MarkAir

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MarkAir was a regional airline based in Alaska, USA. It ceased operations and liquidated in 1995.

Contents

[edit] Former Code Data

  • ICAO Code: MRK
  • Callsign: MarkAir

[edit] History

The airline began its life as Interior Airways in the late 1940s carrying cargo throughout the state of Alaska. In the late 1960s the airline bought Lockheed Hercules (L-382) aircraft to service construction of the Alaska Pipeline. In the 1970s to reflect its international charter business it changed its name to Alaska International Air. In 1982 Alaska International Air bought a regional passenger/cargo airline named Great Northern. In 1984 new colors and the name MarkAir were brought to the airline as it inaugurated passenger/cargo service from Anchorage to the Alaska bush communties of Barrow, Bethal, Dillingham, Fairbanks, King Salmon, Kotzebue, Nome, and Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse. The airline had purchased Boeing 737-200 combination cargo/passenger aircraft. In the mid-1980s MarkAir and Alaska Airlines entered into a codesharing agreement with MarkAir operating as Alaska Airlines to the communites of Dillingham, Dutch Harbor, Barrow, Aniak, St. Mary's and Alaska Airlines feeding MarkAir from its routes from Seattle and other "lower 48" destinations. In the late 1980s MarkAir bought several air taxi's (airlines operating small six to nine seat aircraft from larger communites such as Bethel to Alaska's Native villages.) and purchased several B-1900 aircraft and under the name of MarkAir Express operated new service from Anchorage to Cordova, Aniak, McGrath, Dillingham, King Salmon, Galena, Unalakleet, Kodiak, Kenai, Homer and Valdez. MarkAir by 1990 was far and wide the State of Alaska's largest airline. In 1990, Alaska Airlines abruptly cancelled its codesharing agreement with MarkAir and MarkAir inaugurated service to key Alaska Airlines markets such as Anchorage-Seattle, Anchorage-Juneau-Sitka-Ketchikan-Seattle, Seattle-Los Angeles, Seattle-San Francisco and Seattle-Portland. In 1992 the airline expanded its Lower 48 route network to include Seattle-Chicago/Midway and Denver. However the head-to-head competition with Alaska Airlines caused MarkAir by the end of 1992 to find itself in bankruptcy. In 1993 MarkAir restructured itself as a "low fare" carrier and cut most routes out of Seattle with the exception of Seattle-Anchorage and Seattle-Los Angeles. They began a hub in Denver and serviced various West Coast, Midwest and Southern cities. In 1995 faced with bankruptcy again, the airline cut all jet service within the state of Alaska and concentrated on its Denver hub, the new MarkAir headquarters.[1] MarkAir Express continued service within the State of Alaska taking over all of MarkAir's jet routes. In 1996 MarkAir was forced to shut down. MarkAir Express remained until 1997 and was reorganized into the all-cargo carrier Alaska Central Express which has remained profitable to this day.

[edit] Fleet

MarkAir/MarkAir Express operated a fleet of:

[edit] External links

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