Songbird Airways
| File:SkyKingInclogo.jpg | |||||||
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| Founded | 1990 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fleet size | 11 | ||||||
| Destinations | 27 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Sacramento, California | ||||||
| Key people | Gregg Lukenbill, Preside nt | ||||||
| Website | flyskyking.net | ||||||
Sky King, Inc. is a charter airline based in Sacramento, California. Sky King was founded by Gregg Lukenbill in July 1990, who was at the time, the managing partner of the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Currently, the airline provides charter service to sports teams and businesses using Boeing 737 aircraft sporting various seat configurations. The airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 9, 2010, after it was unable to meet the payment demands of one of its largest creditors, fuel supplier Mercury Air Group.[1]
Myrtle Beach Direct Air
From March 2007 until May 2007, Sky King operated scheduled service on behalf of Myrtle Beach Direct Air.
As of early 2011, now rebranded as Direct Air Sky King is back operating one Boeing 737-400 for their expanding scheduled charter services.
Cuban charter service
Sky King currently operates multiple charter flights from Miami and Tampa to destinations in Cuba such as Cienfuegos, Havana, Camaguey, Holguin, and Santiago de Cuba.
Atlantic City charter service
Through contract with Gold Transportation Services, Sky King provides transportation to Atlantic City from multiple destinations.
Fleet
Sky King, Inc. operates seven Boeing 737-200 and four Boeing 737-400 aircraft. The aircraft were acquired from airlines and low cost carriers such as United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, AirTran Airways and America West, all of which vary in capacity and seating arrangement.[citation needed]
| Aircraft | In Service |
|---|---|
| Boeing 737-200 | 7 |
| Boeing 737-400 | 4 |
Accidents & Incidents
On October 15, 2011, a Sky King Boeing 737-200, with callsign Songbird 8700 and operating under the Direct Air brand, experienced two in-flight losses of pressure. The aircraft was operating from the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Florida to Niagara Falls International Airport in western New York. About an hour into the flight, the passengers noticed a change in air pressure and the pilot informed them that they would be returning to Lakeland. The oxygen masks did not deploy. After landing, the passengers disembarked for three hours before boarding the same aircraft again. About twenty minutes after takeoff, the pilot once again notified the passengers that they would be returning to Lakeland. Passengers reported passing out and suffering from earaches and headaches. After being met by paramedics at the plane, the passengers were ultimately transferred to another aircraft and flown to Niagara Falls that evening.[2]
References
- ^ Shallit, Bob (2010-03-27). "Ex-Kings owner Lukenbill files Chapter 11 for aircraft business". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
- ^ "Passengers on "Nightmare" Flight Speak Out". Retrieved 19 October 2011.