MAIR Holdings
Encyclopedia
MAIR Holdings, Inc. was an airline holding company. Later in its life its headquarters were in Fifth Street Towers II in Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota
. At an earlier time its headquarters were on the property of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and in Fort Snelling
, an unincorporated area
in Hennepin County
. It was established in 1993 as Mesaba Holdings, Inc., to serve as the company for Mesaba Aviation, Inc., which operated Mesaba Airlines
. In 2002, MAIR also acquired Big Sky Transportation, Co., operator of Big Sky Airlines
.
Mesaba, which operated as a Northwest Airlink
regional airline
, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 13, 2005, a result of downsizing occasioned by the earlier bankruptcy of Northwest Airlines
. As part of the reorganization of both carriers, Northwest acquired Mesaba on April 24, 2007. This left Big Sky as MAIR's only remaining airline.
Following a series of expansion attempts, Big Sky announced plans to cease operations in December 2007. The airline's last flights were on March 8, 2008.
MAIR's shareholders voted to dissolve the company on June 25, 2008. The company's last day of trading was July 7, 2008, and closed at a price of approximately $4.17. Shareholders as of that day received an initial cash distribution of $3 per share in August, 2008, and have subsequently received several liquidating distributions from the company, as assets are sold and legal issues resolved: 70 cents per share was distributed in November, 2008; 55 cents per share in February, 2009; and 12 cents per share in April, 2010.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. At an earlier time its headquarters were on the property of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and in Fort Snelling
Fort Snelling, Minnesota
Fort Snelling, originally known as Fort Saint Anthony, was a military fortification located at the confluence of the Minnesota River and Mississippi River in Hennepin County, Minnesota...
, an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Hennepin County
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...
. It was established in 1993 as Mesaba Holdings, Inc., to serve as the company for Mesaba Aviation, Inc., which operated Mesaba Airlines
Mesaba Airlines
Mesaba Airlines is an American regional airline based in Eagan, Minnesota. The airline operates under Mesaba Aviation, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corporation...
. In 2002, MAIR also acquired Big Sky Transportation, Co., operator of Big Sky Airlines
Big Sky Airlines
Big Sky Airlines was an American regional airline that operated from 1978 to 2008. Headquartered in Billings, Montana, United States. Big Sky was wholly owned by Big Sky Transportation Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of MAIR Holdings....
.
Mesaba, which operated as a Northwest Airlink
Northwest Airlink
Northwest Airlink was the trade name of Northwest Airlines' regional airline service, which flew turboprop and regional jet aircraft from Northwest's domestic hubs in Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis...
regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 13, 2005, a result of downsizing occasioned by the earlier bankruptcy of Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
. As part of the reorganization of both carriers, Northwest acquired Mesaba on April 24, 2007. This left Big Sky as MAIR's only remaining airline.
Following a series of expansion attempts, Big Sky announced plans to cease operations in December 2007. The airline's last flights were on March 8, 2008.
MAIR's shareholders voted to dissolve the company on June 25, 2008. The company's last day of trading was July 7, 2008, and closed at a price of approximately $4.17. Shareholders as of that day received an initial cash distribution of $3 per share in August, 2008, and have subsequently received several liquidating distributions from the company, as assets are sold and legal issues resolved: 70 cents per share was distributed in November, 2008; 55 cents per share in February, 2009; and 12 cents per share in April, 2010.
External links
- MAIR Holdings (Archive)
- http://www.flygreatlakes.com Great Lakes Aviation Western replacement carrier
- http://www.flycapeair.com Cape Air Northeast replacement carrier