Grand Aire Express
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| Founded | 1985 | ||||||
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| Hubs | Toledo Express Airport | ||||||
| Headquarters | Swanton, Ohio, USA | ||||||
Grand Aire Express was an American airline based in Swanton, Ohio, USA. It operated passenger and cargo charter services, as well as charter management services. Its main base began in Monroe, Michigan and then moved to Toledo Express Airport, Toledo, Ohio.[1] Grand Aire Express closed down/disestablished in June 2003, however the parent company Grand Aire Inc., is still in operation providing On-Demand Air Charter and FBO services from their world-headquarters based at the Toledo Express Airport in Swanton OH.
History
The airline was established in 1985. The company originally started out of Detroit Metro Airport in 1985 and quickly expanded from a one-airplane hangar operation to a larger operation in Monroe, MI. After five years based at Monroe, Michigan, Grand Aire Express moved to new corporate headquarters at Toledo Express Airport on 4 January 1999. After winning multiple awards with Air Cargo, Ernst Young Entrepreneurs, the State of Michigan Businesses and Ohio Businesses; Grand Aire Express (GAE) closed down due to the post 9/11 airline and economy fallout.
Grand Aire Incorporated, separate from Grand Aire Express, is still in business as a provider of on-demand air charter services throughout North America which includes time-critical air charters worldwide, passenger air charters, FBO services at Toledo Express Airport, and cargo handling & trucking.[1]
Fleet
As of May 18, 2009 Grand Aire Express no longer operates any aircraft, and closed down the business/disestablished shortly after.
Accreditation and awards
A.C.E. (Air Cargo Excellence) Award; Air Cargo World magazine,
2005 Johnson Controls Top Logistics Vendor Award, 2007 Dell Top 100 Small Business Award,
2008 Wells Fargo Asian-American Business Leadership Award,
2009 Diversity Business Top 100 Small Business for Ohio,
Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall of Fame,
Ernst Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award,
5-Time Honoree of Top 500 Small Business in the U.S.
Incidents and accidents
- April 8, 2003: a Dassault Falcon 20 on a training flight from Traverse City to Toledo, crashed 1.9 miles west of the Toledo Express Airport while landing. The plane descended below glide path and struck trees. All three occupants were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error.
June 13, 2000 Peterborough, Canada: an Aircraft Dassault Falcon 20 N184GA was substantially damaged when it crashed into the terrain during an approach to Peterborough Airport (CYPQ), Peterborough, Ontario. The captain and first officer, both of whom were certificated airline transport pilots, received minor injuries.
August 28, 2001 Detroit, Michigan: an Aircraft Dassault/SUD Fan Jet Falcon N617GA sustained substantial damage upon impact with terrain and objects after traveling off the end of the runway during a main wheels up landing. Both pilots were uninjured. The NTSB determined the probable cause(s). The wheels up landing performed by the flight crew during the emergency landing and improper aircraft pre-flight by the pilot in command. Factors were the unsecured cargo door, the cemetery fence, and the lack of crew coordination during the flight.
July 18, 2002 Columbus, Indiana: a Piper PA-60 N158GA airplane was destroyed by impact forces and fire after it crashed in the intersection of runway 23 and 32 while attempting a missed-approach. The one pilot onboard was killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a missed approach. Additional factors included the operator's inadequate oversight, the pilot's improper in-flight decision, and conditions conducive to pilot fatigue, fog, and night.
April 8, 2003 St Louis, Missouri: an Aircraft Dassault Aviation DA-20C N179GA. The twin engine turbofan powered airplane was ditched into a river after a complete loss of power from both engines. Both pilots received serious injuries. The NTSB determined the probable cause(s). The pilot in command's improper in-flight decision not to divert to an alternate destination resulting in the exhaustion of the airplane's fuel supply, and his failure to relay his low fuel state to air traffic control in a timely manner.
References
- 1 2 "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. p. 87.
http://www.ntsb.gov/, http://www.aircargoworld.com/Air-Cargo-Excellence, http://www.aircargoworld.com/, https://www.wellsfargo.com/press/2008/20080527_5th_Annual_ABLA,http://www.cityofsylvania.com/default.aspx?nspace=CityOfSylvania.Home.ForBusiness.BusinessResources, http://www.ebehof.com/HallfofFame.html, http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/northwest-ohios-2002-ernst--young-entrepreneur-of-the-yearr-award-winners-announced-at-june-10-gala-77855897.html, http://www.inc.com/magazine/20060901/inc500-hall-of-fame.html, http://www.grandaire.com