Southern Airways
Encyclopedia
Southern Airways was a regional airline
operating in the United States
from its founding by Frank Hulse
in 1949 until 1979 when it merged with North Central Airlines
to become Republic Airlines
, which on October 1, 1986, became part of Northwest Airlines
, which in 2008 became a part of Delta Air Lines
. Southern was headquartered at William B. Hartsfield Airport, near Atlanta.
s in the south-central portion of the U.S. In 1955 routes spanned from Memphis south to New Orleans and east to Charlotte and Jacksonville. By 1968, Southern's route system extended from its most northerly stop at the Tri-Cities regional
airport in Tennessee
south to New Orleans and Jacksonville
. At the western boundary of Southern's route system were Baton Rouge
and Monroe, Louisiana
. Routes extended eastward to the Atlantic Ocean
at Myrtle Beach
and Charleston
.
piston airliners secondhand from Eastern Air Lines
in 1961, and its final DC-3 was retired in 1967. The airline began acquiring 65-75 passenger Douglas DC-9-10
s in 1967 and 85-95 passenger DC-9-30s in 1969. Some of these were bought new from the manufacturer. Southern did not operate turboprop
aircraft as a transition from propeller equipment to pure jets
, as many other airlines did. However, by the time of the merger with North Central, Southern had replaced its Martins with a small fleet of 19-passenger Fairchild Metro II turboprop commuter airliners.
and Chicago
and as far south as Orlando
and Miami. Because U.S. government regulation of airline routes prohibited Southern from operating flights from New York or Washington, D.C.
nonstop to Atlanta, an unusual route developed which provided multiple daily flights from New York and Washington nonstop to Columbus, Georgia
, then on to Dothan, Alabama
; Mobile, Alabama
; Panama City, Florida
, Eglin Air Force Base
, Florida
; and/or Gulfport
/Biloxi, Mississippi
. Southern remained a regional airline in character, and flights with up to five or six stops were frequently found in their published schedules.
With increasing acquisitions of DC-9 jet aircraft, many routes which were once served with prop equipment were served with jets. Relatively small communities were linked to each other with full-size jet equipment. Jet transportation was provided to hubs at Atlanta and Memphis, sometimes with multiple stops. Some examples of these unusual nonstop jet routes include:
None of these routes is served with full-size jet aircraft as of 2011. Few of them are served at all, and some of these airports no longer have scheduled airline service.
By the mid-1970s, Southern's route system had expanded significantly to include St. Louis
, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale and Grand Cayman
, Southern's only international destination.
Southern Airways billed itself as the "Route of the Aristocrat
s." and used the slogan "Nobody's Second Class on Southern" in its television commercials. It was famous for its promotional shot glass
es: for a time, a differently designed shot glass was issued each year. Original Southern shot glasses are valued by collectors of the airline's memorabilia.
During the early 1970s, before strict airport
security was implemented across the United States
, several airlines experienced hijacking incidents. One such incident occurred on November 10, 1972, when a Southern Airways DC-9 en route from Memphis to Miami was hijacked
during a stopover in Birmingham
, Alabama
. The three hijackers boarded the plane in Birmingham armed with handgun
s
and hand grenades. At gunpoint, the hijacker
s took the airplane, the plane’s crew of four, and 27 passengers to
nine American cities, Toronto
, and eventually to Havana
, Cuba
.
During the long flight, the hijackers threatened to crash the plane into the Oak Ridge
, Tennessee
, nuclear facilities,
insisted on talking with President Nixon, and demanded a ransom
of $10 million. Southern Airways, however, was
only able to come up with $2 million. Eventually, the pilot talked the hijackers into settling for the $2 million when the
plane landed in Chattanooga for refueling. Upon landing in Havana
, the Cuban authorities arrested
the hijackers and, after a brief delay, sent the plane, passengers, and crew back to the United States. The hijackers and $2 million stayed in Cuba
.
How did Southern Airways account for and report the hijacking payment in its subsequent financial statements?
As you might have analyzed, the initial entry credited Cash for $2 million. The debit was to an account entitled “Hijacking Payment.” This account was reported as a type of receivable under “other assets” on Southern’s balance sheet. The company maintained that it would be able to collect the cash from the Cuban government and that, therefore, a receivable existed. In fact, Southern Airways was repaid $2 million by the Cuban government, which was, at that time, attempting to improve relations with the United States.
April 4, 1977) blighted the airline's otherwise excellent safety record. Improved highway
s and an increasing willingness among passengers to drive to airport
s farther away for more convenient flights made many of Southern's routes obsolete. With dramatic increases in the price of jet fuel
in the 1970s, many of Southern's routes were no longer cost-effective.
On July 1, 1979, Southern merged with North Central Airlines
to form Republic Airlines
and the "Route of the Aristocrats" came to an end.
