Least known airlines you've flown on

BawliBooch · Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:33 am

MDLR - Only "vegetarian" airline. 6 across seating on a Bae 146. Ugh to both.
Aurigny - MAN to GCI and vv. On a 15 seat Propeller DC10!

dredgy · Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:49 am

That are still operating (to my knowledge):
Air Inter Iles (Comoros)
AB Aviation (Comoros)
Tsaradia (Madagascar)
Bluewing Airlines (Suriname)
Mauritania Airlines (Mauritania)

FlyingJhawk · Wed Jan 12, 2022 3:27 am

Lone Star Airlines....DFW-DRT (Del Rio, TX) then DRT-DFW on Dornier 328. Out of the C terminal IIRC

The flight to DRT was interesting. Late evening departure and as we start to roll down 18L and the crew rejects the takeoff and we taxi onto F and sit there for a few a minute or so. Captain comes on and goes something like this..."We thought we had an engine problem but we think it's a false indicator. We are going to make another attempt but if any passenger wants to deplane we'll head back to the gate."

Me and two co-workers are in the very last rows and just looked at each other with the "did he really just say that?" look. Between the few glasses of wine and really not knowing what to do we just sat there and accepted our fate.

Jshank83 · Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:41 am

USA 3000

BritTraveller · Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:17 am

Flyglobespan

Return flight from LGW to DLM in 2009

ytib · Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:33 am

Wideroe
Atlantic Airways
Air Iceland Connect

Including some defunct airlines in the US: Ravn, Wings of Alaska, Western Pacific, Vanguard, Morris Air

EightyFour · Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:44 pm

Probably Spring Airlines, they're (probably?) the largest LCC in China, but I never hear any discussion about them, not even here on a.net, not that I tend to follow mainland China topics here.

Also Braathens SAFE, and SAS Braathens which was it's own airline for a time. I don't think Braathens was very well known outside of Norway?

JJ777 · Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:44 pm

Least known airline I've ever flown was most definitely WebJet, a short-lived LCC, from GRU to IGU and back on an old 737-300. Just a few months later G3 absorved WebJet's operations.

In my childhood I also had the chance to fly plenty of times with VARIG, which was obviously very well known, but also with VASP and Transbrasil, which were once big in Brazil but now long gone (although some of their planes are still rotting on airports around the country, a sad reminder of a bygone era).

Austin787 · Wed Jan 12, 2022 10:13 pm

Japan Asia Airways. Probably well known in Asia especially Taiwan and Japan but virtually unknown in the USA.

vatveng · Wed Jan 12, 2022 10:40 pm

One of the earliest attempts at a ULCC, before it was cool. Late 1990s, GSO-MCO.

Cardude2 · Wed Jan 12, 2022 11:40 pm

Go! airline (Hawaiian airline)

CairnterriAIR · Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:32 am

I’ve got a few…

*OceanAir Line….They were based out of SJU in the early 80’s and flew to the US Virgin Islands. Nice ride on an F-27.

*Aero Virgin Islands…..another SJU to USVI operation. Flew DC-3’s….flew them quite a few times…great rides on classic birds!

*Air BVI….British Virgin Island carrier…flew a crazy mix of Islanders, DC-3’s, and ex Dan Air HS-748 turboprops. The only time I’ve ever made a connection to reach as destination less than 100 miles away from my origin. Virgin Gorda to Tortola on an Islander…Tortola to San Juan on an HS-748.

*Best Airlines….tiny airline that operated a straight line network of routes in the northeast US with a pair of DC-9-15’s back in the 80’s. Flew them to DTW from BDL with two brief stops in BUF and CLE en route. Did the same trip in the opposite direction a few days later with the same plane and same crew.

aeromoe · Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:42 am

Q wrote:
McCain Airlines 727-100 ORD-RFD-ORD twice back November 90's.

Q

You sure that's not McClain? Plenty of photos of them on the internet. I'd be interested to know more if there was a McCain Airlines.

aeromoe · Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:44 am

Gull Air Cessna 402s Martha's Vinyard - Hyaniss - Nantucket (MA) back in 1982.

