Challenger Airlines

Last updated
Challenger Airlines
Founded31 December 1941;
82 years ago (1941-12-31)
(incorporated as Summit Airways)
Commenced operations3 May 1947;
77 years ago (1947-05-03)
Ceased operations31 May 1950;
74 years ago (1950-05-31)
Fleet size4
Parent company Claude Neon
Headquarters Laramie, Wyoming
Salt Lake City, Utah
Denver, Colorado
United States
Key peopleCharles W. Hirsig II (Founder)
George W. Snyder Jr. (President)
Donald A. Duff (President)
Employees200

Challenger Airlines was a local service carrier, a United States scheduled airline certificated to fly smaller routes by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now defunct US Federal agency that, at the time, tightly regulated almost all air transport. Challenger merged with two other local service carriers, Monarch Air Lines and Arizona Airways, in 1950 to form the first Frontier Airlines.

Contents

History

Startup

The company was incorporated in Wyoming, December 31, 1941, by Charles W. Hirsig II, as Summit Airways Inc., a fixed base operator located in Laramie. During World War II, Summit trained over 1300 pilots for the US military. On March 28, 1946, the CAB certificated Summit to fly between each of Salt Lake City, Billings, MT, and Denver, CO, in each case via points in Wyoming. Hirsig died 15 January 1945 in a plane crash during the CAB process that resulted in the award to Summit. [1] [2]

A separate company, Challenger Airlines, a Utah intrastate airline, was an unsuccessful applicant in the same CAB case that certificated Summit. Challenger was founded by George W. Snyder, Jr. with a majority stake held by Claude Neon, the company that introduced and popularized neon signs through the patents of its inventor, French engineer Georges Claude. [2] [1] Unable to secure CAB certification for their Utah carrier, Snyder and Claude Neon shut it down in November 1946. [3] They then bought Summit (which had yet to launch airline operations) at the beginning of 1947 and renamed it Challenger.

The new Challenger Airlines started operations on May 3, 1947 with 28-seat DC-3s. [4] [5] By then the company had moved to Salt Lake City. [6] Marketing elements also transferred from the earlier Challenger to the new: the old Challenger called their aircraft Sunliners and so did the new. [7] [8]

Consolidation and merger

Management changed at the beginning of March 1948, the new president being Donald A. Duff, a former executive at Continental Air Lines, which at that time was located in Denver. [9] Challenger immediately condolidated sales functions with those of Denver-based Monarch Air Lines (another local service carrier), [10] moved the headquarters to Denver in April, and then consolidated maintenance in Denver with Monarch. [11]

The two airlines continued to consolidate operations. By the time Monarch announced the purchase of Challenger in September 1949 (through the purchase of Claude Neon's controlling stake), [12] joint functions also covered stations (i.e. airports) and advertising. [13] The acquisition was responsive to CAB desires, at the time, for mergers; [14] the CAB was under pressure to reduce airline subsidies. [15] Earlier in 1949, the CAB had refused to extend the certification of Florida Airways, another local service carrier, on the grounds of lack of value for government subsidy, and in 1949, Monarch and Challenger had two of the highest ratios of mail revenue to commercial revenue of any of the local service carriers. [16] Monarch had previously announced a merger with Arizona Airways, which had received CAB certification to be a local service carrier, but had not operated as such. So Monarch was effectively asking for CAB blessing for a three way merger. CAB approvals of the mergers were forthcoming in December 1949 (Monarch-Challenger) [17] and April 1950 (Arizona-Monarch). [18] Cost savings were specifically cited as a reason to approve the merger. [19] At the time its merger with Monarch was approved, Challenger had 200 employees, with no job losses expected due to the activation of the moribund Arizona Airways system as part of the merger. [12]

