Republic Airlines
| |||||||
Founded | July 1, 1979North Central Airlines and Southern Airways) | (merger of||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ceased operations | December 30, 1986Northwest Airlines) | (merged with||||||
Hubs | |||||||
Focus cities | Milwaukee | ||||||
Frequent-flyer program | Perks Program | ||||||
Fleet size | 171 | ||||||
Headquarters | Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Fort Snelling, Minnesota |
Republic Airlines (IATA: RC, ICAO: REP, Call sign: REPUBLIC) was a United States airline formed by the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways on July 1, 1979. Their headquarters were at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, in what is now Fort Snelling in unincorporated Hennepin County, Minnesota.[1][2] The former headquarters is now Delta Air Lines Building C.[3] Republic was acquired by and merged into Northwest Airlines in 1986.
History[]
Republic Airlines began in 1979 with the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways,[4] the first under airline deregulation.[5] The new airline's headquarters were at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, though their largest hub was at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. Following their buyout of Hughes Airwest in 1980,[6][7] Republic became the largest airline in the U.S. by number of airports served.
The company operated the world's largest McDonnell Douglas DC-9 fleet, with DC-9-10, DC-9-30 and DC-9-50s and also flew Boeing 727-200, Boeing 757-200, and McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets. In addition, Republic operated Convair 580 turboprops previously flown by North Central.[8]
After the merger, losses mounted[9] and service reductions followed.[10] Saddled with debt from two acquisitions and new aircraft, the airline struggled in the early 1980s,[11][12][13] and even introduced a human mascot version of Herman the Duck.[14][15] They reduced service to Phoenix, a former hub of Hughes Airwest, citing their inability to compete with non-union airlines there[16] and eventually dismantled the former extensive route system operated by Hughes Airwest in the western U.S.[17]
Republic Frequent Flyer Program[]
In October 1984 Republic introduced a new frequent flyer program called the . The new program eliminated the need to place a frequent flyer account number sticker on each flight ticket coupon, with earned mileage automatically being assigned to accounts if the reservation was booked directly with Republic. Each flight segment earned a minimum of 1,000 miles or the actual mileage, if greater. A domestic round trip reward ticket was automatically issued every 20,000 miles. The new program included a partnership with Pan American World Airways for earning and redeeming mileage awards. In January 1986, Western Airlines was added as a partner. Effective October 1, 1986, the Republic Frequent Flyer Flyer was merged into the new Northwest Airlines WorldPerks program.
Northwest Airlines[]
In 1986, Northwest Orient Airlines announced on January 23 that they would buy Republic for $884 million[9][18] in response to United Airlines' purchase of the Pacific routes of Pan American World Airways and to provide domestic feed.[19] Opposed by the Justice Department,[20] the Northwest-Republic merger was approved by the Transportation Department on July 31[21][22] and was completed on October 1, with Northwest dropping the word Orient from their name after the merger.[23] Republic's hubs at Minneapolis, Memphis, and Detroit became the backbone of Northwest's domestic network.
Northwest later merged with Delta Air Lines in 2008; the deal was finalized in January 2010, with Delta as the surviving air carrier. Republic's hubs in Detroit and the Twin Cities have remained intact with Delta; Memphis was dehubbed in 2013.
