note
E.W. Wiggins Airways was incorporated in 1930 to provide charter and flight training services. By 1932 the airline had bases at Canton (MA) and Providence; the Providence location also offered airplane sales. In 1937, a base was established at Boston. Following World War II the Canton operation moved to Norwood. In 1947 the company added helicopter services. Scheduled airline services began on September 21, 1949 after the CAB granted an experimental certificate. The company operated a fleet of Cessna T-50s to some 20 airports in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and New York. In July 1953 the CAB elected not to renew Wiggins certificate and scheduled operations ended. By February 1952 all operations were combined at Norwood except for contract fueling at Boston, which continued until 1962. The company also became the New England distributor for Piper Aircraft, which eventually was split off into a separate subsidiary, Piper East Inc., in 1974. In January 1968 it acquired Cape & Islands Flying Service, which operated scheduled flights from Hyannis to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. It was sold in 1970 to Joe Whitney, who was forming Air New England at the time. In the mid-1980s it began an air cargo operation under the Piper East umbrella, operating Cessna Caravans for Federal Express. The cargo operation expanded with Beech 99s which operate for UPS and DHL. It later was awarded the UPS routes operated by AirNow, which resulted in the acquisition of some of that company's Bandeirantes. In 1997 Wiggins acquired the Stead Aviation FBO in Manchester; the Norwood facility remained open until 9/11, except for one helicopter which remained into 2002. In December 2014, Piper East was acquired by Ameriflight LLC, but was operated separately. The Manchester FBO was sold to Signature Flight Support. In early 2024, Federal Express ended its contract with Wiggins; the remaining Beech 99s, operating for UPS, were transferred to Ameriflight, and Wiggins flew off into history.
founded - demised (age)
December 2 1930 - June 7 2024 (94)
headquarters
1 Garside Way, Manchester, NH
web
base airports
related operators
current /stored fleet (0)
