Britt Airways

Not to be confused with Brit Air or British Airways.

Britt Airways

IATA ICAO Callsign RU BTA [1] JETLINK [2]
Founded	1964 (1964) (as Vercoa Air Service)
Ceased operations	1996 (1996) (merged into ExpressJet)
Frequent-flyer program	OnePass
Parent company	People Express Airlines (1986–1987) Continental Airlines (1987–1996)
Headquarters	Terre Haute, Indiana, United States
Key people	William Britt Marilyn Britt

Britt Airways Beechcraft 99 operating for Allegheny Commuter at Chicago O'Hare in 1975

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. ^[3] 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.

History

By 1969 Britt Airways purchased a small fleet of Beechcraft 99 light turboprop airliners that were operated under contract as Allegheny Commuter flights on behalf of Allegheny Airlines. Allegheny had recently begun flights from Chicago O'Hare that were acquired through a merger with Lake Central Airlines. Initially, Britt replaced Allegheny on a route between Chicago and Danville, IL. ^[4] According to the October 29, 1978 Britt Airways system timetable, commuter flights for Allegheny were operated by Britt from the airline's small hub located at Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD) with service to Bloomington, IN, Danville, IL, Indianapolis, IN, Muncie, IN and Terre Haute, IN, all former Lake Central routes that were acquired by Allegheny. ^[5] In 1979, Britt was continuing to serve these aforementioned destinations as an Allegheny Commuter air carrier from Chicago and was also flying independently operated service to Bloomington, IL/Normal, IL, Champaign, IL/Urbana, IL, Evansville, IN, Galesburg, IL, Indianapolis, IN, Moline, IL, Peoria, IL, St. Louis, MO, Springfield, IL and Sterling, IL/Rock Falls, IL with flights primarily operated from Chicago O'Hare as well as an Indianapolis-Evansville-St. Louis route and an Indianapolis-Champaign/Urbana route. ^[6] All Allegheny Commuter as well as independently operated services were being flown with Beechcraft 99 and Swearingen Metroliner (Metro II model) turboprops at this time. ^[7] By 1980, the airline had expanded its hub operation at Chicago O'Hare with new service to Decatur, IL, Mattoon, IL/Charleston, IL, and South Bend, IN, and had also expanded its fleet with the addition of larger Fairchild Hiller FH-227 turboprops. ^[8]

In 1981, Britt began operating as an independent air carrier from a major hub located at Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD) and also from smaller hubs located at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) and Indianapolis International Airport (IND). ^[9] By early 1985, the airline was operating jet service as an independent air carrier with British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven twin jets and was also continuing to fly Beechcraft 99, Fairchild Hiller FH-227 and Swearingen Metroliner (Metro II model) turboprops. ^[10]

In 1985, the founder and owner of Britt Airways, Bill Britt, sold the airline to People Express. A new hub at St. Louis was established and select flights from St. Louis began operating under code sharing with People Express (PE) while other flights, including all flights at Chicago, remained operating under the RU code for Britt Airways.

From late 1985 through late 1986, Britt operated code sharing flight services for Piedmont Airlines (1948-1989) as a Piedmont Commuter System air carrier from the Dayton International Airport (DAY) in Ohio where Piedmont was operating a hub at the time. ^{[11] [12]}

Frank Lorenzo's holding company, Texas Air Corporation, acquired People Express later in 1985, ^[13] following Texas Air's acquisition of Texas International Airlines (TI). Texas Air Corporation had previously acquired Continental Airlines (CO) and merged TI and CO under the Continental name in 1982. In 2010 Continental merged into United Airlines.

On February 1, 1987 People Express and Continental were merged retaining the Continental Airlines name. All Britt Airways operations began code sharing flights under the Continental Express banner for Continental from its major hubs located at Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH, now George Bush Intercontinental Airport) in Houston, Texas, and at the former People Express hub at Newark International Airport (EWR, now Newark Liberty International Airport) in Newark, New Jersey. ^{[14] [15]} All flights at Britt's original and long-standing operation at the Chicago O'hare hub were also transitioned to flying as Continental Express however the entire Chicago operation was discontinued in early 1989. Britt also had a single route from the former Chicago Meigs Field airport to Springfield, IL which continued until 1991. According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), in 1989 Britt was the primary Continental Express carrier at Houston Intercontinental operating ATR-42 and Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia propjet aircraft on feeder services on behalf of Continental. ^[16] By 1991, the airline was the primary Continental Express carrier at Newark as well operating ATR-42 and Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia aircraft according to the OAG. ^{[17] [18]}

Beginning in November, 1987, Continental Airlines established a hub at Cleveland Hopkins Airport (CLE) and Britt began operating as the Continental Express feeder carrier there flying Swearingen Metroliner (Metro II model) propjets. By 1989, Britt was operating all Continental Express flights from Cleveland with Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia propjets. ^[19]

In 1991, Britt Airways began operating Continental Express service formerly flown by Rocky Mountain Airways from Denver (DEN). According to the October 1, 1991 Official Airline Guide (OAG), the airline was operating Continental Express flights from Denver with de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 and Beechcraft 1900C turboprops formerly flown by Rocky Mountain Airways as well as with ATR-42 propjets. ^[20]

