Elite Airways
![]() | |||||||
| |||||||
Founded | 2006 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Commenced operations | July 28, 2014 | ||||||
AOC # | 19EA891L[1] | ||||||
Operating bases | Portland International Jetport | ||||||
Fleet size | 5 | ||||||
Destinations | 3 | ||||||
Headquarters | Portland, Maine, U.S. | ||||||
Website | res |
Elite Airways is an airline based in the United States operating charter and scheduled passenger flights. The airline adjusts destinations as demand increases or decreases. The airline is headquartered in Portland, Maine.[2]
History
Elite Airways LLC was founded in 2006 and received FAA Part 121 scheduled certification in 2012.[3] When the airline obtained its scheduled authority it announced it would begin scheduled passenger flights to and from Orlando Melbourne International Airport, the airline's operating base; the first scheduled passenger route was announced on July 28, 2014 when the airline said it would begin twice-weekly services between Melbourne and Washington Dulles International Airport on September 8 that year.[4] Flights went on sale August 25, 2014 utilizing Branson Air Express as the ticketing airline.[5] In November the airline began operating the Branson Air Express flights from Branson Airport to Chicago Midway Airport and Houston Hobby Airport.
The airline announced that service from Northern Colorado's Fort Collins-Loveland Airport to both Newark Liberty International Airport and Chicago Rockford International Airport would begin on August 27, 2015.[6] The airline subsequently announced flights starting December 10, 2015 from Vero Beach Municipal Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport,[7] representing the first-ever commercial scheduled jet service at Vero Beach airport.
In early 2016, Elite Airways introduced scheduled service from Naples Municipal Airport in southwest Florida to Newark Liberty, Orlando Melbourne, Vero Beach and Portland International Jetport in Maine, representing the first commercial services at Naples Municipal Airport since 2006.[8] In March 2016, the airline announced the restart of twice-weekly service between Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport and Chicago Rockford International Airport starting May 23, 2016.[9] On April 15, 2016, the airline announced that it would begin regular flight operations at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, New York. The airline announced service to three destinations: Orlando-Melbourne, FL; Myrtle Beach, SC; and Portland, ME.[10] Flight service began at Long Island MacArthur Airport the morning of June 17, 2016[11] On December 7, 2016, the airline announced it would begin non-stop service from Long Island to Newport News, VA beginning in March 2017,[12] and on December 13, 2016, the airline announced plans to further expand service from Long Island MacArthur Airport to Vero Beach, FL.[13]
Beginning April 27, 2017, Elite Airways begins its first international service, flying between Orlando Melbourne International Airport and South Bimini Airport in The Bahamas.
Beginning September 28, 2017, Elite Airways began doing business as Cal Jet Elite,[14] and flew between McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, CA and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, NV. Cal Jet and Elite provided irregular service, frequently cancelling flights and stranding travelers.[15][16] The service was quietly ceased by the airline in April 2018, and Elite Airways has not made an announcement on whether or not to maintain the Cal Jet route. As of June 20, it is not possible to book flights on the official website.[17]
In 2018 the airline refocused its scheduled operations on the core Newark & Portland to Florida flights and has since added flights from Florida to Asheville, North Carolina and Traverse City, Michigan.
On August 6, 2019 it was announced that Elite Airways signed an operating agreement to provide the initial aircraft, flight crews, and maintenance service for revival of the Midwest Express brand.[18] In 2019, Elite Airways opened a dedicated maintenance facility at Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport.[19] In 2019 Elite Airways also ceased scheduled service to Orlando-Melbourne, which it had served since it began scheduled passenger service.
