Intrastate airline
Intrastate airlines are small air carriers, primarily operating inside of individual states. Many of these airlines were created due to airline regulation; planes that only flew intrastate were not regulated. They operate in the United States and elsewhere globally.
History
Intrastate airlines started due to the FAA regulation of the airline industry. Many intrastate airlines operated small regional turboprop and regional jet aircraft. These airlines connected smaller cities within their states to the larger cities and airline hubs.
Due to Civil Aeronautics Board regulations governing interstate air transportation, smaller airlines and start up carriers were often able to find niche markets not subject to CAB exemption to cross state lines.
United States
Following the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, many intrastate airlines expanded. One of the most successful former intrastate carriers which continues to exist is Southwest Airlines. Other airlines which started with intrastate services such as Air California, Pacific Southwest Airlines, and TranStar Airlines were subjected to post deregulation mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcies and no longer exist as individual airline companies.
List of former intrastate air carriers
- Air California
- Air Florida
- Arizona Airways
- California Central Airlines
- L'Express Airlines
- Muse Air
- Pacific Southwest Airlines
- Rio Airways