Pride Air

Last updated
Pride Air
PRIDEaircover8508.jpg
IATA ICAO Call sign
NI [1] --
Commenced operationsAugust 1, 1985;
40 years ago (1985-08-01)
Ceased operationsNovember 15, 1985;
39 years ago (1985-11-15)
Operating bases Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Fleet sizeSee Fleet below
DestinationsSee Destinations below
Headquarters New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Key peoplePaul Eckel (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer) Fred Gardner

Pride Air was a United States airline that operated for three months during 1985. Pride Air was based out of New Orleans International Airport (MSY).

Contents

History

Undated newspaper advertisement for Pride Air PRIDEairmap.jpg
Undated newspaper advertisement for Pride Air

Pride Air was founded by Paul Eckel, a former chief pilot for Continental Airlines. [2] Eckel, who served as the company's chairman and chief executive, [3] had hoped to create an employee-owned low-cost airline operating out of New Orleans. [2] Eckel had previously led an unsuccessful attempt by employees to acquire Continental Airlines during its first bankruptcy. [2] Many of Pride's first investors were former Continental employees, who raised $15.5 million to start the airline. [2] They chose New Orleans (MSY) as a hub because there was no one dominant airline operating from the airport at that time.[ citation needed ] Pride Air management had previously considered Kansas City as possible hub but then reconsidered when Eastern Airlines began building up their service at Kansas City.[ citation needed ]

Operations began on August 1, 1985. [3] Pride's business plan centered on a hub-and-spoke operation in New Orleans [4] which would link cities in California and Florida, with Denver, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City also being served. [5] A similar plan by Northeastern International Airways had tried this approach in New Orleans in 1984. [6] Pride Air did not initially offer service as a low-cost carrier and was instead structured more as a full service airline. However, due to increased competition from Continental Airlines in the New Orleans market in tandem with cash flow problems, Pride Air suspended operations on November 15, 1985, only three months after it began flying. [7] It later filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy the following December. [8] [5]

Fleet

Destinations

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pride Air advertisement [ usurped ], 1985
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gilpin, Kenneth; Purdum, Todd (November 21, 1985). "BUSINESS PEOPLE; Founder of Pride Air in Search for Investors" . The New York Times . p. D2. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Pride Air Begins Flights on Aug. 1" . The New York Times. June 26, 1985. p. D5. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
  4. ↑ Ghobrial, Atef (1991). "Competition for Hub Dominance: Some Implications to Airline Profitability and Enplanement Share". Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research. 2 (1): 5.
  5. 1 2 "Pride Air Trying to Reorganize". Sarasota Herald-Tribune . Associated Press. December 3, 1985. p. 17A. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  6. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com, May 1, 1984 Northeastern International Airways system timetable
  7. ↑ "Pride's Flights Are Suspended" . The New York Times. Associated Press. November 18, 1985. p. D4. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Pride Air Files For Chapter 11" . The New York Times. Associated Press. December 3, 1985. p. D4. Retrieved September 10, 2025.


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