Skybus Airlines

For other uses of "Skybus", see Skybus (disambiguation).
In 1985, another U.S. air carrier using the "Skybus Airlines" name commenced operations after acquiring Frontier Horizon from the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986).[1]

Skybus Airlines
IATA ICAO Call sign
SX SKB SKYBUS
Founded2004 (2004)
Commenced operationsMay 22, 2007 (2007-05-22)
Ceased operationsApril 5, 2008 (2008-04-05)
HubsJohn Glenn Columbus International Airport
Secondary hubsPiedmont Triad International Airport
Fleet size12 (63 firm orders at time of shutdown)
Destinations17
HeadquartersColumbus, Ohio, United States
Key people
FounderJohn Weikle
Websiteskybus.com

Skybus Airlines Inc. was a privately held airline based in Columbus, Ohio, United States.[2] It operated as an ultra low-cost carrier modeled after the European airline Ryanair, and aimed to be the least expensive airline in the United States. The business model was heavily reliant on flying routes where other airlines did not have direct flights, as Ryanair did in Europe, thus keeping competition to a minimum, and on flying into secondary airports, rather than heavily trafficked ones.

The airline also sold advertising space on the interior and exterior of its aircraft, as well as selling merchandise on board. Skybus applied for operating approval on January 1, 2005,[3] received approval to operate on March 15, 2006,[4] and FAA certification on May 10, 2007.[5] It had been granted a waiver to begin ticket sales on April 24, 2007;[6] Skybus' first passenger flights out of Columbus began on May 22, 2007. Less than a year later, Skybus announced on April 4, 2008, that it would cease operations as of April 5, citing the lagging economy and rising fuel costs as causes.[7]

  1. ^ "Airlines Remembered" by B.I. Hengi, 1999 Midland Publishing
  2. ^ Home. Skybus Airlines. February 7, 2006. Retrieved on May 20, 2009.
  3. ^ "Proposal to DOT" (PDF). United States Department of Transportation. January 7, 2005. Retrieved July 23, 2007.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "DOT Approval" (PDF). United States Department of Transportation. April 14, 2006. Retrieved July 23, 2007.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Wolf, Barnet D. (May 10, 2007). "Skybus gets OK from FAA to start flights on May 22". The Columbus Dispatch. pp. Business. Retrieved July 23, 2007.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Skybus gets OK to sell tickets early". The Columbus Dispatch. April 12, 2007. pp. Business F1. Retrieved July 23, 2007.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Low-cost carrier Skybus calls it quits". NBC News. April 4, 2008. Retrieved April 5, 2008.