denver and Houston. [1] Additionally, on January 28, 2015, Branson AirExpress announced service operated by Orange Air to begin in May 2015 From Branson to New Orleans and Cincinnati. Flights to New Orleans continued on to Cancún. [2] This was Branson Air Express' first large jet service, utilizing a McDonnell Douglas MD-80. Orange Air ceased operating for Branson Air Express on October 5, 2015 - the Cincinnati-Branson route was dropped and Branson-New Orleans-Cancún transferred to Elite Airways and operated through November 29 before ending for the season.

2016 service consisted only of Branson to New Orleans and Austin, operated by CFM/Buzz Airways and Elite Airways to Denver and Houston-Intercontinental. The Elite Airways service was offered worldwide by Global Distribution Systems under the Great Lakes Airlines code.

Branson Air Express did not return for the 2017 season as all service was operated by and sold by Via Air. After that all service was marketed by Via or other airlines and the Branson Air Express brand has not been used.

Fleet

AircraftTotalOrdersPassengersNotes
BAe Jetstream 41 430Operated by Buzz Airways
Bombardier CRJ-200 250Chartered From Elite Airways

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Bush Intercontinental Airport</span> Airport serving Houston, Texas, U.S.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Located about 23 miles (37 km) north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59 with direct access to the Hardy Toll Road expressway, George Bush Intercontinental Airport has scheduled flights to a large number of domestic and international destinations covering five continents. It is the busiest airport in Texas for international passenger traffic and number of international destinations, as well as being the second busiest airport in Texas overall, and the 15th busiest in the United States for total passenger traffic.

Frontier Airlines is a major ultra-low-cost American airline headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It operates flights to over 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations, and employs more than 3,000 staff. The carrier is a subsidiary and operating brand of Indigo Partners, LLC, and maintains a hub at Denver International Airport with numerous focus cities across the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William P. Hobby Airport</span> Municipal airport serving Houston, Texas, United States

William P. Hobby Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, located 7 miles (11 km) from downtown Houston. Hobby is Houston's oldest commercial airport, and was its primary airport until the Houston Intercontinental Airport, now known as the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, opened in 1969. Hobby was initially closed after the opening of Houston Intercontinental; however, it was re-opened after several years, and became a secondary airport for domestic airline service, and a center for corporate and private aviation.

United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which five individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights.

Air Wisconsin Airlines is a regional airline based at Appleton International Airport in the town of Greenville, Wisconsin, near Appleton. Air Wisconsin originally operated as one of the original United Express partners in 1985, and subsequently operated as US Airways Express on behalf of US Airways prior to becoming an American Eagle regional air carrier. Between March 2018 and April 2023, Air Wisconsin operated exclusively as a United Express regional air carrier once again with primary hubs located at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). This came to an end in April 2023 as the carrier switched to conducting solely American Eagle branded flights, per a new contract with American Airlines.

Continental Express was the operating brand name used by a number of independently owned regional airlines providing commuter airliner and regional jet feeder service under agreement with Continental Airlines. In 2012 at the time of Continental's merger with United Airlines, two carriers were operating using the Continental Express brand name:

Mesa Airlines, Inc., is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is an FAA Part 121–certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group and operates flights as United Express via respective code sharing agreements with United Airlines. It serves more than 180 markets in the Western Hemisphere. In a 1997 article from the Journal of Air Transportation, Mesa's safety record was noted as having the fewest incidents among domestic regional airlines at that time. Mesa filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2010, hoping to shed financial obligations for leases on airplanes it no longer needed and emerged from bankruptcy in March 2011. In November 2017, Mesa opened a new training center in Phoenix. The 23,000-square-foot facility features a full-size CRJ-200 cabin trainer aircraft, 14 classrooms, and has the capacity to train 300 crew members at one time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lafayette Regional Airport</span> Airport in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana

Lafayette Regional Airport(French: Aéroport régional de Lafayette) is a public use airport two miles (4 km) southeast of Lafayette, in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned and operated by the City Parish of Lafayette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Lakes Airlines</span>

Great Lakes Airlines was an American regional airline operating domestic scheduled and charter services. Corporate headquarters were in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with a hub at Denver International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Regional Airport</span> Airport

Santa Fe Regional Airport is a public use airport in Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States, 10 miles (16 km) southwest of the city center. The airport serves the greater Santa Fe and Los Alamos areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Junction Regional Airport</span> Airport in Grand Junction, Colorado

Grand Junction Regional Airport is three miles (4.8 km) northeast of Grand Junction, in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Owned by the Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority, it is the largest airport in western Colorado and third largest in the state, behind Denver International Airport and Colorado Springs Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durango–La Plata County Airport</span> Airport in Durango, Colorado, USA

Durango–La Plata County Airport is a city- and county-owned public airport 12 miles southeast of Durango, in La Plata County, Colorado.

