Florida Express Timeline 1983 to 1988

FLORIDA EXPRESS AIRLINES TIMELINE

1983 to 1988



1983 to 1988


1983

Former Frontier Airlines and Midway Airlines executive Mr. Gordon Lincoln and Mr. Robert Coombs, begin plans to co-found Florida Express Airlines, as a regional carrier providing jet service between the eastern United States and Florida.

Company President Linkon spent a year planning Florida Express and its success and is a substantial owner of the company.

Florida Express’s main investor is International Metals Machines, Incorporated, based in Des Moines, Iowa, which has invested $10 million in the new found company is privately owned and diversified. IMM has also purchased the BAC One-11 Fastback Jets and equipment, which it leased back to Florida Express at reasonable rates.

Photo: Florida Express BAC One-11 401AK Fastback Jet registered as N172FE is taxiing at Miami International Airport, Florida on February 1, 1987. Photographer Unknown

January 24, 1983

Florida Express Airlines, Incorporated, is founded in the State of Delaware. President Gordon Linkon envisions Florida Express as a regional airline serving medium-sized cities, while operating with lowered costs and offering discount fares to its passengers.

The new airline establishes its headquarters in the airport adjacent Orlando Trade Port in an older former military building. At Orlando International Airport, the Airline, positive about its future, signs a 27-year terminal lease for its operations. Rental for the space and estimated landing fees could exceed $1 million annually.

Employee efficiency becomes a hallmark of the company from day one. Pilots and flight attendants might work during off-time as sales personnel and in reservations answering phones and selling tickets.

The company establishes an employee stock and profit-sharing plan. President Linkon states that Florida Express employees and their success are directly tied to the company’s success.

Photo: Post Card of Orlando International Airport in 1984

November 1983

The Civil Aeronautics Board begins its Fitness Examination of Florida Express Airlines, to determine if the company can successfully serve the public with domestic air carrier service.

Photo: Florida Express BAC One-11 201AC Fastback Jet registered as N102EX is taxiing at Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, Florida, on December 1, 1986. Photographer John Ljungdahl

January 24, 1984

The Civil Aeronautics Board issues Florida Express’s economic certificate to operate as an air carrier.

Photo: Florida Express BAC One-11 203AE Fastback Jet registered as N1547 (former Braniff Airways aircraft) is departing Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport on November 4, 1987. Photographer Johann Ljungdahl

January 26, 1984

Florida Express Airlines, dubbed “Flex” by her employees, inaugurates its first flight with a BAC One-11 Fastback Jet registered as N1544 (former Braniff Airways aircraft) from its Orlando, Florida, hub to Norfolk, Virginia.

Nonstop service from Orlando to:

Indianapolis, Indiana Nashville, Tennessee Norfolk, Virginia Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Miami, Florida Tampa, Florida

One-stop service from Orlando to:

Louisville, Kentucky, via Nashville Richmond, Virginia, via Norfolk

Fares range between $79 and $129 one-way and within Florida, fares between $19 and $29 one-way were key to the Airline’s strategy of serving medium-size cities with frequency using low-fares to attract leisure travelers.

Photo: The Airline’s first system timetable, dated January 26, 1984, features the system route map on the front cover. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated

January 26, 1984

The first system timetable dated January 26, 1984, includes the new nonstop service to and from the Orlando hub. The first flight of the company, Flight 101, departed Orlando for Norfolk, Virginia, at 110PM and arrived at 3PM. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated

July 9, 1984

Company President Gordon Linkon states that Florida Express’s 200 employees have served more than 100,000 travelers in the first six months of operation. He indicated that most of Florida Express’s passengers fly the Airline to visit friends and relatives and to visit Orlando’s famed tourist attractions. Mr. Linkon anticipates the company will be profitable by the end of 1984.

President Linkon’s strategy of flying nonstop service from Orlando, to medium-size cities with frequency and low fares was working. Competitors such as Piedmont and Eastern provided service between many of Florida Express’s cities but with multiple stops or even change of plane enroute

July 29, 1984

Florida Express begins improved BAC One-11 Jet service between Orlando International Airport and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Louisville, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee and Indianapolis, Indiana. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated

June 1, 1985

The June 1, 1985 System Timetable featured an expanding route map on the front cover. Columbus, Ohio; Birmingham, Alabama, to both Orlando and Tampa; and New Orleans, Louisiana were added to the Florida Express Route. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated

June 1, 1985

The Florida Express inflight menu was simple featuring snacks and an array of beverages and mixed drinks. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated

October 16, 1985

Florida Express completes its first initial public offering of stock. The company generates $13.125 million in new capital but falls $3 million short in its capitalization goals. Officials with the Airline had expected to sell between $16 million and $20 million in stock.

