Sampa737 From Brazil, joined May 2005, 637 posts, RR: 1 Posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 3435 times:
A little over 10 years ago, while living in Alabama, there was a report that someone was going to start up a new version of Eastern Airlines and possibly base this out of Birmingham, AL. Obviously this never came about but was wondering if anyone had heard about this or what happened. Just another "good" idea gone by the wayside?
Gr8SlvrFlt From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 1583 posts, RR: 16 Reply 1, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 3378 times:
The New Eastern, as I remember, was planning hubs at Atlanta and Indianapolis with DC-9-31s, DC-9-51s and 757s. The people involved eventually started up Pan Am II instead. The proposed paintscheme was loosely based on the early-60s: white fuselage with large titles in red and blue with a falcon on the tail.
BHMBAGLOCK From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 2698 posts, RR: 5 Reply 2, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 3205 times:
This was about the time that BHM was considering moving the airport to a large site south of town that would have room for parallel runways. In reality, no sane person would locate a hub at BHM due to this fact - you'd also need to build gates and other facilities but this would be little trouble.
In reality, the people here didn't want to spend the money or drive 35 miles to get to the airport. btw, the main road to Wilsonville(proposed site) is US Hwy 280 which is some terrible traffic already - something like GA 400 but not quite that bad.
The main thing the airport is trying to do now is become more accomodating to cargo by addding facilities and extending both runways. In a little over a year, the main runway will be at 12000 ft. The main target for this is parts for auto manufacturing as we now have 3 final assembly sites(5 plants), 2 or 3 engine plants, and literally hundreds of smaller parts manufacturers going strong not much more than a decade after Mercedes first came here to build the M class.
I do miss Eastern though, they were definitely my favorite when they were around. They always seemed to appreciate the business much more than DL.
ClearedDirect From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 271 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 3085 times:
I heard a similar story about the new Eastern.
On a side note, as a former resident of Birmingham, I remember something from the museum there near the airport about how the Birmingham Airport lost out to Atlanta over some kind of fuel tax or incentive to the airlines to "Base" out of BHM.
This was way back in the 30's or 40's but at a time when Birmingham was in a dramatic, rapid growth (Steel industry) and Atlanta was somewhat stagnant.
They say the rest is/was history, but with Birmingham's refusal and not really wanting to have the airline traffic - the move to ATL was on and will never look back.
FlyPeoria From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 379 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 2994 times:
I rememberthe "New Eastern" plan. I think it was from about 1994 or so.
Do any of you guys remember the mid-1980's effort to convince Piedmont Airlines to establish a hub at BHM? I don't think PI even served BHM at the time these discussions began. The story goes that the city directly managed the airport but PI desired to deal with an airport authority and not the city government. An airport authority was set up and PI ended up serving BHM, but not as a hub. I think BHM airport officials shifted their focus to WN after the airline began service there in 1987.
EA CO AS From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 12595 posts, RR: 64 Reply 5, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 2978 times:
Quoting Gr8SlvrFlt (Reply 1): The New Eastern, as I remember, was planning hubs at Atlanta and Indianapolis with DC-9-31s, DC-9-51s and 757s.
This is what I recall as well. Many of the people involved went on to start Kiwi, along with many former Pan Am folks.
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem - government IS the problem." - Ronald Reagan
September11 From United States of America, joined May 2004, 3623 posts, RR: 23 Reply 6, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 2900 times:
To add this, Martin Shugrue, Jr. had planned "new" Eastern flying A320s.
There were not enough capital funding secured for "new" Eastern to start up.
EA CO AS From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 12595 posts, RR: 64 Reply 7, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 2884 times:
Quoting September11 (Reply 6): To add this, Martin Shugrue, Jr. had planned "new" Eastern flying A320s.
Actually I believe it was 737-400s - there's an old interview with Marty Shugrue talking about Eastern from Airliners Magazine clearly showing a desk model of a B-737-400 in back of him.