FlyHossD · Thu Jan 13, 2022 3:37 am

How far back do you want to go?

Back in my days at DEN/Stapleton, Trans-Colorado, Pioneer, Centennial (before Mesa), Rocky Mountain. Almost forgot GP Express.

Before those were Wright, AeroMech. Mall. Comair is now long gone, too.

Trans Asia comes to mind as well, though a bit later.

ZK-NBT · Thu Jan 13, 2022 8:25 am

Freedom Air (NZ) (While not rare for me, not sure how many outside the Pacific have heard of them? Folded back into NZ around 2008)
Cambodia Angkor Air ATR72-200 PNH-SGN 2017
Freebird (Was leased to VJ, flew an A320 from SGN-HAN in 2017, had never heard of them)

Q · Thu Jan 13, 2022 3:24 pm

aeromoe wrote:
Q wrote:
McCain Airlines 727-100 ORD-RFD-ORD twice back November 90's.

Q

You sure that's not McClain? Plenty of photos of them on the internet. I'd be interested to know more if there was a McCain Airlines.

Yes sorry my bad It's McClain.

Q

aeromoe · Fri Jan 14, 2022 12:08 am

Also flew aboard an Arctic Circle Air Cessna 207 Dillingham-Togiak-Dillingham (Alaska) in May 1999 while Air Nikon and I were in between Reeve L-188 flights at Dillingham.

Offline trip report with some photos: http://www.aeromoe.com/N1968R.html

dennypayne · Fri Jan 14, 2022 12:27 am

Quite a few that I’ve flown that aren’t well known:

Royale Airlines - EMB110s all over Louisiana and Texas
Izhavia - Yak42 DME-IZH
Yamal Airlines - SSJ100 SVX-OVB
Angara - An148 OVB-IKT
Several Alrosa flights

But probably the least known:

SILA (Siberian Light Aviation) - Let410 and An28 flights around IKT

af773atmsp · Fri Jan 14, 2022 1:02 am

Jshank83 wrote:
USA 3000

Strangely there's still a USA 3000 website. https://www.usa3000.com/

BoeingERJ1000 · Wed Jan 19, 2022 2:43 pm

I’ve flown on Via Air on an E145, BTR-SFB. They went bankrupt in 2019 and only had 3 planes, so they were little-known even in the US.

Sdmccray1984 · Fri Jan 21, 2022 7:26 pm

I’ve got one that very few of you have ever heard of. In the mid 90s I lived in Charleston(SC) & we flew to JFK on a little-known airline called “Air South.” They used wet-leased 737-200s replete with mechanical issues and skipped aircraft inspections. Air South would fly from CAE to MYR to JFK, or GSP to CHS to JFK. Upon arrival at JFK we would park on the apron near the Tower Air Terminal(now defunct) and a shuttle bus would take us to the old TWA sundrome(also now defunct). Air South was a TRASH airline but Charleston to JFK for $35 was unbeatable!

gabik001 · Sun Jan 23, 2022 4:01 am

Universal B763 ORD-KRK (SP-LPB from LO as LO8)

Champion Air B722 - MKE-CHS-STT-SJU-CHS-MKE

drdisque · Sun Jan 23, 2022 7:33 pm

Air Tahiti ATR72 PPT-MOZ, MOZ-RFP-BOB, BOB-PPT

WildcatYXU · Tue Jan 25, 2022 2:19 am

Tatra Air. KSC-BTS-KSC.
Saab 340 on the way there, Yak-40 on the way back.

CarlosSi · Tue Jan 25, 2022 5:56 am

Niki Air.

Not "unknown", but it's not an airline people have talked about extensively or even think about on a normal day.

Gee I forgot I flew on an airplane with a fly on it!

ZKCIF · Wed Jan 26, 2022 9:41 pm

FIGAS (Falkland Islands Government Aviation Service)

StlHsvSfoSan · Fri Jan 28, 2022 5:41 am

Presidential Airways HSV-TYS-IAD and HSV-IAD on BAC-146 (they also had 737s which I didn't fly on)
USA 3000 RSW-STL
Muse Air SAN-LAX

FlyHossD · Sun Jan 30, 2022 11:30 pm

FlyHossD wrote:
How far back do you want to go?

