North American Airlines

North American Airlines, Inc., was an American airline based at the HLH Building in Peachtree City, Georgia, near Greater Atlanta, United States. Before May 2008, it flew regular trips from the U.S. to Africa and Guyana. After that, the airline offered flights within the country and international trips for special purposes, as well as wet lease services. The main place for keeping and fixing its airplanes was at Tampa International Airport.

History

North American Airlines was part of Global Aviation Holdings, Inc., which used to be called Global Aero Logistics, Inc. Unlike other airlines in the same group, North American started after rules about airlines changed in the United States.

The airline began in 1989 and started flying on January 20, 1990. A man named Dan McKinnon, who used to lead the group that watched over airlines, started it. In April 2005, the airline was bought by a company called World Air Holdings.

At first, the airline flew only special trips using Boeing 757 planes. During the 1990s, it grew and added trips to places like San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and other spots. It also started regular flights from Los Angeles International Airport to JFK to help another airline called El Al get more travelers. The airline also began work in Newark, New Jersey, and Oakland, California. Besides the 757s, they also used Boeing 767s for longer trips with many passengers.

In April 2007, a company called New ATA Holdings bought the parent company of North American Airlines and changed its name to Global Aero Logistics, Inc. Later, it was renamed Global Aviation Holdings, Inc. in February 2009.

North American Airlines stopped operating in March 2014 because of money problems.

Destinations

North American Airlines stopped all regular flights in May 2008. At that time, the airline flew to places such as:

• Bolivia: Santa Cruz de la Sierra - Viru Viru International Airport (flights ended in mid-2010s)
• Ghana: Accra - Accra International Airport (flights ended May 20, 2008)
• Guyana: Georgetown - Cheddi Jagan International Airport (flights ended May 18, 2008)
• Nigeria: Lagos - Murtala Mohammed International Airport (flights ended May 18, 2008)
• Trinidad: Port of Spain - Piarco International Airport (flights ended May 18, 2008)
• United States: Baltimore, Miami, New York City, Tampa
• Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo Las Americas Airport

The airline decided to stop regular flights because fuel prices were rising too much. They wanted to focus instead on charter flights for resorts and tour operators. Before this change, North American Airlines also served places like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and parts of the Dominican Republic, but stopped these routes when other airlines began competing there. After stopping regular flights, the airline continued with charter flights until 2014.

Fleet

As of March 2014, North American Airlines had a small fleet of 6 airplanes.

In May 2013, the airplanes in the fleet were on average 18.1 years old.

Services

North American Airlines helped move military personnel and their families to places that regular airlines did not fly. In 2002, it was the first airline to use Boeing 767 planes for the United States Military. The airline flew these trips from Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport and other places.

The airline also worked with Air Jamaica, lending them planes and crews for trips between Kingston and New York. In summer 2007, Air Jamaica needed more help from North American Airlines because they had more passengers than expected. North American Airlines also carried cargo for Gibraltar with a company called Odyssey Marine Exploration.

The airline was used by then Senator Barack Obama for his campaign trips, taking him, his staff, and reporters everywhere he needed to go before Election Day. When he became the Democratic nominee, the plane, a Boeing 757, got new seats and a special paint job with his campaign logo and slogan "Change We Can Believe In".