Initially, the company planned to offer 2 million shares of stock. However, its brokerage firm reduced that to 1.75 million shares because of lower than expected demand.

Company President Gordon Linkon indicated that although Florida Express did not sell the amount of stock it had hoped, the results would not affect the company’s expansion plans or future goals.

Photo: Florida Express presented passengers with this impressive ticket jacket during 1985. The jacket featured the system route map and the tail section of a company BAC One-11 Fastback Jet. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated

March 1, 1986

Florida Express had significantly expanded its route map during 1986. Service to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was added along with Knoxville, Tennessee, both nonstop to the Orlando hub. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated

December 11, 1987

Florida Express Airlines, Inc., enters into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Braniff Acquisition Corporation, the reincorporation vehicle owned by Braniff, Inc.

January 15, 1988

The pending merger with Braniff, Inc., with Braniff as the surviving carrier, begins with a Joint Marketing, Ground Handling and Services Agreement, which called for at cost billing at Orlando. Florida Express operates a fleet of BAC One-11 Twinjets (some of these are former Braniff Airways One-11s) and begins feeding Braniff at Orlando with service to Akron/Canton, Birmingham, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Meyers, Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville, Nassau, Bahamas, Orlando, Sarasota/Bradenton, Tampa/St. Petersburg and West Palm Beach. With the pending merger with Florida Express, Braniff, Inc., adds Orlando as its third major hub along with Kansas City and Dallas/Ft. Worth and the combined carriers plus Braniff Express Commuter now serve 45 cities in the US and the Bahamas.

As of June 30, 1987, Florida Express employed 966 people including 144 management members, 125 flight crew members, 97 flight attendants, 78 in maintenance and 324 other full time personnel and 198 part-time employees.

Photo: Florida Express BAC One-11 203AE Jet registered as N1547 is parked on the ramp at Atlantic City, New Jersey in July 1988. The Fast Jet features the temporary Braniff Express titles with Florida Express Red Color Scheme. Photographer Ellis M. Chernoff, Copyright

January 21, 1988

Braniff was granted an exemption from the Department of Transportation from the full hearing process specified in the review of the acquisition of Florida Express Airlines, Inc.

Florida Express has already been feeding Braniff flights operating as Braniff Express. Once the DOT approves the merger, then Florida Express flights will be listed with BN flight number designators.

Photo: Florida Express offered customers its fast and efficient Jet-Stream Package Service or JSP. This service offered same-day package service for only $15 per box up to 50 pounds. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated

February 1, 1988

Florida Express, operating as Braniff Express inaugurates new BAC One-11 Fastback Jet service between Atlanta and Orlando.

Photo: A unique aerial view of the sprawling Orlando International Airport terminal facilities in 1988. MCO Airport Authority, Copyright

April 19, 1988

Florida Express Airlines, an Orlando, Florida-based regional jet airline is purchased by Braniff, Inc., and is formally merged with Braniff, which is the surviving carrier. Florida Express is merged into Braniff Acquisition Corporation, a newly-formed wholly-owned reincorporation vehicle subsidiary of Braniff, Inc.

Shareholders of Florida Express receive one share of 7 percent cumulative convertible preferred Braniff, Inc., series stock with a stated value of $2.25. At the time of the merger, 7.5 million shares were outstanding.

Florida Express Airlines announces the 1987 earnings report at the company’s last annual shareholders meeting. Stakeholders voted to approve the merger with Braniff, which was valued at $20 million. The company reported $155.8 million in revenues for the 12 months ended 1987, with assets of $18.6 million.

The company’s common stock closes for the last time at $1.06 per share. The listing and sales of Florida Express stock was officially ended

April 19, 1988

Former Braniff Airways, Allegheny Airlines, USAir and Florida Express BAC One-11 Fastback Jet registered as N1549 emerges from the former Florida Express Paint Shop at Orlando Airport, with its new Braniff, Inc., Bob Perlman Blue, Red and Platinum Silver Color Scheme.

June 1, 1988

Braniff, Inc., held an open forum meeting at Orlando, Florida, for employees to attend to ask questions about the recent purchase of Florida Express Airlines, Inc. The meeting, first of many scheduled throughout the system, featured a question and answer period for employees to ask Company management about the merger.

The meeting was hosted by Mr. Larry Hughes, Senior Vice President Operations; Mr. John Olson, Vice President Flight Operations; Mr. Bill Oliver, Vice President Customer Service; Mr. Kirk Mueller, Vice President Personnel and Mr. Brian Olds, Vice President Marketing and Engineering. Over 150 employees were in attendance and were able to ask questions with Mr. Hughes acting as moderator.

Photo: Dated February 15, 1989, the fully integrated systems of Braniff, Inc., and Florida Express create an impressive route map. Copyright, Braniff Airways, Incorporated