The merger occurred June 1, 1950, with the combined airline called Frontier Airlines. The new airline was by far the largest local service carrier, some calling it a "super feeder", [20] with the route-mileage (i.e. total of the mileage of the authorized routes, without regard to their revenue potential) exceeding of trunk carriers Colonial Airlines, Continental Air Lines, Inland Air Lines, Mid-Continent Airlines, National Airlines, Northeast Airlines, Western Air Lines and the domestic operations of Braniff Airways, a fact that one of the five CAB Board members noted in his dissenting opinion from the approval of the Arizona-Monarch merger. He noted that between them, Challenger and Monarch collected $25 per passenger from the government for every $10 ticket sold, an indication of just how subsidy-dependent were these early local service carriers. [18] Duff became a vice president of the new carrier. [20]

Fleet

Challenger had four DC-3s in service as of December 1949. [21]

Destinations

A Challenger Airlines 1 February 1950 timetable shows the following services, served by routes on the triangle Denver, Salt Lake City and Billings, Montana: [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<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">Arizona Airways</span> Late 1940s Arizona intrastate airline that merged into Frontier

Arizona Airways was an Arizona intrastate airline that operated 1946–1948, making substantial losses. About the time it ceased operations, it was federally certificated as a local service carrier to fly smaller routes in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now-defunct US federal agency that at the time tightly regulated almost all air transportation in the United States. However, the company was unable to resume service and ultimately, as a non-operating airline, contributed its routes and other assets to a 1 June 1950 three-way merger with Monarch Air Lines and Challenger Airlines to create the original Frontier Airlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheyenne Regional Airport</span> Airport in Cheyenne, Wyoming, US

Cheyenne Regional Airport – also known as Jerry Olson Field – is a civil-military airport a mile north of downtown Cheyenne, in Laramie County, Wyoming. It is owned by the Cheyenne Regional Airport Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casper–Natrona County International Airport</span> Airport in Wyoming, US

Casper–Natrona County International Airport is 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Casper, in Natrona County, Wyoming. Before December 19, 2007, the airport was called Natrona County International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mackey Airlines</span> US international airline (1953–1967) that merged into Eastern

Mackey Airlines was a small United States scheduled international airline flying from Florida to the Bahamas certificated in 1952 by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now defunct Federal agency that, at the time, tightly regulated almost all US commercial air transport. The airline was founded by Joseph C. Mackey. Mackey also flew to Cuba prior to the Cuban Revolution. In 1956, Mackey absorbed Midet Aviation, an even smaller CAB-certificated airline also flying between Florida and the Bahamas. Mackey merged into Eastern Air Lines in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Flyers Airline</span> US airline (1949–1971) that merged into Universal

American Flyers Airline Corporation (AFA) was a United States airline that operated from 1949 to 1971, certificated as a supplemental air carrier by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now defunct Federal agency that, at the time, regulated almost all commercial air transportation in the United States. AFA was owned and operated by aviator Reed Pigman until his death in an AFA accident in 1966. In 1967, ownership passed to a Pennsylvania company, and in 1971, AFA merged into Universal Airlines, another supplemental airline.

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

Vernal Regional Airport is a mile southeast of Vernal, in Uintah County, Utah. It is owned by the city and county and sees one airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

Frontier Airlines was a United States local service carrier, a scheduled airline that was formed by the merger of Arizona Airways, Challenger Airlines, and Monarch Air Lines on June 1, 1950. Headquartered at the now-closed Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado, the airline ceased operations on August 24, 1986. A new airline using the same name was founded eight years later in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonanza Air Lines</span> US airline (1945–1968) that merged into Air West

Bonanza Air Lines was a local service carrier, a US scheduled airline focused on smaller routes in the Western United States from 1949 until it merged with two other local service airlines to form Air West in 1968. Its headquarters was initially Las Vegas, Nevada, and moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1966.

Aspen Airways was an airline carrier and regional affiliate of United Express and based in Hangar 5 in Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado. Aspen ceased operations on April 1, 1990, when separate portions of the airline were acquired by Mesa Airlines and Air Wisconsin Services, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pioneer Air Lines</span> US airline that merged into Continental in 1955

Essair was incorporated in 1939, the first airline authorized by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to fly as a local service carrier in the United States. Essair Lines changed its name to Pioneer Air Lines in 1946, and served destinations in New Mexico and Texas. Pioneer was acquired by and merged into Continental Airlines in 1955.