In 2020, Vero Beach, Florida city council recommended terminating Elite's lease at Vero Beach Regional Airport due to a funding gap from Florida Department of Transportation as Elite's passengers numbers had exceeded 10,000 but less than 200,000.[20] The city council ultimately extended the lease while trying to work out a longer-term solution. [21]
Fleet
The Elite Airways fleet comprises the following aircraft:[22][23]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/N92EA_Elite_Airways_2002_Canadair_CL-600-2B19_Regional_Jet_CRJ-200ER_-_cn_7732_%2814938009952%29.jpg/220px-N92EA_Elite_Airways_2002_Canadair_CL-600-2B19_Regional_Jet_CRJ-200ER_-_cn_7732_%2814938009952%29.jpg)
Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Bombardier CRJ100ER | 1 | 0 | |
Bombardier CRJ200ER | 2 | 0 | |
1 | In a Corporate 16 seat configuration | ||
Bombardier CRJ200LR | 1 | 0 | |
Bombardier CRJ701ER | 2 | 0 | All CRJ700 were previously owned by Lufthansa CityLine, one aircraft stored, one aircraft leased to Air Wisconsin for fleet familiarization |
Total | 6 | 0 |
Destinations
Elite Airways operates both charter and scheduled operations. Charter operations are primarily NCAA charters, music tours, and other ACMI operations flying throughout North & Central America, and the Caribbean.
The scheduled operations served are listed below:
Current destinations
City | Airport | IATA Code | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Vero Beach | Vero Beach Regional Airport | VRB | Newark
Portland (ME) |
Seasonal Service[24] |
![]() | ||||
Portland | Portland International Jetport | PWM | Vero Beach | Seasonal Service |
![]() | ||||
Newark | Newark Liberty International Airport | EWR | Vero Beach | Seasonal Service |
Terminated destinations
City | Airport | IATA Code | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
![]() | ||||
Bullhead City/Laughlin (NV) | Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport | IFP | Phoenix | |
Phoenix | Sky Harbor International Airport | PHX | Bullhead City
Rochester |
|
![]() | ||||
Carlsbad | McClellan–Palomar Airport | CRQ | Las Vegas | Branded as CalJet | Ceased operations April 18, 2018. |
![]() | ||||
Denver | Denver International Airport | DEN | Branson (Seasonal) | Branded as Great Lakes Airlines |
Fort Collins | Fort Collins–Loveland Municipal Airport | FNL | Chicago-Rockford | |
![]() | ||||
Key West | Key West International Airport | EYW | Melbourne (FL) | |
Melbourne | Orlando Melbourne International Airport | MLB | Bimini
Key West Long Island/Islip Portland (ME) Washington-Dulles |
|
Naples | Naples Municipal Airport | APF | Newark
Orlando-Melbourne Portland (ME) |
|
Sarasota | Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport | SRQ | Portland (ME)
Traverse City White Plains |
|
![]() | ||||
Chicago | Midway International Airport | MDW | Branson | |
Rockford | Chicago Rockford International Airport | RFD | Fort Collins | |
![]() | ||||
New Orleans | Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport | MSY | Branson
Cancun (Seasonal) |
|
![]() | ||||
Bar Harbor | Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport | BHB | Newark
Portland (ME) |
EAS Community |
![]() | ||||
New Bedford | New Bedford Regional Airport | EWB | Vero Beach | |
![]() | ||||
Traverse City | Cherry Capital Airport | TVC | Sarasota | |
![]() | ||||
Rochester | Rochester International Airport | RST | Phoenix-Sky Harbor
St. Augustine |
Never began service |
![]() | ||||
Branson | Branson Airport | BKG | Cancun (Seasonal)
Cincinnati Denver Houston-Intercontinental New Orleans |
Branded as Branson Air Express and Great Lakes Airlines |
![]() | ||||
Las Vegas | McCarran International Airport | LAS | Carlsbad | Branded as CalJet |
![]() | ||||
Albany | Albany International Airport | ALB | Myrtle Beach | |
Long Island/Islip | Long Island MacArthur Airport | ISP | Orlando-Melbourne | |
