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Merlin Express was a Part 135/121 cargo and passenger airline operating at its peak throughout the United States, North and South Caribbean, South America, Alaska, and Mexico. The airline began operations in 1983 as Sat-Air, a subsidiary of Fairchild Aircraft. UPS purchased 14 Merlin IV-C dedicated cargo aircraft from Fairchild and as part of the agreement, Fairchild agreed to provide crew and maintenance services for the aircraft. Similar contracts were signed with the United States Air Force for C-26 sales, though only maintenance add on services were included. Initially, all Merlin Express aircraft provided feeder service to
Merlin Express was a Part 135/121 cargo and passenger airline operating at its peak throughout the United States, North and South Caribbean, South America, Alaska, and Mexico. The airline began operations in 1983 as Sat-Air, a subsidiary of Fairchild Aircraft. UPS purchased 14 Merlin IV-C dedicated cargo aircraft from Fairchild and as part of the agreement, Fairchild agreed to provide crew and maintenance services for the aircraft. Similar contracts were signed with the United States Air Force for C-26 sales, though only maintenance add on services were included. Initially, all Merlin Express aircraft provided feeder service to United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service (UPS, stylized as ups) is an American multinational shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. Originally known as the American Messenger Company specializing in telegraphs, UPS has grown t ...
and were painted in UPS livery. In the ensuing years, the airline began to acquire additional aircraft from its parent Fairchild, and from the open market, incorporating freight service contracts for Federal Express, DHL, and Airborne Express. By 1998, Merlin Express was operating a fleet of approximately 30 Metro III, Merlin IV-C, and Metro II aircraft. In 1996, Merlin successfully gained certification as a passenger Part 121 carrier and operated passenger service routes in Alaska under contract for Yute Air. In 1997, Fairchild Aircraft acquired Dornier Aircraft of Germany and Merlin began preparations for the addition of D-328 aircraft to its fleet. As the airline's parent company began to confront cash problems, Merlin Express, Gen-Aero FBO Services, and other subsidiary companies of Fairchild Dornier Aerospace were sold-off in order to generate needed cash. Merlin Express was purchased by Corporate Air of Billings, Montana in 2000 and renamed "Merlin Airways". Fairchild Dornier Aerospace declared bankruptcy in 2002. Under new owners, Merlin Express' original route network was shrunk and was eventually centered on the airline's remaining hubs in Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Currently based at Rafael Hernández International Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla i ...
. The airline still flies to some Caribbean islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and ...
and the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
.
Fleet
The Merlin Express fleet consists of: *2 Swearingen SA226-AT Merlin IVA Metroliner *4 Embraer EMB 120RT Brasilia *3Beechcraft 1900C
The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop regional airliner manufactured by Beechcraft. It is also used as a freight aircraft and corporate transport, and by several governmental and military organizations. With c ...
*4 Cessna 208 Caravan
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna.
The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982.
The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargo ...
Destinations
Regular destinations includedSantiago, Dominican Republic
Santiago de los Caballeros (; '' en, James, son of Zebedee, Saint James of the Knights''), often shortened to Santiago, is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic and the fourth-largest city in the Caribbean by population. It is the cap ...
, Providenciales
Providenciales (known locally as Provo) is an island in the northwest Caicos Islands, part of the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory. The island has an area of and a 2012 Census population of 23,769. Providenciales is the l ...
, Aruba and Port of Spain
Port of Spain ( Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a munic ...
.
See also
*List of defunct airlines of the United States
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby uni ...
References
Defunct airlines of Puerto Rico Companies based in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico 1996 establishments in Puerto Rico 2000s disestablishments in Puerto Rico Airlines established in 1996 Airlines disestablished in 2000 {{US-airline-stub