avia.wikisort.org - Airline

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
• 7: Toll Priority
• 7: Sunwest Aviation
• 6: Sharp Airlines

Former and current Australian and New Zealand passenger airline operators

Australian Operators:

• Airnorth
• Hazelton Airlines
• Kendell Airlines
• MacAir Airlines
• Northern Airlines
• Regional Express
• Hardy Aviation
• Sharp Airlines
• Fly Corporate Air
• Skippers Aviation
• Toll
• complete Aviation Services

New Zealand operator:

• Air Chathams
• Air New Zealand Link

Former U.S. and Canadian passenger airline operators

U.S. operators

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

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
• Soundair
• Sunwest Aviation.
• Southwest Air
• Tempus Air

Military operators

 Colombia

• Colombian Air Force - 1 × Metro 23[5]

 Mexico

• Mexican Air Force - 4 × Metroliner III[6]

 Peru

• Peruvian Air Force - 3 × Metro 23[7]

 Trinidad and Tobago

• Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard (TTAG) - 2 × Metro 23[8]

 Venezuela

• Venezuelan Air Force - 2[9]

Former military operators

 Argentina

• Argentine Air Force
• Argentine National Gendarmerie - At least one aircraft confiscated from drug smugglers operated in late 1990s[10]

 Australia.[note 1]

 South Africa

• South African Air Force
  • No. 21 Squadron SAAF[11]

 Sweden

• Swedish Air Force - 2 x Metro III and 1 x Metro-Merlin IVC

 Thailand

• Royal Thai Air Force

References

• 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.

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