Airline of the United States
Empire Airlines
is a cargo and former passenger airline based in
Hayden, Idaho
, near
Coeur d'Alene
.
[2]
It operates over 120 scheduled cargo flights a day in 18 US states and Canada. Empire also operated passenger service within Hawaii, under the name "Ohana by Hawaiian", between 2014-2021 in partnership with
Hawaiian Airlines
. Its main base is
Coeur d'Alene Airport
with a hub at
Spokane International Airport
.
[3]
The company slogan is
We Can Do That.
History
[
edit
]
Empire Airlines was established and started operations in May 1977 in
Orofino
as a charter company. Originally named
Clearwater Flying Service
(thus the
CFS
identifier for its flights), it was purchased by Nick Chenoweth and Vick Walters on April 12. Soon thereafter, a third partner, Mel Spelde joined as a flight instructor. Clearwater Flying Service made a living doing several different things including, fire patrol, transporting outfitters into the backcountry, air ambulance, air pollution monitoring, charters and flight instruction.
[4]
On November 1, 1980, Empire Airlines purchased
West Aire
, Inc. at Coeur d'Alene and expanded business to include aircraft sales and maintenance. In 1981 Empire purchased
Executive Aviation
in
Missoula, Montana
, and leased
Twin Otter
aircraft for
United States Forest Service
smoke jumping contracts. In December 1983 and January 1984, Empire was awarded government contracts to transport people and materiel in
Grenada
, following the conflict. In the mid-1980s, Empire received contracts from several places including, a Colorado ski destination,
Hughes Aircraft
, and Naval Arctic Research Laboratory. In 1988 Empire signed a
FedEx Express
contract to fly and maintain
Cessna 208 Caravan
aircraft out of
Portland
and
Spokane
;
Seattle
was added in September. In 1989 Empire became a
FAR
121 operator after the purchase of
Pacific Alaska Airlines
and two
Fairchild F-27
aircraft. In August Empire started F27 services for FedEx Express.
In 1990, Empire added more cargo routes and performed its first heavy maintenance check on a Fairchild F-27. By 1992, the airline was operating
British Aerospace
BAe 146-200
jet aircraft on contract charter flights for Silverwing Holidays from
Bellingham, WA
and
Spokane
to
Los Angeles
,
Palm Springs
,
Phoenix
and
Reno
.
[5]
In 1993, Empire became a sustaining member of CASE (Coordinating Agency for Supplier Evaluation). From October 1993 to May 1994, it operated
Fokker F27-500
aircraft in
Hawaii
on behalf of
Mahalo Air
, while the latter airline was awaiting its own
operating certificate
. In 1995, Empire moved corporate offices and ended passenger services, focusing on cargo, maintenance and airline startups. Empire began sending technical reps to Conair during heavy maintenance checks on
Fokker F27 Friendships
. In 1998, Empire started flying and maintaining
Short 360
aircraft. Empire entered into a partnership agreement to begin Express Air serving FedEx in
Europe
.
In 2001, Empire received a Repair Station certificate. In 2002, Empire purchased Reliant Logistics as a wholly owned subsidiary. In 2003, The first
ATR 42
aircraft arrived in Spokane for cargo conversion. In 2004, the first ATR 42 put on Empire's certificate made the first ATR
FedEx Feeder
revenue flight. In 2005, Empire moved into new hangar and office building, in
Hayden, Idaho
, adjacent to the Coeur d'Alene airport (COE). In 2013, Empire Airlines began drone flights under the name "Empire Unmanned", mainly serving agriculture and mining industries in the Western U.S.
On December 31, 2021, Empire Airlines acquired fellow
FedEx
feeder
West Air
, expanding its footprint to include all of
California
.
'Ohana by Hawaiian service
[
edit
]
In December 2012, it was announced that Empire would begin operating three
ATR 42-500
series propjet aircraft acquired by
Hawaiian Airlines
on routes within the state of Hawaii.
[6]
'Ohana by Hawaiian launched initial service to Molokai Airport (MKK) on March 11, 2014, and Lana'i Airport on March 18, 2014.
In 2015, Hawaiian Airlines announced a new all-cargo freighter service to be operated by Empire with
ATR 72
turboprop aircraft on interisland routes in Hawaii
[7]
Hawaiian Airlines suspended all 'Ohana by Hawaiian service on January 14, 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
[8]
[9]
On May 27, 2021, Hawaiian announced that it would discontinue the ?Ohana by Hawaiian brand and its cargo and passenger services after the pandemic and resulting quarantine significantly impacted interisland travel. The interruptions in service forced the airline to reconsider the viability of operation and determine it was no longer feasible. The carrier's ATR fleet would be moved to the
mainland
and be prepared for sale.