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem - government IS the problem." - Ronald Reagan
Wedgetail737 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 5566 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 2880 times:
I think it would be cool to see PI break off from US Airways and start that airline up again. But I'm sure that won't happen...the same with PSA.
September11 From United States of America, joined May 2004, 3623 posts, RR: 23 Reply 9, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 2848 times:
Quoting EA CO AS (Reply 7): Actually I believe it was 737-400s
Yes, your right, 737s too. Paint scheme on "new" Eastern planes would be similar to jetBlue's.
The planned start-up airline would still be called Eastern Airlines, not "New Eastern Airlines".
ATLgaUSA From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 138 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 2752 times:
I saw the business plan. It had two phases. Phase 1 was a hub in BHM with flights to most of the NE cities, FL cities, MSY, DFW, and a few others. Phase 2 was to include a hub in IND with flights to most of the same cities and some midwestern cities. I believe the first pitch of the business plan had the hub in ATL instead of BHM. Something happened with the ATL part of the equation and BHM was substituted. Like an above poster stated, the company could not raise enough capital and never left the ground. Martin Shugrue, Jr. was the point person for this proposed incarnation of Eastern.
WDBRR From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 606 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 2598 times:
Yes, I did hear about restarting Eastern around early 1995, it was to be based in IND or PHL. ...... on another topic...... in 1994, heard AA offered the RDU hub they were downsizing first to Kiwi...they declined and Midway took the offer and moved their operations from MDW to RDU in 1995.
Zippyjet From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 4743 posts, RR: 13 Reply 13, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 2574 times:
Quoting ATLgaUSA (Reply 10): I saw the business plan. It had two phases. Phase 1 was a hub in BHM with flights to most of the NE cities, FL cities, MSY, DFW, and a few others.
Would this Eastern 2 have roared back into MIA? How about being a big player at MCO with hopes of being again the official airline of WDW?
Is it the post XMAS letdown and the oncoming overrated New Years Eve that is spawning all these rumor posts here on Civil aviation?
BTW, a paint scheme like the early 60's "Golden Falcons" would have been way cool. The hockey stick was timless but a little drab in my opinion. Let me link you all to EVA and you can see some of their members ideas of updated liverys for Eastern. http://www.evair.com/
WDBRR From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 606 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 2469 times:
Kkfla737 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 1033 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 2399 times:
I believe I read that Shugue after having the business plan rejected took the same investors and sold them on a new Pan Am, whose name was more marketable. Pan Am II which like the original focused on Miami and New York tried to mimic Pan Am I a bit too much with cross country flying and banking too heavily on the competetive New York-Florida sector.
EA CO AS From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 12595 posts, RR: 64 Reply 16, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 2281 times:
I still say we take up a collection to buy controlling interest in AirTran and rename it Eastern Air Lines, bringing the hockeystick livery back to the skies!
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem - government IS the problem." - Ronald Reagan
EA CO AS From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 12595 posts, RR: 64 Reply 17, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 2269 times:
Quoting Zippyjet (Reply 13): Let me link you all to EVA and you can see some of their members ideas of updated liverys for Eastern.
Very nice, but I'm an EA purist - give me the classic hockeystick livery any day!
Gr8SlvrFlt From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 1583 posts, RR: 16 Reply 18, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 2217 times:
Legion242 From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 233 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 2202 times:
BHM seems a very strange place for a hub. Having traveled there twice this year, I don't see how it could ever have supported a "hometown" airline. Can anyone enlighten me as to why this would have been a good idea? I am not bashing BHM, I just saw it as a small-medium city.
Zippyjet From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 4743 posts, RR: 13 Reply 20, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 2136 times:
Quoting Legion242 (Reply 19): BHM seems a very strange place for a hub. Having traveled there twice this year, I don't see how it could ever have supported a "hometown" airline. Can anyone enlighten me as to why this would have been a good idea? I am not bashing BHM, I just saw it as a small-medium city.