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
operating in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from its founding by Frank Hulse
Frank Hulse
-External links:**...
in 1949 until 1979 when it merged with North Central Airlines
North Central Airlines
North Central Airlines was founded as Wisconsin Central Airlines in 1944 in Clintonville, Wisconsin. It was headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Early history:...
to become Republic Airlines
Republic Airlines (1979-1986)
Republic Airlines was an airline formed on July 1, 1979 by the merger of North Central Airlines, Southern Airways, and Hughes Airwest. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Minneapolis-St...
, which on October 1, 1986, became part 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...
, which in 2008 became a part of Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
. Southern was headquartered at William B. Hartsfield Airport, near Atlanta.
Original aircraft and routes
Southern Airways began operations with Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
s in the south-central portion of the U.S. In 1955 routes spanned from Memphis south to New Orleans and east to Charlotte and Jacksonville. By 1968, Southern's route system extended from its most northerly stop at the Tri-Cities regional
Tri-Cities Regional Airport
Tri-Cities Regional Airport , also known as Tri-Cities Regional Airport, TN/VA, is a public airport located adjacent to Blountville, Tennessee...
airport in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
south to New Orleans and Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. At the western boundary of Southern's route system were Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
and Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
. Routes extended eastward to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
at Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
and Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
.
Transition into the jet age
Southern began acquiring 40-passenger Martin 4-0-4Martin 4-0-4
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979, pp. 95, 217. ISBN 0-904597-22-9....
piston airliners secondhand from Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines was a major United States airline that existed from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...
in 1961, and its final DC-3 was retired in 1967. The airline began acquiring 65-75 passenger Douglas DC-9-10
McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
s in 1967 and 85-95 passenger DC-9-30s in 1969. Some of these were bought new from the manufacturer. Southern did not operate turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
aircraft as a transition from propeller equipment to pure jets
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
, as many other airlines did. However, by the time of the merger with North Central, Southern had replaced its Martins with a small fleet of 19-passenger Fairchild Metro II turboprop commuter airliners.
1970s
By 1971, Southern was operating flights into New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and as far south as Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and Miami. Because U.S. government regulation of airline routes prohibited Southern from operating flights from New York or Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
nonstop to Atlanta, an unusual route developed which provided multiple daily flights from New York and Washington nonstop to Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, then on to Dothan, Alabama
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
; Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
; Panama City, Florida
Panama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
, Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
; and/or Gulfport
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
/Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
. Southern remained a regional airline in character, and flights with up to five or six stops were frequently found in their published schedules.
With increasing acquisitions of DC-9 jet aircraft, many routes which were once served with prop equipment were served with jets. Relatively small communities were linked to each other with full-size jet equipment. Jet transportation was provided to hubs at Atlanta and Memphis, sometimes with multiple stops. Some examples of these unusual nonstop jet routes include:
- Columbus, Georgia to Washington, DC. and New York/Newark.
- Meridian, MississippiMeridian, MississippiMeridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
to Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
; Columbus, MississippiColumbus, MississippiColumbus is a city in Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States that lies above the Tombigbee River. It is approximately northeast of Jackson, north of Meridian, south of Tupelo, northwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and west of Birmingham, Alabama. The population was 25,944 at the 2000 census...
; and Laurel/Hattiesburg, MississippiHattiesburg, MississippiHattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
. - Tuscaloosa, AlabamaTuscaloosa, AlabamaTuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
to Atlanta, Georgia and Columbus, Mississippi. - Muscle Shoals/Florence, AlabamaFlorence, AlabamaFlorence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
to Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and HuntsvilleHuntsville, AlabamaHuntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
/Decatur, AlabamaDecatur, AlabamaDecatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...
. - Greenville, MississippiGreenville, MississippiGreenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
to Memphis, Tennessee and Monroe, Louisiana. - Columbia, South CarolinaColumbia, South CarolinaColumbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
to Greenville/SpartanburgSpartanburg, South CarolinathgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
and Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South CarolinaCharleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. - Albany, GeorgiaAlbany, GeorgiaAlbany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
to Atlanta, Georgia; Valdosta, GeorgiaValdosta, GeorgiaValdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
; Dothan, Alabama; and Columbus, Georgia.
None of these routes is served with full-size jet aircraft as of 2011. Few of them are served at all, and some of these airports no longer have scheduled airline service.
By the mid-1970s, Southern's route system had expanded significantly to include St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale and Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the nation's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles southwest of Cayman Brac.-Geography:Grand Cayman encompasses 76% of...
, Southern's only international destination.
Southern Airways billed itself as the "Route of the Aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
s." and used the slogan "Nobody's Second Class on Southern" in its television commercials. It was famous for its promotional shot glass
Shot glass
A shot glass is a small glass designed to hold or measure spirits or liquor, which is either drunk straight from the glass or poured into a mixed drink....
es: for a time, a differently designed shot glass was issued each year. Original Southern shot glasses are valued by collectors of the airline's memorabilia.
