Air South
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There were two airlines in the United States known as Air South.
1968-1975
The first Air South was a regional airline operating out of Atlanta Municipal Airport. Founded as Nationwide Airlines Southeast in 1968, it served a variety of destinations in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. Its all-propeller aircraft fleet included the Martin 4-0-4 as well as the Beechcraft B-99, one of which crashed near Monroe, Georgia on July 6, 1969.
In 1975 it was acquired along with Shawnee Airlines by Florida Airlines. Florida Airlines went into rapid decline almost immediately with the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act and ceased operations in 1978.
1994-1997
The second Air South was a low-cost airline based at Columbia Metropolitan Airport serving Columbia, South Carolina. It operated from 1994 to 1997 using seven Boeing 737-200 aircraft. It used the IATA designator WV, the ICAO airline code KKB, and the callsign "Khaki Blue."
The first startup airline sponsored by any U.S. state, Air South also boasted investment from NationsBank, the University of South Carolina, and other regional institutions, as well as Governor Carroll Campbell and Columbia mayor Bob Coble.
Unlike most of its competitors, it relied heavily on travel agents for bookings [1] (http://www.s-t.com/daily/05-96/05-26-96/m10bu224.htm). It operated charter flights as well high-frequency service to cities primarily in the southeastern U.S.:
- Miami, Florida
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- Tallahassee, Florida
- Tampa, Florida
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Savannah, Georgia
- Chicago, Illinois (Midway Airport)
- New York City (John F. Kennedy International Airport)
- Newark, New Jersey
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Norfolk, Virginia
The airline suffered from a weak schedule, numerous flight delays and cancellations, and a poor financial management resulting in onerous debt service payments, among other problems. Air South ceased operations on August 28, 1997 having burned through $60 million in financing, including $12 million from the state of South Carolina and some $1.5 million from the City of Columbia.
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