Destinations in 1984

According to its May 29, 1984 route map, Britt Airways was serving the following destinations as an independent air carrier. ^[21] Destinations noted in bold were receiving British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven jet service operated by Britt in early 1985. ^[22]

• Bloomington, IL/Normal, IL
• Bloomington, IN
• Burlington, IA
• Cape Girardeau, MO
• Cedar Rapids, IA - (Iowa City, IA was served via Cedar Rapids)
• Chicago, IL - O'Hare Airport - Primary Hub
• Champaign, IL - (Urbana, IL was served via Champaign)
• Cincinnati, OH
• Danville, IL
• Decatur, IL
• Detroit, MI
• Evansville, IN
• Galesburg, IL
• Indianapolis, IN - Secondary Hub
• Lafayette, IN
• Mattoon, IL/Charleston, IL
• Memphis, TN
• Marion, IL/Herrin, IL
• Moline, IL - (Davenport, IA was served via Moline)
• Muncie, IN
• Paducah, KY
• Peoria, IL
• Quincy, IL
• St. Louis, MO - Secondary Hub
• South Bend, IN
• Springfield, IL
• Sterling, IL/Rock Falls, IL
• Terre Haute, IN - Headquarters for the airline

Fleet

Britt operated the following aircraft types at different times over the years. Fleet information is taken from the Britt historical website, www.brittairlines.com

• ATR-42
• Beechcraft 99
• British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven series 400 (only jet aircraft type operated by the airline)
• Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia
• Fairchild F-27
• Fairchild Hiller FH-227
• Swearingen Metroliner - (Metro II models)

Britt also operated Beechcraft 1900C and de Havilland Canada Dash 7 aircraft formerly flown by Rocky Mountain Airways following its commencement of Continental Express service in Denver. ^[23]

Accidents and incidents

• The airline's first fatal accident was on Jan. 30, 1984, when a repositioning flight from Terre Haute, Indiana to Evansville, Indiana crashed shortly after takeoff from Hulman Regional Airport in Terre Haute. Three Britt employees were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board could not determine the cause of the crash but found unauthorized wiring in the plane debris. The plane, N63Z, was destroyed.

• On September 11, 1991, Continental Express Flight 2574, operated by a Britt Airways Embraer 120 Brasilia, crashed while descending into Houston Intercontinental Airport after a domestic flight from Laredo, Texas, killing all 14 occupants. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found that an improperly-maintained horizontal stabilizer failed during approach, causing a severe nose-down pitchover and breakup of the plane. ^[24]

See also

• List of defunct airlines of the United States

Bibliography

• Eastwood, Tony. Turboprop Airliner Production List. 1998. The Aviation Hobby Shop. ISBN   0-907178-69-3.

References

1. "Britt Airways Fleet Details and History" . Retrieved 18 February 2016.
2. "BRITT AIRWAYS, INC., d/b/a CONTINENTAL EXPRESS FLIGHT 2574 IN-FLIGHT STRUCTURAL BREAKUP EMB-120RT, N33701 EAGLE LAKE, TEXAS SEPTEMBER 11, 1991" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on Feb 25, 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
3. "Vercoa Air Service". Airline History. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
4. Eastwood, 1998, p. 54
5. http://www.timetableimages.com, Oct. 29, 1978 Britt Airway system timetable
6. http://www.departedflights.com, June 15, 1979 Allegheny Airlines route map (with Allegheny Commuter service) & Nov. 15, 1979 Britt Airways route map (independently operated routes)
7. http://www.departedflights.com, Nov. 15, 1979 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Chicago O'Hare, Indianapolis and St. Louis flight schedules
8. http://www.timetableimages.com, June 1, 1980 Britt Airways system timetable
9. http://www.departedflights.com, May 29, 1984 Britt Airways route system
10. http://www.departedflights.com, Feb. 15, 1985 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Chicago O'Hare flight schedules
11. http://www.departedflights.com, April 27, 1986 Britt Airways route map
12. http://www.departedflights.com, June 1, 1986 Piedmont Airlines route map
13. "BUSINESS PEOPLE; AN OLD SALT TAKES HELM AT TEXAS AIR'S BRITT UNIT," The New York Times
14. "Decision No. 110-A-1992 Archived 2005-12-03 at the Wayback Machine ," Canadian Transportation Agency
15. "Decision No. 631-A-1993 Archived 2003-11-17 at the Wayback Machine ," Canadian Transportation Agency
16. http://www.departedflights.com, Dec. 15, 1989 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Houston Intercontinental flight schedules
17. http://www.departedflights.com, Oct. 1, 1991 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Newark flight schedules
18. http://www.timetableimages.com, June 15, 1987 Britt Airways/Continental Express system timetable
19. http://www.departedflights.com, Dec. 15, 1989 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Cleveland flight schedules
20. http://www.departedflights.com, Oct. 1, 1991 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Denver flight schedules
21. http://www.departedflights.com, May 29, 1984 Britt Airways route map
22. http://www.departedflights.com, Feb. 15, 1985 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Chicago O'Hare flight schedules
23. http://www.departedflights.com, Oct. 1, 1991 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Denver flight schedules
24. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Embraer EMB-120RT Brasilia N33701 Eagle Lake, TX". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2021-06-27.