Southern Airways Express, one of the leading regional airlines in the United States, has acquired Air Choice One, another major commuter airline based in St. Louis, Missouri. The move will strengthen Essential Air Services, US government program supporting air connections to small communities that were affected by the 1978 deregulation.
Southern Airways was founded in 2013 and its main base is in Palm Beach, Florida. It operates around 222 daily flights to 39 US cities. Its services are centered in the Gulf, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Hawaii, California, and Rocky Mountain regions.
In addition, it has ticketing and baggage transfer agreements with American Airlines, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
The acquisition of Air Choice One, the fifth such transaction in the company’s history, will enable it to add destinations and increase fleet size to fifty aircraft. Both companies operate a fleet comprised entirely of Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft.
Air Choice One is currently based at St. Louis-Lambert International Airport (STL) and operates to Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Nashville, Tennessee.
«This is yet another example of Southern adapting quickly to the changing marketplace,» said Stan Little, the company’s President and CEO. «Air Choice One has an incredibly positive reputation, so combining their leadership team and assets into our company will allow us to quickly respond to the immediate need to provide affordable, reliable air service to more rural American areas», he added.
As part of the acquisition, Air Choice One CEO Shane Storz will join as executive Vice President. The equipment will be incorporated into Southern Airways existing infrastructure to ensure sustained growth.