Back in my days at DEN/Stapleton, Trans-Colorado, Pioneer, Centennial (before Mesa), Rocky Mountain. Almost forgot GP Express.

Before those were Wright, AeroMech. Mall. Comair is now long gone, too.

Trans Asia comes to mind as well, though a bit later.

Forgot to mention Freedom Air in Micronesia/GUM.

usflyer msp · Mon Jan 31, 2022 3:06 am

Gambia Bird in the Gambia
Starbow & Antrak Air in Ghana
Deutsche BA
Roots Air in Canada
OneTime in South Africa
Felix Airways in Yemen
ADA in Colombia
TAME in Ecuador
Kiwi International in the USA

matthew11 · Mon Jan 31, 2022 5:20 am

I have been on Jes Air of Bulgaria. They did not last long and had many issues

tmu101 · Tue Feb 08, 2022 4:03 pm

Caribbean Sun Airlines - deHavilland Dash 8 from San Juan Puerto Rico to Antigua and back (code share with USAirways if i recall). Nice flights.

SaintBroseph · Wed Feb 09, 2022 12:49 pm

CarlosSi wrote:
Niki Air.

Not "unknown", but it's not an airline people have talked about extensively or even think about on a normal day.

Gee I forgot I flew on an airplane with a fly on it!

That bug livery wasn't very....aesthetic...

I'll throw in Mega Maldives. Lofty and improperly planned long-haul operations that were at the mercy of seasonal markets. In fact, I remember the chief pilot or something wrote about mismanagement or something on PPRUNE and it was deleted. Combine this with random furloughs and dirty planes they were finished. They also had a corny slogan "Get the truth, then go" and had trip advisor's logo painted on the side... it was something...
Though my experience was that it was just another 767 charter style operator. The crew was nice but the planes were old and grimy...

ACDC8 · Wed Feb 09, 2022 1:13 pm

North Cariboo Air (Dash 8-300, Q400, RJ100)
Alberta CityLink (Jetstream 31)
Suncor (Bombardier CRJ 890CS)

EightyFour · Thu Feb 10, 2022 6:52 am

I just remebered I flew on AtlasGlobal from Northern Cyprus to Izmir. As even I forgot about it, I guess it should count as "least known"

timpdx · Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:27 am

Myannma in Myanmar
AirSwift in the Philippines
Mohawk in upstate NY
Pluna in Uruguay

sea13 · Sat Feb 12, 2022 10:25 pm

I’ve done Southwest from SNA to SJC. Does that count?

redzeppelin · Mon Feb 14, 2022 4:16 pm

For US domestic: maybe ATA, and their Chicago Express regional operation. I flew them on MSP-MDW-IND and return in 2004.
International: Aerosvit/Aerosweet. Flew them one-way SVO-KBP in 2001, after visa issues forced a change from the scheduled UN (Transaero) DME-KBP flight.

Chemist · Tue Feb 15, 2022 7:46 am

Skybus, A320, BUR-GSO, 2007
Panorama Air, Piper Navajo Chieftan, HNL, LIH, KOA, Maui - 1986
Muse Air, MD-80, LAX-Midland/Odessa TX, early 1980s
Sun Aire - Metroliner, LAX-Imperial, ~1984
LA Airways Sikorsky Helicopter, LAX-BUR, ~1965

WesternDC6B · Sun Feb 20, 2022 5:51 pm

Pacific Airlines (PAL).

