Southern Airways Announces Strategic Minority Investment By SkyWest, New Alliance Between the Companies
April 30 2019 - 10:07AM
Southern Airways Corporation, the parent company of Southern
Airways Express and Mokulele Airlines, has announced a strategic
minority investment by SkyWest, Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYW).
Southern now has more than 200 pilots in its combined pilot
corps, many of whom are looking to advance their aviation careers
to regional and mainline carriers. SkyWest is the largest
regional carrier in the world as measured by fleet size,
number of passengers carried and cities served. This strategic
investment by SkyWest will enhance Southern’s recruiting
capabilities by providing a career pathway from flight school
through Southern’s cadet program and ultimately to SkyWest. Those
interested in applying to Southern should visit
the Careers tab on the company’s
website, www.iFlySouthern.com.
"The airline marketplace is incredibly competitive, and we are
pleased with this opportunity to firmly cement our brand alongside
the most respected regional industry giant,”said Stan Little,
chairman and CEO of Southern Airways. “Southern Airways is
committed to remaining the most reliable and economical carrier in
our class and to working with our partners to create win-win
solutions like this one.”
“SkyWest is pleased to acquire a minority equity interest in
Southern Airways,”said Wade Steel, chief commercial officer of
SkyWest, Inc. “Putting a pilot pathway program in place with
Southern enhances our pipeline of future Part 121 professional
aviators.”
Southern, with operational footprints in the Gulf South, the
mid-Atlantic and South Florida, recently acquired Mokulele
Airlines, a carrier providing service throughout the Hawaiian
Islands and in Southern California.
Southern began service in 2013 by offering flights from Memphis,
Tenn. to Destin, Fla. using a total of four pilots and three
aircraft. In 2015, Southern acquired Executive Express Aviation, an
Illinois-based charter company that was previously contracted to
operate the Southern flight schedule. In February 2016, Southern
acquired Sun Air Express, an airline operating Essential Air
Service (EAS) routes in the mid-Atlantic. Three years later, in
February of 2019, Southern acquired Mokulele. Following the
integration of the two airlines, expected to be complete by
mid-summer, the new Southern Airways will operate 1,380 weekly
flights, more than any other carrier in the 50 states.
For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact
Todd Smith (t.smith@iFlySouthern.com 615-202-7944)
or Southern’schief marketing officer, Keith Sisson
(k.sisson@iFlySouthern.com 228-313-9920).
Founded in 2013, Pompano Beach, Florida-based Southern Airways
Express has quickly grown to become one of the largest commuter
airlines in the United States. Operating a fleet of Cessna Caravans
and Grand Caravans, Southern, along with its new subsidiary,
Mokulele Airlines, serves 30 cities with more than 220 peak-day
departures from hubs at Baltimore, Dallas/Ft.Worth, Honolulu,
Kahului, Kona, Memphis, Palm Beach and Pittsburgh. For more
information, go to http://www.iFlySouthern.com or visit
us on all major social media sites.
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- Southern Airways Express Logo
Todd Smith
Southern Airways Express
615-202-7944
t.smith@iFlySouthern.com
Keith Sisson
Southern Airways Express
228-313-9920
k.sisson@iFlySouthern.com
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