Quelltext der Seite Benutzer:Frank Murmann/Metro Airlines

{{Importartikel}}
{{Infobox Fluggesellschaft
| Name                = Metro Airlines
| Logo                = [[Datei:Metro Airlines Logo 1974.svg|rahmenlos]]
| Bild                = [[Datei:Metro Airlines Shorts 330.jpg|250px]]
| Jahr                = 1969
| Jahr_Ende           = 1993
| IATA                = HY
| ICAO                = MTR
| Rufzeichen          = METRO
| Sitz                = [[Houston]], [[Texas]]<br/>[[Grapevine (Texas)|Grapevine]], Texas
| Unternehmensform    = 
| ISIN                = 
| IATA-Prefixcode     = 
| Leitung             = 
| Mitarbeiterzahl     = 
| Umsatz              = 
| Bilanzsumme         = 
| Fluggastaufkommen   = 
| Frachtaufkommen     = 
| Drehkreuz           = 
| Homebase            = [[Clear Lake City STOLport]]<br/>[[Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport]]
| Allianz             = [[American Eagle (Fluggesellschaft)|American Eagle]]
| Vielfliegerprogramm = 
| Flugzeuge           = 
| Ziele               = 
| Webseite            = 
}}

'''Metro Airlines''' (ehemals '''Houston Metro Airlines''') war eine [[Vereinigte Staaten|US-amerikanische]] Regional[[fluggesellschaft]]. Das Unternehmen hatte seinen Sitz ursprünglich in [[Houston]],<ref>{{Literatur | Titel=World Airline Directory | Sammelwerk=Flight International | Datum=1985-03-30 | ISSN=00153710 | Sprache=en }}</ref> zog später aber nach [[Grapevine (Texas)|Grapewine]] im Norden von [[Texas]] um. Die Airline war auf dem [[Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport]] stationiert.<ref>{{Literatur | Titel=World Airline Directory | Sammelwerk=Flight International | Datum=1990-03-14 | ISSN=00153710 | Sprache=en }}</ref> Durch die Übernahme mehrerer anderer Fluggesellschaften entwickelte sich Metro Airlines schließlich zu einer Airline-[[Holding]], zu der neben Metro Airlines selbst unter anderem '''Eastern Metro Express''' mit Sitz in [[Atlanta]] gehörte. Die Airline führte auch Flüge für [[American Eagle (Fluggesellschaft)|American Eagle]] durch. Im Jahr 1993 meldete das Unternehmen [[Insolvenz]] an und die [[Aktiva]] der Gesellschaft wurden von [[Simmons Airlines]] aufgekauft.

== Geschichte ==
Die Airline wurde im Jahr 1969 gegründet, um mehrere Städte im Einzugsgebiet von [[Houston]] mit Houston zu verbinden.<ref name="Shiftservice">{{Literatur | Autor=Michael Weiss | Titel=Metro Airlines To Shift Service From Houston | Sammelwerk=[[The Dallas Morning News]] | Datum=1985-08-14 | Sprache=en }}</ref> Houston Metro Airlines baute den [[Clear Lake City STOLport]] mit einer {{ft2m|2500|0|1}} langen [[Start- und Landebahn]] sowie einem [[Empfangsgebäude|Passagierterminal]] und einem Wartungs[[hangar]] am Rand von Clear Lake City – einem ehemaligen Vorort von Houston, der heute zum Stadtgebiet gehört – in der Nähe des [[NASA Johnson Space Center]]. Die erste Verbindung führte von Clear Lake City zum [[Houston Intercontinental Airport]]. Anfang 1970 nahm die Airline eine weitere Verbindung zwischen dem Houston Intercontinental Airport und dem [[William P. Hobby Airport]] auf.<ref>{{Literatur | Titel=Hobby / Intercontinental | Sammelwerk=Jet Shuttle Schedules | Verlag=Houston Metro Airlines | Datum=1970-02-01 | Seiten=3 | Sprache=en | Online=http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/hy1/hy7002/hy7002-2.jpg }}</ref> Der Flugplan vom 1. Februar 1970 enthielt 24 Hin- und Rückflüge zwischen dem Clear Lake City STOLport und dem Houston Intercontinental Airport sowie 14 Hin- und Rückflüge zwischen dem William P. Hobby Airport und dem Houston Intercontinental Airport pro Woche. Laut dem [[Official Airline Guide]] vom Februar 1976 führte die Airline bereits 22 Hin- und Rückflüge pro Tag zwischen Clear Lake City und dem Houston Intercontinental Airport durch. Später kamen noch Verbindungen zwischen verschiedenen Zielen im Südosten und Süden von Texas zum [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]] hinzu. Zeitweise flog die Airline auch zwischen [[Laredo (Texas)|Laredo]] und [[San Antonio]]. Zunächst wurden alle Strecken mit Maschinen vom Typ [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]] geflogen, da der Clear Lake City STOLport speziell für dieses [[Flugzeugmuster|Muster]] gebaut wurde. Das Netz wurde später auf Verbindungen nach [[Lafayette (Louisiana)|Lafayette]] und [[Lake Charles]] ausgeweitet, die mit den größeren [[Short 330]] bedient wurden. Die Short 330 wurde ebenfalls auf der Strecke vom Houston Intercontinental Airport nach [[Beaumont (Texas)|Beaumont]]/[[Port Arthur (Texas)|Port Arthur]] eingesetzt. 

