MEMPHIS, TENN – Southern Airways has announced that it has acquired Ft. Lauderdale-based Sun Air Express, a commuter airline serving eight cities in the mid-Atlantic region – including the Chautauqua County Airport in Jamestown – with hubs at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD).
Sun Air has successfully developed a connecting hub model at the Pittsburgh International Airport. There, passengers can connect to over 50 cities around the United States and around the world.
Sun Air Express currently operates a fleet of piston engine Piper Chieftain aircraft, most of which will be retired over the next year, in favor of Southern’s flagship Caravan 208 planes, which are run by turbine engines.
Southern representatives say passengers will appreciate the upgrade – saying the plan is safe, comfortable, and has a reliability rate over 98 percent for on-time departures.
Southern Airways will consolidate and relocate most corporate functions from Fort Lauderdale to Memphis, although the airline will retain certain operational functions in Florida.
I do not like the idea of a single engine plane. There plane is used by FedEx. My understanding is that it holds from nine to thirteen passengers. You have to take your luggage in Pittsburgh and that makes me just go to Buffalo or Cleveland by car.
I have purchased tickets on Sun Air flying from Jamestown, NY to Pittsburgh in July, 2016. Will I be reimbursed for my purchase and can I be guaranteed a flight from Jamestown to Pittsburgh at or near the time I ticked for?