Airliners.net

To avoid being sued, let me preface this by saying that this is my opinion and does not constitute an accusation. The management of Air South squandered their start up capital. No ifs, ands, or buts. Certain members of their Board of Directors left because the President/CEO of the firm would not take their sage advice...ie quit wasting money. A lot of airlines start up and get their start up money by stating that they wish to emulate the Southwest Airlines example. That is all fine and good. The problem arises when push comes to shove. Nobody really wants to emulate their early-years example. eg Management going out to the airport when loads are heavy to help work a flight (incl loading baggage and cleaning the cabin) eg President/Vice President/Senior management doing without company cars...or worse, they drive an AMC Gremlin painted up just like the airplane as a company car. eg Furnishing the offices by going to the office furniture and equipment auctions on the weekend. Southwest did those sorts of things. The failed start ups typically want to live high on the food chain from the git-go and they thing revenue will catch up. There is one key to success in the airline business. It was put very elegantly by M. Lamar Muse, the first president of Southwest Airlines Co. Specifically, "get profitable before you run out of money."

Flew them once R/T from TPA-ATL...Plane had maybe 20 pax? Or less...Thought the co-pilot looked like he was 20yrs old...must have been more but very young...

We had to wait for a hour while they got some cover plate or whatever (was long ago!) fixed in cockpit..pilot said he could have held it closed with his foot or duct tape but decided to try another part..

Glad I only had the one R/T! They flew to Hilton Head SC also I believe..have the ad folder still somewhere..

Air South was founded to improve interstate commerce in South Carolina. The airline was heavily financed with tax revenues from the State, and the airline flew into CAE, GSP, and CHS within SC. The managers of the company saw their profitability outside of SC, and started service from ATL to various cities in FL. Want to know how they lost money? Their inaugural flights from ATL-JAX coincided with the postal rate increase to $.25. The introductory fare was $19.00 and a 32 cent stamp! Sound business sense.....And do you know who financed all of these flights? The taxpayers in the state of SC.

Air South is an example of how not to start an airline. The state of South Carolina put money into an enterprise that was bound to fail becaue it was never designed to make money. It was a subsidy,plain and simple. To make money in the airline business, one has to have a solid business plan with strategies that will make the company both efficient and effective. Air South was neither. There was not a sufficuent market within South Carolina to make the thing work with old B737-200s in the first place.

I am a fan of Air South. I do know they had 7 737-200's around 1996-1997. They went out of business, and was taken by Vanguard, or so I heard.