In 1972 the airline carried between 90,000 and 100,000 passengers per year. It displayed a profit of $156,510 [[U.S. dollar]]s in an eight-month period.<ref>Cray, Douglas W. "[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0B12FA395E127A93C2A81782D85F468785F9 Airlines for Commuters]." ''[[The New York Times]]''. Business/Finance F17. September 10, 1972. Retrieved on March 25, 2009.</ref>

In 1978 Metro entered the "stand up widebody cabin age" when the first orders for five (5) [[Short 330]] twin turboprops were announced. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1978/1978%20-%202798.html] These Irish-manufactured aircraft would be used to complement the [[Twin Otter]]s already in use on higher demand routes as well as new service to [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]], LA and Lake Charles, LA and offered far more comfortable seating for passengers.  The addition of the 30 passenger Short 330 turboprops required Metro to make provisions for [[flight attendant]]s and also resulted in the carrier joining the ranks of the [[regional airline]] industry via its use of larger aircraft.  The company was also independently operating flights from the [[Dallas/Fort Worth Airport]] (DFW) at this time with DHC-6 Twin Otter and Short 330 aircraft with services to several destinations in east Texas with some of these flights continuing on to or originating from Houston Intercontinental (IAH).  These Twin Otter and Short 330 passenger services into DFW were flown by the Metroflight Airlines division which would eventually operate [[American Eagle (airline brand)|American Eagle]] flights. Metroflight also independently served several destinations in Oklahoma and north Texas from Dallas/Ft. Worth and Oklahoma City (OKC).

In 1982 Metro purchased fourteen (14) [[Convair 580]] aircraft from the original [[Frontier Airlines (1950–1986)|Frontier Airlines]].  These 50 passenger twin turboprops were then used to initiate the first ever '''[[American Eagle (airline brand)|American Eagle]]''' service via a new [[code sharing]] passenger feed agreement with [[American Airlines]].  The Convair 580 aircraft were operated by the Metroflight Airlines division which also flew DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft on American Eagle services.

Metro Airlines operated out of [[Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport]] via its wholly owned Metroflight division under the [[American Eagle (airline brand)|American Eagle]] brand beginning on November 1, 1984. In 1985 the airline announced that it would end service to Houston Intercontinental Airport (now [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]]).<ref name="Shiftservice"/> [[Royale Airlines]], a commuter/regional air carrier based in Louisiana, then assumed many of the routes that were previously operated by Metro into Houston.  However, in 1987 Royale declared bankruptcy and ceased all scheduled passenger flight operations.