ExpressJet Airlines was a regional airline in the United States that operated from 1987 until 2022. It was headquartered in College Park, Georgia. The company originally operated as a contracted codeshare partner, flying under the American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express brands at various points in history. In September 2020, it exited the fee-for-departure airline market and temporarily ceased flights after the conclusion of its contract with its sole remaining mainline partner, United Airlines. In September 2021, ExpressJet resumed operations as both an air charter provider and a regional airline under its own brand aha!—short for "Air-Hotel-Adventure." The brand's route structure focused on the West Coast of the United States with a hub at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, and scheduled flights began on October 24, 2021. The airline, including its brand aha!, filed for bankruptcy on August 23, 2022, having ceased all operations the previous day. In July 2023, the airline announced plans to relaunch as an air charter service using a single leased Boeing 777.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Charles Regional Airport</span> Airport

Lake Charles Regional Airport is a public use airport located five nautical miles (9 km) south of the central business district of Lake Charles, a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. Owned by Calcasieu Parish, the airport serves approximately 375,000 people in the Lake Charles – Jennings combined statistical area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topeka Regional Airport</span> Joint-use civil-military airport in Kansas, United States

Topeka Regional Airport, formerly known as Forbes Field, is a joint civil-military public airport owned by the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority in Shawnee County, Kansas, seven miles south of downtown Topeka, the capital city of Kansas. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 called it a general aviation airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Britt Airways</span> Defunct regional airline of the United States (1964–1996)

Britt Airways was a regional airline in the United States that operated from 1964 until 1996, when it merged with ExpressJet. It was established as Vercoa Air Service in 1964 and renamed to Britt Airlines when it was purchased by William and Marilyn Britt in 1975 later on Britt Airways. It was based in Terre Haute, Indiana until 1996. It began as a commuter airline. It primarily operated turboprop aircraft but also flew British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven twinjets as an independent air carrier at one point as well. The airline evolved into a regional air carrier operating code share flights primarily for Continental Airlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Branson Airport</span> Airport

Branson Airport is a public use airport located eight nautical miles (15 km) south-southeast of the central business district of Branson, a city in Taney County, Missouri, United States. Branson Airport, LLC is a private company operating the airport through an operating agreement with The Branson Regional Airport Transportation District. The airport is owned by Taney County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buzz Airways</span> Airline of the United States

Buzz Airways was a virtual passenger airline that operated from 2014 to 2017 out of Branson Airport in Branson, Missouri, United States. It commenced operations on June 12, 2014, utilizing Jetstream 41 aircraft, and flights were operated as public charters operated by Corporate Flight Management, who previously operated service to Branson under the Branson Air Express banner, utilizing Jetstream 41 aircraft.

Elite Airways was an airline based in the United States that operated charter and scheduled passenger flights. The airline was headquartered in Portland, Maine.

Orange Air, LLC was an American charter airline that began service in 2014. It was based at Orlando Sanford International Airport and was headquartered on the grounds of the airport, through its short time in operation.

References

[3] [4]

  1. Gounley, Thomas. Branson Airport’s 2015 service begins to take shape, Springfield News-Leader, December 27, 2014, Retrieved 2015-01-02
  2. Lipinski, Jed. New Orleans airport announces new non-stops to Branson, Cincinnati and Cancun, The Times-Picayune, January 28, 2015, Retrieved 2015-01-28
  3. "Branson Airport, LLC | Airlines". Archived from the original on 2010-10-28. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
  4. "Branson AirExpress Announces Route Changes | Branson AirExpress". Archived from the original on 2010-10-25. Retrieved 2010-11-02.