This is just Zippyjet conjecture but, BHM is within a 90 minute drive of Hotlanta. The area is growing as people move outward bound. And, chances are, landing rates etc. would be lower at BHM than ATL; therefore, lower pricing. Just my 2 cents worth. But to me, Eastern and MIA/ATL are like Walter Cronkite was to CBS.
Legion242 From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 233 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 2118 times:
I see what you mean. You could live in a northern or western suburb of ATL and be relatively close to BHM. Makes sense.
BHMBAGLOCK From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 2698 posts, RR: 5 Reply 22, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 2094 times:
Quoting Legion242 (Reply 19): This is just Zippyjet conjecture but, BHM is within a 90 minute drive of Hotlanta. The area is growing as people move outward bound. And, chances are, landing rates etc. would be lower at BHM than ATL; therefore, lower pricing. Just my 2 cents worth. But to me, Eastern and MIA/ATL are like Walter Cronkite was to CBS.
All true, add in crappy service to MGM, HSV, and CHA and we end up with quite a bit of out of area O & D. It's faster to come here, and in most cases be able to go N/S or direct to major destinations vs. changing planes in ATL, MEM, ORD, etc. The parking deck is usually covered up with Georgia plates in fact.
Also, TCL no longer has any service and I don't think Anniston ever has.
The biggest thing working against a hub here will always be the lack of parallel runways. I-20/59 would have to be re-routed at great expense or a good size hill(along with UPS, Airborne, Coca Cola, National ComputerPrint, several Guard/Reserve bases, and a bunch of corporate hangers) would have to be moved/removed.
The only airport in the area that is physically set up well to be a hub would be HSV but the market there is way too small.
BHMNONREV From Australia, joined Aug 2003, 1287 posts, RR: 4 Reply 23, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 2057 times:
Quoting BHMBAGLOCK (Reply 22): Also, TCL no longer has any service and I don't think Anniston ever has.
Anniston has not seen service for several years, last being served by ASA with several EMB-120's per day to ATL. TCL service on Eagle to BNA ended in the mid-to-late 90's when EAS subsidies ran out..
Quoting BHMBAGLOCK (Reply 22): The biggest thing working against a hub here will always be the lack of parallel runways. I-20/59 would have to be re-routed at great expense or a good size hill(along with UPS, Airborne, Coca Cola, National ComputerPrint, several Guard/Reserve bases, and a bunch of corporate hangers) would have to be moved/removed.
There is actually a plan in place for a parallel runway to 6/24 and would sit to the east and go thru East Lake Park and the surrounding neighborhoods. You can see a model in the terminal in BHM, at the beginning of Concourse A. A very ambitious plan to say the least, but certainly there if needed...
SKYYBLUE From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 24, posted (7 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 2036 times:
Quoting EA CO AS (Reply 16): I still say we take up a collection to buy controlling interest in AirTran and rename it Eastern Air Lines, bringing the hockeystick livery back to the skies!
This has been a FANTASY of mines since it's ValuJet days. Ahhhh we can dream, can't we?!
25 Zippyjet: Interesting, while you're at it raise some change and bring back the "Critter."
26 Srbmod: Over the years, BHM has been pretty good to WN and vice versa. There are folks in the Atlanta area who still drive to BHM just to fly on WN, even with
27 WDBRR: Bring Eastern back to ATL and open a big "Ionosphere Club" in concourse C.
28 ChiGB1973: BHM is great. I lived there for 3 years. Easy to navigate. I spent many hours on Eastlake Dr watching. WN does have a lot of traffic there. I would ve
29 BHMBAGLOCK: This is a great spot. The new location for VJ's is in the old Guard Credit Union building on Eastlake across from the Torchmark hanger close to the m
30 ChiGB1973: Excellent. There was a little parking lot beside the ice cream place I used to sit. I never thought the old VJ's was a very good location, well, that
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