N1120A · Sun Feb 20, 2022 9:19 pm

Anguilla Air Services
Coastal Aviation
Auric Air
Malawian
PeoplExpress (the original one without the owner that went to prison for fraud)
Safarilink

How many people now remember ATA? Particularly in their Pleasant Hawaiian livery L1011?

nicode · Mon Feb 21, 2022 2:08 pm

XL Airways France
Air Corsica
SkyEurope Airlines
Trade Air (on behalf of Hop!)
Hop!
Aerosur
Régional
Brit Air
ScotAirways
Ohana by Hawaiian
Austrian Arrows
Blue1
EuroLOT
Augsburg Airways

Kent350787 · Mon Feb 21, 2022 11:57 pm

Southern Pacific Regional Airlines, under contract to Ansett. Aircraft was a Nord 262, flight sometime in 1992.

dfwjim1 · Tue Feb 22, 2022 12:46 am

A couple of times a year I fly on Azul Brazilian Airlines from FLL to Campinas, Brazil. When I tell people in the U.S. I fly on Azul to Brazil the vast majority have never heard of that airline.

vegasplanes · Wed Feb 23, 2022 10:12 pm

American Trans Air (ATA) TZ L1011

Air Wisconsin

Chautauqua Airlines

Comair

Mesaba Airlines

Aloha Airlines -- 73G LAS-HNL-LAS

National Airlines (N7 -- LAS Based all 757s)

Midway Airlines (ML)

Sun Country -- DC-10s

Republic Airlines (original)

TriStar Airlines (LAS-SNA BAe 146 in the '90s)

Reno Air

Piedmont Airlines

Skyeurope Airlines (735 BUD-AMS)

That's it for me......for My Old Man:

North Central (NC)

Hughes Air West (RW -- Top Banana in the West)

New York Air

Rosie7 · Thu Feb 24, 2022 5:56 am

TransInternational Airlines TIA late 60s -early 70s then was named

TransAmerica Airlines TAA ,B 747s, DC10s and stretch DC8s primarily long haul charter and MAC flights . VietNam rescue flights , Kano Nigeria and Dhahran Saudi Arabia flying the Hajj fights to Mecca . Houston - Dhahran was flown by B747 Aramco Charters .

Aircraft colors were white with turquoise , fairly nice looking logo and colors . operated some scheduled service JFK-SNN , JFK-AMS , STL-DFW-HNL , believe there might have been some scheduled service from OAK , because OAK was the primary base , then JFK , IAH and STL to operate numerous military charters to all places world wide .

I was a FA and loved every day with TAA , until they ceased ops mid 80s

HowardDGA · Fri Feb 25, 2022 5:53 am

Golden West and Imperial, LAX-SAN during the PSA strike, Bandeirante and Shorts 330

N1120A · Mon May 23, 2022 7:22 pm

As mentioned, this is pretty highly subjective.

The original PeoplExpress (not the one out of Newport News that resulted in the founder going to federal prison)
Transavia France (if you're not Dutch or French anyway)
Omni Air International on behalf of Caribbean Airlines
ATA (to younger people and those outside the US anyway)
Auric Air
Coastal Aviation
Anguilla Air Services
Air Dolomiti (to North Americans anyway)
Juneyao Airlines
Jetstar Pacific

BWIAirport wrote:
Most obscure was probably TED, if we're even counting that as its own airline. Other than that I have largely stuck to major carriers.

Nah, that was part of UniTED ;-)

AMP44 · Fri Aug 26, 2022 6:10 pm

My humble list:

Aer Arann Islands - Flown the 3 of their aircrafts (BN-2)
Amapola Flyg (On their last internal Ireland flight) - Fokker 50
Aurigny - Embraer 195 and Dornier 228
Eastern Airways - BAe Jetstream 41
Air Panama - Fokker 50 and Fokker 100
Aeroperlas - Short 360 and ATR 42

More known but not so flown airlines:
Croatia Airlines - Airbus A319 and Q400
Saudia - Boeing 777 and A320
Flydubai - Boeing 737-800
White Airways (for TAP Express) - ATR 72
Stobart Air (for Aer Lingus) - ATR 72
Emerald Air (for Aer Lingus) - ATR 72
Air Dolomiti - Embraer 195

WildcatYXU · Fri Aug 26, 2022 9:44 pm

I have a new one: Perimeter aviation. Probably not known outside of Canada (probably not known outside Manitoba). The airline is serving small communities in the north.
Flew Winnipeg (YWG) - Gods River (ZGI) - Shamattawa (ZTM) and back on Dash 8 - 100. ZGI and ZTM are airports with gravel runways. No security, the captain walks into the airport shack and takes the passengers aboard.

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