===Acquisitions and subsidiaries===

'''Metro Airlines''' [[corporate spin-off|spun off]] its [[operating certificate|certificated]] airline, being Metro Airlines, and formed an airline holding company. Among the commuter and regional air carriers acquired or created by '''Metro''' were:

* '''[[Brockway Air]]''' - acquired in the summer of 1989, Metro changed Brockway's name to '''Metro Air Northeast,''' and  operated as a banner carrier [[codeshare]] partner flying as [[TWExpress]] on behalf of [[Trans World Airlines]] ([[TWA]]).
* '''Chaparral Airlines''' - purchased in 1987<ref>http://rzjets.net/operators/?show=2360</ref> by Metro Airlines; its aircraft were merged into the operations of wholly owned subsidiary [[American Eagle Airlines#History|Metroflight]] for "the American Eagle codeshare branded banner flying".  Chaparral had operated '''American Eagle''' service primarily from [[Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport]] (DFW) on behalf of [[American Airlines]] before being merged into Metroflight.
* '''Metro Express II''' - spun off from the original Metro Airlines for "the Eastern Express codeshare branded banner flying".  This regional airline was based in Atlanta, GA and operated as '''Eastern Metro Express''' flying [[British Aerospace]] [[BAe Jetstream 31]] and [[de Havilland Canada DHC-8]]-100 [[Bombardier Dash 8|Dash 8]] twin turboprop aircraft.  Eastern Metro Express provided passenger feed at the [[Eastern Air Lines]] hub located at [[Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport]] (ATL).
* '''Sunaire''' - name changed to '''Aviation Associates'''.  This commuter air carrier operated as '''Eastern Express''' in the Caribbean flying de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprops and providing passenger feed at the [[Eastern Air Lines]] hub located at the [[Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport]] (SJU).  Service was flown to St. Croix (STX), St. Thomas (STT), Tortola, BVI (EIS), Virgin Gorda, BVI (VIJ), Mayaguez, PR (MAZ), and St. Maarten, N.A. (SXM), and other short haul destinations in the Caribbean. The Eastern Express service was primarily operated from San Juan although point-to-point flights between various other islands were flown as well.  The Twin Otter was well suited for flights into [[Virgin Gorda]] as the airport runway on this island was an unpaved sand and gravel airstrip at the time.
*'''Eastern Metro Express''' - Metro also operated feeder services as Eastern Express for [[Eastern Air Lines]] to and from [[Houston Intercontinental Airport]] (IAH) during the mid-1980s flying de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprops.  Destinations served on a nonstop basis from IAH by this Eastern Express service included Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX (BPT); Clear Lake City, TX (CLC), Lake Charles, LA (LCH); Longview, TX (GGG); Sugar Land, TX (SGR); Tyler, TX (TYR); and Victoria, TX (VCT).  Metro was also operating Eastern Express service at this time from [[San Antonio International Airport]] (SAT) with service to Laredo, TX (LRD)<ref name="ReferenceA">departedflights.com, Feb. 15, 1985 edition Official Airline Guide (OAG)</ref>

===Bankruptcy===
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2010}}
In 1991<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/02/business/company-news-bankruptcy-filing-by-metro-airlines.html|title=COMPANY NEWS; Bankruptcy Filing By Metro Airlines|last=Reuters|date=2 April 1991|access-date=2 November 2017|via=www.nytimes.com}}</ref> Metro went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization and then in May 1993 Metro Airlines went completely out of business.  The airline assets were promptly purchased and renamed by [[AMR Corporation]] whom were already involved with Metro Airlines by way of the "banner carrier" codeshare flying that Metro performed for AMR via its '''Metroflight''' division with these services being created cooperatively by the [[legacy carrier]], being [[American Airlines]], and the [[regional airline|regional]], being Metro subsidiary Metroflight, as '''[[American Eagle (airline brand)|American Eagle]]''' during the mid-1980s. Under AMR many of Metroflight's assets found their way over to [[Simmons Airlines]].

Houston Metro's original home, being the [[Clear Lake City]] [[STOLport]] located in the Houston area near the [[NASA Johnson Space Center]], was abandoned and subsequently demolished in order to make way for suburban development.  There is currently no trace of this pioneering airfield to be seen.