Fleet[]
- 133 Douglas DC-9-14; Douglas DC-9-15; McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31; McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32; McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51
- 22 Boeing 727-200
- 8 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
- 6 Boeing 757-200
- 24 Convair CV-580 turboprop aircraft
Destinations in 1986[]
According to the Republic Airlines system route map dated March 2, 1986, the airline was serving the following domestic and international destinations shortly before the merger with Northwest Airlines:[24]
Domestic[]
Alabama
- Birmingham
- Huntsville/Decatur
- Mobile
- Montgomery
Arizona
- Phoenix (PHX) (previously a hub immediately following the acquisition of Hughes Airwest in 1980) [25]
- Tucson
Arkansas
- Little Rock
California
- Los Angeles — Los Angeles International Airport (previously a hub immediately following the acquisition of Hughes Airwest in 1980) [25]
- Orange County (SNA, now John Wayne Airport)
- Sacramento
- San Diego
- San Francisco — San Francisco International Airport (previously a hub immediately following the acquisition of Hughes Airwest in 1980) [25]
Colorado
- Denver — Stapleton International Airport
Connecticut
- Hartford — Bradley International Airport
Florida
- Fort Lauderdale
- Fort Walton Beach
- Miami
- Orlando (MCO) (previously a focus city immediately following the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways in 1979) [26]
- Panama City
- Sarasota
- Tampa
Georgia
- Atlanta — Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (previously a hub immediately following the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways in 1979 but no longer a hub in 1986) [26]
Illinois
- Chicago — O'Hare International Airport (previously a hub immediately following the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways in 1979) [26]
Indiana
- Fort Wayne
- Indianapolis
- South Bend
Iowa
- Cedar Rapids
- Des Moines
Kansas
Kentucky
- Louisville
Louisiana
- Baton Rouge
- New Orleans (MSY) (previously a focus city immediately following the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways in 1979) [27]
- Shreveport
Maryland
- Baltimore
Massachusetts
- Boston — Logan International Airport
Michigan
- Detroit — Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport - Hub
- Grand Rapids
- Kalamazoo
- Lansing
- Saginaw
Minnesota
- Duluth
- Hibbing
- International Falls
- Minneapolis — Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport - Hub & airline headquarters
- Rochester
Mississippi
- Gulfport/Biloxi
- Meridian
- Pascagoula - served via Mobile, AL
Missouri
- Kansas City
- Saint Louis
Nebraska
- Omaha
Nevada
- Las Vegas — McCarran International Airport (previously a hub immediately following the acquisition of Hughes Airwest in 1980) [25]
New York
- Albany
- Buffalo
- New York City — John F. Kennedy International Airport / LaGuardia Airport
- Rochester
- Syracuse
- White Plains
North Dakota
- Bismarck
- Fargo
- Grand Forks
- Minot
Ohio
- Akron/Canton
- Cincinnati — Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
- Cleveland — Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
- Columbus
- Dayton
Oklahoma
- Oklahoma City
- Tulsa
Oregon
- Portland
Pennsylvania
- Erie
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
South Dakota
- Rapid City
- Sioux Falls
Tennessee
- Chattanooga
- Knoxville
- Memphis — Memphis International Airport - Hub
- Nashville
Texas
- Dallas — Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
- Houston — William P. Hobby Airport / George Bush Intercontinental Airport
Utah
- Salt Lake City — Salt Lake City International Airport (previously a focus city immediately following the acquisition of Hughes Airwest in 1980) [26]
Washington, D.C. / Virginia
- Washington Dulles International Airport
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Washington state
- Seattle — Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (previously a hub immediately following the acquisition of Hughes Airwest in 1980) [25]
Wisconsin
- Appleton
- Eau Claire
- Green Bay
- La Crosse
- Madison
- Milwaukee (MKE) (previously a focus city immediately following the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways in 1979) [28]
- Wausau
International[]
Canada
- Calgary, Alberta — Calgary International Airport
- Edmonton, Alberta — Edmonton International Airport
- Montreal, Quebec — Montreal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
- Toronto, Ontario — Toronto Pearson International Airport
- Winnipeg, Manitoba — Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport
Cayman Islands
- Grand Cayman
Mexico
- Cancun
- Puerto Vallarta
- Mazatlan
- Guadalajara
Incident[]
The airline had a high safety rating, but incurred a passenger fatality in 1983 when a section of propeller blade entered the cabin of Flight 927 at Brainerd, Minnesota on Sunday, January 9.[29] Arriving from Minneapolis in sleet and snow showers at 7:40 p.m., the Convair 580 skidded off the right edge of the runway and the right propeller struck a snowbank. Three other passengers were injured, one seriously.[30][31] Following this incident, the airline had a number of close calls in 1983.[13]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 30, 1985. 111.
- ^ "Fort Snelling UT, Hennepin county, Minnesota Archived 2012-01-19 at WebCite." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on December 19, 2009.
- ^ Niemela, Jennifer. "Delta reaches deal on Minnesota jobs." Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Tuesday December 16, 2008. Retrieved on January 19, 2012.
