iAero Airways, previously named ''Swift Air'', was an American

charter airline Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline). Regulation Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flight ...

based in

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with its main hub at

Miami International Airport Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically as Wilcox Field, is the primary international airport serving Miami and its Miami metropolitan area, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Florida. It hosts over 1, ...

Flight International ''Flight International'', formerly ''Flight'', is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", i ...

12–18 April 2005 The airline announced that it would cease all operations on April 6, 2024, after failed restructuring efforts during

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

proceedings.

History

Foundations as Swift Air

The airline was established in 1997 and was a customer for the

Embraer ERJ-135 The Embraer ERJ family (for Embraer Regional Jet) are regional jets designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace company Embraer. The family includes the ERJ 135 (37 passengers), ERJ 140 (44 passengers), and ERJ 145 (50 passen ...

. In November 2006, the airline received authorization for Part 121 operations and began flying three

Boeing 737-400 The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft. Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Febru ...

s. These aircraft are each configured with all first class interiors, electrical outlets, and club work areas with tables. The primary use of these aircraft is air transportation for major professional sports team (NBA, NHL, MLB) and for VIP charters.

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's 2008 presidential campaign utilized one of Swift Air's Boeing 737-400s, which was dubbed the ''Straight Talk Express'', the same name given to his bus used earlier in the campaign. In June 2011, Swift Air originally planned to operate public charter flights from

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to some European destinations such as

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and

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; however, these destinations were only flown in June 2011. On June 17, 2011, Swift Air voluntarily suspended their Part 121 operations pending an inquiry by the FAA. Swift Air resumed normal part 121 operations on June 25, 2011, after making manual changes to satisfy the FAA. In 2017, Swift Air announced plans to acquire the

Boeing 737-800 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a twinjet, twin-engine narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third-generation derivative of the Boeing 737, it ha ...

assets of the second iteration of Eastern Air Lines stating, "Eastern Air Lines’ name, assets, and associated trademarks will be retained within the transaction.". One aircraft remained painted in Eastern livery to protect the trademark, although the fleet of

Dynamic Airways Eastern Airlines, LLC is an American airline headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The airline operates a mixed fleet of Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 aircraft. Originally founded in 2010 as Dynamic Airways, the company rebranded as Eastern Airli ...

(owned by a co-owner of Swift Air) would eventually take the Eastern name and trademark (as Eastern Airlines, without the space), retaining the Dynamic AOC. Following the acquisition of assets from Eastern Air Lines, Swift Air began operating charter flights to Cuba for Havana Air.

Further development as iAero

In May 2019, Swift became a subsidiary of iAero Group, an aviation service firm minority owned by

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. Swift Air has announced that it intends to rebrand itself as iAero Airways, following its recent takeover by the iAero Group. A filing with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) on September 9, 2019, stated that, at present time, it intends to retain its corporate name - Swift Air, LLC - and therefore does not seek the re-issuance of its operating licenses and certificates. By December 31, 2019, Swift Air subsequently transition its rebrand as iAero Airways. On September 20, 2023, the airline announced that it would be filing for

Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

. On March 14, 2024, it was announced that Eastern Air Express had bid $71 Million dollars to acquire the carrier's assets out of bankruptcy. However, on April 1, 2024, President Timothy Rainey announced in a memo to staff members that the airline would cease all operations at the end of the day on April 6, 2024.freightwaves.com - Bankrupt charter airline iAero to cease operations
April 2, 2024

Operations

iAero Airways operated charter flights for nationally known fractional aircraft operators, financial institutions, construction and transportation as well as many collegiate athletic departments, professional sports organizations, and major tour operators. It was also a major contractor for

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the Un ...

, operating many of the agency's deportation flights as well as flights transporting detainees between immigration detention facilities within the United States. The airline also provided ACMI services for private owners.