In later years, [[Continental Express]], a [[regional airline]] and a regional airline brand; and at that time survivor of the post-deregulation and highly controversial Houston based [[Texas Air Corporation]] [[Continental Airlines]] and [[Eastern Air Lines]] acquisition years, operated scheduled passenger air service from [[Ellington Field]] (EFD) near the former site of the Clear Lake City STOLport.  Much like the original '''Houston Metro,''' and subsequent '''Eastern Metro Express''' short hop operations by amicable partner '''Metro Airlines'''; short hop Continental Express flights commenced during the 1980s, utilizing [[ATR-42]] and [[Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia]] turboprops and then [[Embraer ERJ-135]] regional jets to transport connecting passengers across the city to Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).  However, this service was finally discontinued as well.

==Destinations==
;Houston Metro and Metro
These destinations were served by Houston Metro Airlines during and after its name change to '''Metro Airlines''' from its Clear Lake, City headquarters, with de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprops and/or with Short 330 turboprops:
{{div col|small=yes|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Beaumont, Texas|Beaumont]]/[[Port Arthur, TX]] ([[Jack Brooks Regional Airport|BPT]])
* [[Brazoria County, TX|Brazoria County, TX (Brazosport)]] ([[Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport|LBX]])*
* [[Clear Lake City, TX]] [[STOLport]] (CLC)** 
* [[Corpus Christi, TX]] ([[Corpus Christi International Airport|CRP]])
* [[Galveston, TX]] ([[Scholes International Airport at Galveston|GLS]])
* [[Houston, TX]] ([[George Bush Intercontinental Airport|IAH]])* - '''Hub'''
* [[Lafayette, LA]] ([[Lafayette Regional Airport|LFT]])
* [[Lake Charles, LA]] [[Lake Charles Airport|(LCH]])
* [[Lake Jackson, TX]] (LJN)**
* [[Laredo, TX]] ([[Laredo International Airport|LRD]])
* [[San Antonio, TX]] ([[San Antonio International Airport|SAT]])
* [[Sugarland, TX|Sugarland/Houston, TX Hull Field]] ([[Sugar Land Regional Airport|SGR]])*
* [[Victoria, Texas|Victoria, TX]] ([[Victoria Regional Airport|VCT]])<ref>"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=ZysSsiWj_g4C&dat=19740513&printsec=frontpage&hl=en Save Time and Money. Fly Metro and Delta to the Northeast or Midwest]" (advertisement). ''[[The Victoria Advocate]]'' via ''[[Google News]]''. May 13, 1974. Retrieved on 26 May 2016.</ref>
{{div col end}}

; * Renamed Airports : [[Brazoria County Airport]] (LBX), [[Houston Intercontinental Airport]] (IAH), Hull Field (SGR)
; ** Permanently Deactivated Airports : [[Clear Lake City STOLport]] (CLC), Lake Jackson (LJN)

==Destinations on behalf of American, Eastern and Trans World Airlines==

;Metroflight destinations d/b/a American Airlines Metroflight
These destinations were initially served independently by the Metroflight division with de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft:

{{div col|small=yes|colwidth=22em}}
* Altus, OK (AXS)
* Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) - '''Hub'''
* Enid, OK (WDG)
* Houston, TX (IAH)
* Lawton, OK (LAW)
* Longview, TX (GGG)
* Lufkin, TX (LUF)
* McAlester, OK (MLC)
* Nacogdoches, TX (OCH)
* Oklahoma City, OK (OKC) - '''Hub'''
* Paris, TX (PRX)
* Ponca City, OK (PNC)
* Stillwater, OK (SWO)
* Tyler, TX (TYR)
* Wichita Falls, TX (SPS)
{{div col end}}

Metroflight would later operate codeshare services for [[American Airlines]] flying [[Convair 580]] turboprops as [[American Eagle (airline brand)|American Eagle]].

;Metro Express II destinations d/b/a Eastern Metro Express

These destinations were served with British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 turboprops and/or with de Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Dash 8 turboprops:

{{div col|small=yes|colwidth=22em}}
* Albany, GA (ABY)
* Asheville, NC (AVL)
* Atlanta, GA (ATL)  - '''Hub'''
* Augusta, GA (AGS)
* Bristol/Kingsport/Johnson City (TRI, the Tri-Cities Regional Airport serving this area in TN and VA)
* Chattanooga, TN (CHA)
* Columbus, GA (CGS)
* Dothan, AL (DHN)
* Ft. Walton Beach, FL (VPS)
* Gulfport/Biloxi, MS (GPT)
* Hilton Head Island, SC (HHH)
* Huntsville, AL (HSV)
* Knoxville, TN (TYS)
* Lexington, KY (LEX)
* Macon, GA (MCN)
* Moultrie, GA (MGR) (''one flight a day'')
* Montgomery, AL (MGM)
* Myrtle Beach, SC (MYR)
* Panama City, FL (PFN, airport now closed)
* Wilmington, NC (ILM)