- ^ "Republic looking at Airwest". Milwaukee Journal. (Los Angeles Times). March 12, 1980. p. 17.
- ^ "North Central, Southern Airlines merger gets final OK from Carter". Milwaukee Senitnel. UPI. June 5, 1979. p. 5-part 2.
- ^ "Republic Airlines gets CAB approval for Hughes merger". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. September 13, 1980. p. 7-part 2.
- ^ "Republic Airlines takes over Hughes Airwest on October 1". Deseret News. UPI. September 18, 1980. p. 10B.
- ^ Hengi, B.I. (2000). Airlines Remembered: Over 200 Airlines of the Past, Described and Illustrated in Colour. Midland. ISBN 9781857800913.
- ^ a b Daniell, Tina (January 24, 1986). "Northwest takes a big step toward ensuring survival". Milwaukee Journal. p. 5-part 3.
- ^ "Spokane losing Republic air service". Spokesman-Review. Spokane. February 3, 1983. p. 1.
- ^ Sussman, Lawrence (December 15, 1981). "Republic's financial woes leave Milwaukee vulnerable". Milwaukee Journal. p. 12-part 2.
- ^ Grant, Linda (January 30, 1982). "Airline industry may be teetering on the brink of disaster". Anchorage Daily News. (Los Angeles Times). p. E2.
- ^ a b "Turbulent times for Republic Airlines". Ocala Star-Banner. Associated Press. August 30, 1983. p. 2D.
- ^ "Duck the issue? Airline promoters try anything". Free-Lance Star. Fredericksburg, VA. Associated Press. April 8, 1982. p. 5.
- ^ Ehrenhalt, Lizzie (December 19, 2011). "The amazing journey of Herman the Duck, Minnesota's goofiest historic artifact". Twin Cities Daily Planet. Minnesota Historical Society.
- ^ "Republic cuts service to Des Moines". Daily Reporter. Spencer, IA. Associated Press. October 12, 1984. p. 6A.
- ^ http://www.departedflights.com, September 1, 1980 Hughes Airwest system route map and March 2, 1986 Republic Airlines system route map
- ^ "Northwest Orient will buy Republic to become third largest airline". Deseret News. UPI. January 24, 1986. p. 4A.
- ^ "Pan Am's sacrifice ends aviation era". Milwaukee Journal. (New York Times). February 11, 1986. p. 6-part 3.
- ^ "Republic deal delayed". Milwaukee Sentinel. April 29, 1986. p. 13-part 4.
- ^ "Northwest-Republic merger creates third-largest carrier". Miami News. Associated Press. August 1, 1986. p. 9A.
- ^ "Two airlines get approval for merger". Eugene Register-Guard. August 1, 1986. p. 1C.
- ^ Walters, Robert (October 2, 1986). "Trend toward monopolizing of the skies". Waycross Journal-Herald. p. P-3.
- ^ http://www.departedflights.com, March 2, 1986 Republic Airlines system route map
- ^ a b c d e http://www.departedflights.com, Dec. 1, 1980 Republic Airlines system route map
- ^ a b c d http://www.departedflights.com, July 1, 1979 Republic Airlines system route map
- ^ http://www.departedflights.com, July 1, 1979 Republic Airlines system timetable
- ^ http://www.departedflights.com, July 1, 1979 Republic Airlines system roure map
- ^ "Plane slides off runway; woman killed". Milwaukee Sentinel. (wire services). January 10, 1983. p. 2-part 1.
- ^ "1 passenger dies, 3 hurt as plane skids off runway". Milwaukee Journal. UPI. January 10, 1983. p. 4-part 1.
- ^ NTSB Accident Report NTSB-AR-83-08, October 18, 1983, p. 1-2
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Republic Airlines (1979–1986). |
- Fleet and code information
- Fleet information
- Republic Airlines historical artifacts - inventory list of items stored at the Minnesota Historical Society
- Aviation Safety Network – Republic Airlines
- Airlines established in 1979
- Airlines disestablished in 1986
- Defunct airlines of the United States
- Northwest Airlines
- Defunct companies based in Minnesota
- 1979 establishments in Minnesota
- 1986 disestablishments in Minnesota
- 1986 mergers and acquisitions