White Plains | Westchester County Airport | HPN | Sarasota | |
![]() | ||||
Asheville | Asheville Regional Airport | AVL | Vero Beach (Seasonal) | |
![]() | ||||
Cinciniati | Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport | CVG | Branson | |
![]() | ||||
Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh International Airport | PIT | Sarasota | |
![]() | ||||
Myrtle Beach | Myrtle Beach International Airport | MYR | Albany
Newport News |
|
![]() | ||||
Houston | George Bush Intercontinental Airport | IAH | Branson | Branded as Branson Air Express and Great Lakes Airlines |
![]() | ||||
Washington, D.C. | Washington Dulles International Airport | IAD | Orlando-Melbourne | |
Newport News | Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport | PHF | Myrtle Beach | Never began service |
![]() | ||||
Bimini | South Bimini Airport | BIM | Melbourne
Newark (Seasonal) |
|
![]() | ||||
Halifax | Halifax Stanfield International Airport | YHZ | Portland (ME) | |
![]() | ||||
Cancún | Cancún International Airport | CUN | Branson (Seasonal)
New Orleans (Seasonal) |
Flight stopped in New Orleans for Immigration and Customs clearance to and from Cancun |
References
- ^ "Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View". av-info.faa.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- ^ "Contact Us Archived 2016-05-08 at the Wayback Machine." Elite Airways. Retrieved on May 13, 2016. "50 Portland Pier, Suite 300 Portland, ME 04101"
- ^ ELITE AIRWAYS, AMERICA’S NEWEST AIRLINE, PREPARES FOR TAKE-OFF, Elite Airways PR via EAS Flights blog, November 6, 2012, retrieved 2014-04-24
- ^ Anderson, J. Craig. Maine-based Elite Airways takes flight path to expansion, Portland Press Herald, July 28, 2014, Retrieved 2014-07-31
- ^ Price, Wayne T., Fares on sale for new Elite Airways flights at Melbourne airport, Florida Today, August 25, 2014, Retrieved 2014-08-25
- ^ Muserallo, Sean. "Rockford airport to serve Denver, New York City areas". www.wrex.com. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
- ^ "Elite Airways flights from Vero Beach to Newark begin Dec. 10". www.tcpalm.com. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
- ^ Elite Airways cleared for landing in Naples, Naples Florida Weekly, February 11, 2016, Retrieved 2016-05-03
- ^ Young, Craig. Loveland flights to Rockford resume May 23, Reporter Herald, March 8, 2016, Retrieved 2016-05-03
- ^ Ruud, Candice. [1] "Newsday" April 15, 2016
- ^ Chang, Sophia. [2] "Newsday" June 17, 2016
- ^ Pascale, Jordan. [3] "The Virginian-Pilot" December 7, 2016
- ^ Caddell, Catherine. [4] "TC Palm/USA Today" December 13, 2016
- ^ "Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View".
- ^ <http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/tourism/sd-fi-caljet-vegas-20180222-story.html
- ^ "Cal Jet abruptly cancels more flights". 2018-04-20.
- ^ https://www.caljetelite.com/find-flights
- ^ Taschler, Joe. Midwest Express enters into agreement with carrier as process continues to begin service in Milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 6, 2019, retrieved 2019-10-1
- ^ Elite Airways Opens New Maintenance Facility at Auburn-Lewiston Airport in Maine, Aviation Pros, January 18, 2019, retrieved 2019-10-1
- ^ http://veronews.com/2020/01/10/vero-beach-airport-commission-recommends-ending-elite-airways-commercial-flights/
- ^ http://veronews.com/2020/02/03/veros-airport-funding-extended-for-three-years-while-city-searches-for-permanent-solution/
- ^ "Global Airline Guide 2016 (Part Two)". Airliner World (November 2016): 38.
- ^ "Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Aircraft Detail". av-info.faa.gov. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
- ^ Wixon, Colleen. "Elite Airways maintains flights in Vero Beach, received $11.3 million boost from CARES Act". Treasure Coast. Retrieved 2021-01-08.