Monarch Air Lines was an American local service airline based in Denver, Colorado, that began its scheduled air service on November 27, 1946, with a flight from Denver to Durango, Colorado, using a Douglas DC-3. It was formed by F.W. Bonfils of The Denver Post family and Ray M. Wilson, who operated a Denver flying school. Other services started to Albuquerque, Salt Lake City and Grand Junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local service carrier</span> Airline type created/regulated by US govt 1943–1978

Local service carriers, or local service airlines, originally known as feeder carriers or feeder airlines, were a category of US domestic airline created/regulated by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now-defunct federal agency that tightly regulated the US airline industry 1938–1978. Initially 23 such airlines were certificated from 1943 to 1949 to serve smaller US domestic markets unserved/poorly served by existing domestic carriers, the trunk carriers, which flew the main, or trunk, routes. However, not all of these started operation and some that did later had their certificates withdrawn. One other carrier was certificated in 1950 as a replacement. "Feeder airline" alludes to another purpose, that such airlines would feed passengers to trunk carriers. It was expected that a significant number of passenger itineraries would involve a connection between a local service carrier and a trunk carrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parks Air Lines</span> 1950 predecessor to Ozark Air Lines

Parks Air Lines, named for its founder, Oliver Parks, was a US scheduled airline that initially appeared likely to be one of the most significant carriers of its kind, but in the end, operated only a single route for three months in 1950. In 1946 and 1947 the airline was certificated as a local service carrier by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now-defunct federal agency that, at the time, tightly regulated almost all US air transportation. The CAB awarded the airline, then known as Parks Air Transport, a substantial network of routes to mostly smaller cities mostly centered on St Louis. But after lengthy delays in initiating service, the CAB instituted proceedings to strip Parks of its network. Parks started service just in advance of the CAB's decision, but after a brief period of operation and some litigation, merged into Ozark Air Lines, the carrier to which the CAB gave most of Park's route authorities. This marked the start of Ozark's operations.

Inland Air Lines was a small trunk carrier, a scheduled United States airline which started as Wyoming Air Service (WAS), founded by Richard Leferink in May 1930, initially as a flying school. In the mid-1930s WAS won airmail contracts for routes in Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota and Montana. WAS changed its name to Inland Air Lines on 1 July 1938.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trunk carrier</span> Type of US airline in the regulated era (1938–1978)

Trunk carriers or trunk airlines or trunklines or trunks, were the US scheduled airlines certificated in the period 1939–1941 by the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) or its immediate successor, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) after the passage of the 1938 Civil Aeronautics Act on the basis of grandfathering: those carriers that were able to show they performed scheduled service prior to the passage of the Act. During the regulated period (1938–1978) these carriers were an especially protected class, with the CAB regulating the industry in many respects in the interests of these companies, a form of regulatory capture. The importance of these carriers is reflected is shown that in 2024, the three largest airlines in the United States, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines were among the carriers certificated through this grandfathering in 1939.

Florida Airways was a brief-lived United States local service carrier, also known as a feeder airline. On March 28, 1946, the US Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now defunct federal agency that, at that time, tightly regulated almost all US commercial air transportation, certificated Thomas E. Gordon, dba Orlando Airlines to provide air service from Orlando, Florida to points in central and north Florida for a three-year period. Gordon beat out competition from trunk carrier National Airlines and from another local service carrier, Southern Airways, for the routes. Gordon owned a fixed-base operator at Orlando Cannon Mills Airport.