During the early 1970s, before strict airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
security was implemented across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, several airlines experienced hijacking incidents. One such incident occurred on November 10, 1972, when a Southern Airways DC-9 en route from Memphis to Miami was hijacked
Southern Airways Flight 49
The hijacking of Southern Airways Flight 49 occurred on November 10, 1972. Melvin Cale, Louis Moore and Henry D. Jackson, Jr. successfully hijacked a Southern Airways Douglas DC-9 that was scheduled to fly from Birmingham, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama. The three were each facing criminal...
during a stopover in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. The three hijackers boarded the plane in Birmingham armed with handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
s
and hand grenades. At gunpoint, the hijacker
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
s took the airplane, the plane’s crew of four, and 27 passengers to
nine American cities, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and eventually to Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
During the long flight, the hijackers threatened to crash the plane into the Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 27,387 at the 2000 census...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, nuclear facilities,
insisted on talking with President Nixon, and demanded a ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
of $10 million. Southern Airways, however, was
only able to come up with $2 million. Eventually, the pilot talked the hijackers into settling for the $2 million when the
plane landed in Chattanooga for refueling. Upon landing in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, the Cuban authorities arrested
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
the hijackers and, after a brief delay, sent the plane, passengers, and crew back to the United States. The hijackers and $2 million stayed in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
How did Southern Airways account for and report the hijacking payment in its subsequent financial statements?
As you might have analyzed, the initial entry credited Cash for $2 million. The debit was to an account entitled “Hijacking Payment.” This account was reported as a type of receivable under “other assets” on Southern’s balance sheet. The company maintained that it would be able to collect the cash from the Cuban government and that, therefore, a receivable existed. In fact, Southern Airways was repaid $2 million by the Cuban government, which was, at that time, attempting to improve relations with the United States.
Difficulties and merger
By the late 1970s, Southern Airways began to experience difficulties. Two fatal accidents (See Southern Airways Flight 932 November 14, 1970 and Southern Airways Flight 242Southern Airways Flight 242
Southern Airways Flight 242 was a DC-9-31 jet, registered N1335U, that executed a forced landing on a highway in New Hope, Paulding County, Georgia, United States after suffering hail damage and losing thrust on both engines in a severe thunderstorm on April 4, 1977.At the time of the accident, the...
April 4, 1977) blighted the airline's otherwise excellent safety record. Improved highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
s and an increasing willingness among passengers to drive to airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s farther away for more convenient flights made many of Southern's routes obsolete. With dramatic increases in the price of jet fuel
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
in the 1970s, many of Southern's routes were no longer cost-effective.
On July 1, 1979, Southern merged with North Central Airlines
North Central Airlines
North Central Airlines was founded as Wisconsin Central Airlines in 1944 in Clintonville, Wisconsin. It was headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Early history:...
to form Republic Airlines
Republic Airlines (1979-1986)
Republic Airlines was an airline formed on July 1, 1979 by the merger of North Central Airlines, Southern Airways, and Hughes Airwest. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Minneapolis-St...
and the "Route of the Aristocrats" came to an end.
Cities Served
- Anderson, S. C.
- Albany, Ga.
- Anniston, Ala.
- Athens, Ga.
- Atlanta, Ga.
- Baton Rouge, La.
- Birmingham, Ala.
- Charleston, S.C.
- Charlotte, N.C.
- Chattanooga, Tenn.
- Columbia, S.C.
- Columbus, Ga.
- Columbus, Miss.
- Decatur, Ala.
- Detroit, Mich.
- Dothan, Ala.
- Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
- Gadsden, Ala.
- Greenville, Miss.
- Greenville, S.C.
- Spartanburg, S.C.
- Greenwood, Miss.
- Greenwood, S.C.
- Gulfport, Miss.
- Biloxi, Miss.
- Hattiesburg, Miss.
- Huntsville, Ala.
- Jackson, Miss.
- Jackson, Tenn.
- Jacksonville, Fla.
- Knoxville, Tenn.
- Laurel, Miss.
- Memphis, Tenn.
- West Memphis, Ark.
- Meridian, Miss.
- Mobile, Ala.
- Montgomery, Ala.
- Monroe, La.
- Moultrie, Ga.
- Muscle Shoals, Ala.
- Florence, Ala.
- Sheffield, Ala.
- Tuscumbia, Ala.
- Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- Nashville, Tenn.
- Natchez, Miss.
- New York LaGuardia, NY
- New Orleans, La.
- Panama City, Fla.
- Pascagoula, Miss.
- Rockwood, Tenn.
- Shelbyville, Tenn.
- Tullahoma, Tenn.
- Tri-Cities, Tenn.
- Bristol, Tenn.
- Bristol, Va.
- Johnson City, Tenn.
- Kingsport, Tenn.
- Tupelo, Miss.
- Tuscaloosa, Ala.
- University/Oxford, Miss.
- Valdosta, Ga.
- Tampa, Fla.
- Orlando, Fla.
- Vicksburg, Miss.
Historical Fleet
- Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
- Martin 4-0-4Martin 4-0-4|-See also:-Bibliography:* Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979, pp. 95, 217. ISBN 0-904597-22-9....
- Douglas DC-9-14 - 27 used
- Douglas DC-9-15 - 9 used, including a DC-9-15F
- Douglas DC-9-31 - 9 used
- Douglas DC-9-32F - 1 used
- Swearingen Metroliner