In July 2016, 225 Fairchild Swearingen Metroliners were in airline service: 170 in Americas, 28 in Asia Pacific & Middle East and 27 in Europe. Its airline operators with six or more aircraft were :[1]
- 47: Ameriflight
- 27: Aeronaves TSM
- 23: Key Lime Air
- 20: Perimeter Aviation
- 16: Bearskin Airlines
- 12: Encore Air Cargo
- 10: Sierra West Airlines
- 8: Berry Aviation
- 8: SkyCare Air Ambulance
- 7: Toll Priority
- 7: Sunwest Aviation
- 6: Sharp Airlines
- 5: Denver Air Connection
Former and current Australian and New Zealand passenger airline operators edit
Australian Operators:
- Airnorth
- Hazelton Airlines
- Kendell Airlines
- MacAir Airlines
- Northern Airlines
- Regional Express
- Hardy Aviation
- Sharp Airlines
- Link Airways (formerly known as Fly Corporate Air)
- Skippers Aviation
- Toll
- complete Aviation Services
New Zealand operator:
Former U.S. and Canadian passenger airline operators edit
U.S. operators edit
A considerable number of commuter and regional air carriers previously operated Metro, Metro II, Metro III and/or Metro IV/Metro 23 aircraft primarily in scheduled passenger service in the U.S. and Canada.[2] According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), these airlines included:
- Air LA
- Air Link
- Air Midwest
- Air Oregon
- AirPac (Alaska-based air carrier)
- AirVantage Airlines
- Air Virginia (AVAir) (operated independently and also as American Eagle)
- Air Wisconsin
- Allegheny Commuter
- American Eagle
- Atlantic Express
- Atlantis Airlines
- Austin Express
- Big Sky Airlines
- Britt Airways
- California Air Shuttle
- Cascade Airways
- Cochise Airlines
- Comair (operated independently and later as Delta Connection)
- Commuter Airlines
- Conquest Airlines
- Continental Connection
- Delta Connection (operated by Comair and SkyWest Airlines)
- Empire Airlines (1976-1985) - acquired by Piedmont Airlines (1948-1989)
- Empire Airlines (based in Idaho)
- Freedom Airlines
- Gem State Airlines
- Golden Gate Airlines
- Horizon Air
- Imperial Airlines
- Inland Empire Airlines
- Landmark Aviation Air Cargo
- Lone Star Airlines
- Mesa Airlines
- Mesaba Airlines (operated as Northwest Airlink)
- Mid Continent Airlines (1980s - formerly AAA Airlines)
- Midstate Airlines
- Midway Connection (feeder service for Midway Airlines)
- Mississippi Valley Airlines (MVA)
- Northeast Express Regional Airlines
- Northwest Airlink
- Pacific Cal Air
- Peninsula Airlines (PenAir)
- Pioneer Airlines (1980s commuter air carrier)
- Resort Air (operated as Trans World Express)
- Rio Airways
- Scenic Airlines
- Scheduled Skyways (renamed Skyways)
- SkyWest Airlines (operated independently and later as Western Express and then Delta Connection)
- Sierra West Airlines
- Star Airways
- Sun Aire Lines
- Tejas Airlines
- Trans-Central Airlines
- Trans-Colorado Airlines (operated independently and also as Continental Connection)
- Transwestern Airlines
- Trans World Express (operated by Resort Air)
- Western Express (operated by SkyWest on behalf of Western Airlines)
- Wings West Airlines (initially operated independently and then as American Eagle)
Other small air carriers operated Metroliners as well.[3]
In addition, Southern Airways, a local service airline that primarily operated McDonnell Douglas DC-9 jetliners before it merged with North Central Airlines to form Republic Airlines (1979-1986), operated the Metro II as a replacement aircraft type for its retired Martin 4-0-4 prop aircraft.[4]
Canadian operators edit
In addition to current operators Bearskin Airlines and Perimeter Aviation, previous Metro operators in Canada included:
- Air Montreal
- Air Toronto
- Alta Flights
- Canadian Western Airlines
- Carson Air
- Jetall
- Intair
- Inter-Canadien
- Provincial Airlines
- Quebecair (Quebecair Inter commuter division)
- Skylink Airlines
- Skycare Air Ambulance
- Soundair
- Sunwest Aviation.
- Southwest Air
- Tempus Air
Military operators edit
- Colombian Air Force - 1 × Metro 23[5]
- Mexican Air Force - 4 × Metroliner III[6]
- Peruvian Air Force - 3 × Metro 23[7]
- Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard (TTAG) - 2 × Metro 23[8]
Former military operators edit
- Argentine Air Force
- Argentine National Gendarmerie - At least one aircraft confiscated from drug smugglers operated in late 1990s[10]
- Swedish Air Force - 2 x Metro III and 1 x Metro-Merlin IVC
References edit
- ^ "World Airliner Census". FlightGlobal. August 2016.
- ^ April 1, 1981 edition, Official Airline Guide (OAG)
- ^ http://www.airliners.net, photos of Fairchild Metro aircraft operated by various airlines in the U.S.
- ^ http://www.departedflights.com, July 1, 1978 Southern Airways system timetable
- ^ Hoyle Flight International December 13–19, 2011, p. 36
- ^ Hoyle Flight International December 13–19, 2011, p. 43
- ^ Hoyle Flight International December 13–19, 2011, p. 45
- ^ Hoyle Flight International December 13–19, 2011, p. 49
- ^ Hoyle Flight International December 13–19, 2011, p. 52
- ^ Rivas Air International April 2021, pp. 47–48
- ^ Ethell Air International April 1988, p. 198
- ^ Several Metro IIs are used as training aids for instructing aircraft technicians serving in the Australian Defence Forces. They are owned by the RAAF but did not fly in ADF service
- Ethell, Jeff (April 1988). "The Tip of the Spear". Air International. Vol. 34, no. 4. pp. 163–172, 198. ISSN 0306-5634.
- Hoyle, Craig (December 13–19, 2011). "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International. Vol. 180, no. 5321. pp. 26–52. ISSN 0015-3710.
- Rivas, Santiago (April 2021). "Cracking the Drug cartels". Air International. Vol. 100, no. 4. pp. 46–49. ISSN 0306-5634.