[10]
Previous passenger service
[
edit
]
Empire operated scheduled passenger flights during the early 1990s in the Pacific Northwest with
Fairchild F-27
and
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
"Metro II" turboprop aircraft. In 1993, the airline was serving Boise, ID (BOI), Coeur d'Alene, ID (COE), Lewiston, ID (LWS), Olympia, WA (OLM) and Spokane, WA (GEG).
[11]
Empire previously served Seattle (SEA) as well.
[12]
Initial scheduled service was between Boise and Coeur d'Alene, ID utilizing
Cessna 441 Conquest II
turboprop aircraft. Lewiston, ID was added as an enroute stop later; then the Swearingen Metro II came along.
In May 1993, Empire’s network included Boise, Lewiston, and Coeur d'Alene, ID; Portland and Astoria, OR; and Spokane, Pasco, Olympia, Seattle, and Hoquiam, WA. This was the third time Seattle had been served. Prior to the Metro propjets being introduced and new service to Lewiston, Empire had served Seattle and Missoula with the Cessna Conquest turboprop from Coeur d'Alene.
Fleet
[
edit
]
As of January 2022, the Empire Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft:
[13]
Previously operated
[
edit
]
Empire Air formerly operated the following aircraft:
Accidents and incidents
[
edit
]
- December 24, 2005: An Empire Airlines Cessna 208B Caravan on a VFR cargo flight from Portland, Oregon to Roseburg, Oregon crashed shortly after takeoff in a golf course south of the Portland International Airport at 7:43 AM PT. The cause of the crash was determined to be a partial loss of engine power for an undetermined reason during the initial takeoff climb resulting in an in-flight collision with objects.
[17]
[18]
- On 27 January 2009,
Flight 8284
, an
ATR-42
-320 cargo plane under contract from
FedEx Express
crashed on landing at
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport
at 04:37 CT. The plane, which had been traveling from
Fort Worth Alliance Airport
, landed short of the touchdown zone and skidded off the runway amid light freezing rain. There was a small fire on the plane and two crew members were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
[19]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View"
.
av-info.faa.gov
. Retrieved
2019-06-27
.
- ^
"Empire Airlines | Contact Us"
.
Empire Airlines
. 2019-11-19
. Retrieved
2021-09-14
.
- ^
"Directory: World Airlines".
Flight International
. 2007-04-03. p. 77.
- ^
"Empire Airlines | History"
.
Empire Airlines
. 2019-09-27
. Retrieved
2021-09-14
.
- ^
"Empire Airways"
.
www.departedwings.com
. Retrieved
2021-09-14
.
- ^
"Hadden Watt to Manage Hawaiian Airlines Turboprop Operation"
(Press release). December 26, 2012. Archived from
the original
on December 31, 2012
. Retrieved
January 9,
2012
.
- ^
Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. Announces Plans to Expand Cargo Service with Purchase of Three ATR 72 Aircraft for 'Ohana by Hawaiian Interisland Network
- ^
"
'Ohana by Hawaiian' to end on Jan. 14"
. 7 January 2021.
- ^
Newsroom, Hawaiian Airlines |.
"Hawaiian Airlines Ends 'Ohana by Hawaiian Service"
.
Hawaiian Airlines | Newsroom
. Retrieved
2021-09-14
.
- ^
"Hawaiian Airlines ends 'Ohana by Hawaiian service"
.
Hawaiian Airlines
. May 27, 2021.
Archived
from the original on May 28, 2021
. Retrieved
November 20,
2023
.
- ^
"OAG1091itin8"
.
www.departedflights.com
. Retrieved
2021-09-14
.
Empire Airlines system timetable
- ^
"Empire Airlines system route map"
. Jan 16, 1990
. Retrieved
2021-09-14
.
- ^
"
'Ohana by Hawaiian Fleet Details and History"
.
www.planespotters.net
. Retrieved
2021-09-14
.
- ^
"US's Empire Airlines takes first Cessna 408 freighter"
.
ch-aviation
. Retrieved
14 July
2022
.
- ^
"ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 208B Caravan I Super Cargomaster N746FE Flagstaff, AZ"
(Database with input and photos from the public)
.
Aviation Safety Network: Database
. Flight Safety Foundation
. Retrieved
3 August
2012
.
- ^
"ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 208B Caravan I Super Cargomaster N941FE Lummi Island, WA"
(Database with input and photos from the public)
.
Aviation Safety Network: Database
. Flight Safety Foundation
. Retrieved
3 August
2012
.
- ^
This article incorporates
public domain material
from
National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report
.
National Transportation Safety Board
. Retrieved
2021-08-30
.
- ^
"Plane Crash at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport"
.
KCBD-TV
. Archived from
the original
on February 23, 2018
. Retrieved
February 22,
2018
.
- ^
CNN:
FedEx plane crashes in Texas
27 January 2009
External links
[
edit
]