{{div col end}}

;Aviation Associates destinations d/b/a Eastern Express
After the acquisition of the airlines "Sunaire" and the subsequent name change to "Aviation Associates,"
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 250 & 300 turboprops served the following destinations:

{{div col|small=yes|colwidth=22em}}
* San Juan, PR (SJU)  - '''Hub'''
* Mayaquez, PR (MAZ)
* Ponce, PR (PSE) 
* St. Croix, USVI (STX)  - '''Hub'''
* St. Thomas, USVI (STT)
* Tortola/Beef Island, BVI (EIS)
* Virgin Gorda, BVI (VIJ)
* St. Maarten, N.A. (SXM)
{{div col end}}

;Metro (Houston, TX division) - Destinations d/b/a Eastern Express

Many of these destinations were served previously to Metro Airlines marketing alliance with Eastern Airlines and formerly utilizing the original carriers very own DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft:

{{div col|small=yes|colwidth=22em}}
* Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX (BPT); 
* Clear Lake City, TX (CLC), 
* Lake Charles, LA (LCH); 
* Longview, TX (GGG); 
* Sugar Land, TX (SGR); 
* Tyler, TX (TYR); and 
* Victoria, TX (VCT).
{{div col end}}
Metro was also operating Eastern Express service at this time from [[San Antonio International Airport]] (SAT) with service to 
Laredo, TX (LRD)<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

;Metro Air Northeast destinations d/b/a TWExpress
After the acquisition of the airline "Brockway Air" and its subsequent name change to "Metro Air Northeast," Beech-1900C and Saab-340A commuter aircraft served the following destinations upon [[Trans World Airlines|TWA]]'s [[Trans World Express|TWExpress]] network:
*<small>See [[Brockway Air]] Destinations</small>

==Fleet==
* [[British Aerospace]] [[BAe Jetstream 31]] (flown by Eastern Metro Express on behalf of [[Eastern Air Lines]] and based in Atlanta, GA)
* [[Beechcraft Model 99]]
* [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]] (originally operated by Houston Metro and later by Metro and Metroflight.  Also operated as Eastern Express in the Caribbean and in feeder services from both Houston Intercontinental Airport and San Antonio International Airport as Eastern Express on behalf of [[Eastern Air Lines]])
* [[de Havilland Canada DHC-8]]-100 [[Bombardier Dash 8|Dash 8]] (flown by Eastern Metro Express on behalf of [[Eastern Air Lines]] and based in Atlanta, GA)
* [[Short 330]]
* [[Convair CV-240 family|Convair 580]] (aircraft were branded and operated as [[American Eagle (airline brand)|American Eagle]] flights)

==Accidents and incidents==
*Beechcraft 99 crashed upon takeoff from Galveston in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gendisasters.com/texas/5503/galveston-tx-commuter-plane-crashes-take-apr-1974|title=Galveston, TX Commuter Plane Crashes On Take Off, Apr 1974 - GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods|website=www.gendisasters.com|access-date=2 November 2017}}</ref>
*Short 330 destroyed by a [[tornado]] at [[Beaumont, Texas]] on May 20, 1983.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19830520-1|title=ASN Aircraft accident Shorts 330-100 N935MA Beaumont Municipal Airport, TX (BMT)|first=Harro|last=Ranter|website=aviation-safety.net|access-date=2 November 2017}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of defunct airlines of the United States]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{commons category}}

{{Portal bar|United States|Texas|Companies|Aviation}}
{{Airlines of the United States|state=collapsed}}
{{American Airlines Group}}
<nowiki>
[[Category:Defunct regional airlines of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct airlines of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in Grapevine, Texas]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Texas]]
[[Category:American Airlines]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1969]]
[[Category:1969 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:1993 disestablishments in Texas]]
</nowiki>