Challenger Airlines was a Utah intrastate airline, a scheduled United States airline that operated from Salt Lake City in 1946. It had the same parent company the local service carrier Challenger Airlines that operated from 1947 to 1950, when it merged with two other local service carriers to form the first Frontier Airlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Resort Airlines</span> Unusual US scheduled airline 1945–1960

Resort Airlines was an unusual United States scheduled international airline certificated in 1949 by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now-defunct Federal agency that, at the time, tightly regulated almost all commercial air transport in the United States. Resort's scheduled authority was restricted to offering all-expenses paid escorted tours to nearby foreign destinations, known as sky cruises. Resort could offer conventional charter service but no other scheduled service. The market for sky cruises was limited and quite unprofitable, so the vast majority of Resort's business was charters, and for several years, only charters. At the time, the US did not have pure charter carriers, but rather supplemental air carriers, which at the time had a limited ability to offer scheduled service. Since Resort was functionally a pure charter carrier, it had in some ways the most restrictive certificate in the US airline industry. The airline ceased operations in 1960 at which time it tried selling its certificate to Trans Caribbean Airways. But in 1961 the CAB rejected the deal and revoked the moribund carrier's certificate.

The generically-named U. S. Airlines was one of the first scheduled cargo airlines to operate in the United States, awarded a certificate by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in July 1949 in the same proceedings that awarded certificates to Flying Tiger Line and Slick Airways. Flying Tiger and Slick were given transcontinental freight routes, U. S. Airlines was given north-south routes east of the Mississippi. The CAB picked U. S. Airlines over competitors in significant part because it was well capitalized. U. S. Airlines started certificated service 1 October 1949. The airline spent the time before its certification flying freight on east coast routes.

References

  1. 1 2 "Service in the Rocky Mountain States area". Civil Aeronautics Board Reports. 6: 695–763. July 1944 – May 1946. hdl:2027/osu.32437011657786..
  2. 1 2 Schultz, Ken. Challenger Airlines Company a chronological account 1941 to 1950 (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  3. ↑ Officials Favor Challenger Airline Permit, Salt Lake Tribune, November 10, 1946
  4. ↑ Airline Opens Regular S.L.-Denver Flights, Salt Lake Tribune, May 3, 1947
  5. ↑ New Airline Ends First Regular Run, Salt Lake Tribune, May 4, 1947
  6. ↑ "May 1, 1947 timetable". timetableimages.com. Challenger Airlines. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  7. ↑ Admire New Cog In State Feeder Line, Salt Lake Tribune, February 22, 1946
  8. ↑ Airliner Completes Goodwill Tour, Salt Lake Tribune, June 5, 1947
  9. ↑ Challenger Airlines Elects Duff President, Billings Gazette, March 3, 1948
  10. ↑ "Services Consolidated". Aviation Week. 48 (11): 46. 15 March 1948. ISSN   0005-2175.
  11. ↑ "Consolidate Maintenance". Aviation Week. 48 (16): 41. 26 April 1948. ISSN   0005-2175.
  12. 1 2 Monarch Air Merger Authorized, Albuquerque Journal, December 17, 1949
  13. ↑ "Plan Feeder Merger". Aviation Week. 51 (15): 50. 10 October 1949. ISSN   0005-2175.
  14. ↑ Merger Process of Three Western Airlines In Effect, Price (UT) Sun-Advocate, October 27, 1949
  15. ↑ "Attack on Feeder Cost Renewed". Aviation Week. 48 (16): 32. 19 April 1948. ISSN   0005-2175.
  16. ↑ Eads, George C. (1972). The Local Service Airline Experiment. Brookings Institution. pp. 100–101. ISBN   9780815720225.
  17. ↑ "Monarch-Challenger Merger Case". Civil Aeronautics Board Reports. 11: 33–38. December 1949 – August 1950. hdl:2027/osu.32437011657539..
  18. 1 2 "Arizona-Monarch Merger Case". Civil Aeronautics Board Reports. 11: 246–277. December 1949 – August 1950. hdl:2027/osu.32437011657539..
  19. ↑ Monarch-Challenger Air Lines Combine Okayed, Arizona Republic, December 17, 1949
  20. 1 2 "Super-Feeder". Aviation Week. 52 (4): 44–46. 23 January 1950. ISSN   0005-2175.
  21. ↑ "U.S. Scheduled Air Transport Industry". Aviation Week. 52 (9): 121. 27 February 1950. ISSN   0005-2175.
  22. ↑ "Timetable 1 February 1950". timetableimages.com. Challenger Airlines. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.