note
NASA Commuter Airlines began operations in 1967 as a subsidiary of Metroflight Inc., which was a unit of National Data Communcations Inc. Scheduled flights ran between Houston Intercontinental and the Clear Lake City STOLport, which was adjacent to the Johnson Space Center. In 1969 it changed its name to Houston Metro Airlines, and expanded its service to include Houston Hobby and Galveston. With the carrier adding routes outside the Houston area in 1972, its name was shortened Metro Airlines. In 1974 it began trading as Metroflight Airlines from DFW airport, initially with flights to Longview and Tyler. By 1976, the Metroflight name was abandoned in public usage in favor of Metro Airlines, however Metroflight remained as a division. In 1981, Metro Airlines Inc. became a publicly traded company, however still majority owned by private interests, By the middle of 1983, the route map extended well into Oklahoma as well as into Arkansas and Louisiana. Flights from Houston Intercontinental were operated under a code share arrangement as Eastern Metro Express using Twin Otters and SD3-30s.. In November 1984, the Dallas/Ft. Worth services began to operate under the American Eagle brand using Twin Otters and Convair 580s. In 1985 the company elected to end its Eastern Express operation at Houston, however Eastern Express services were still provided at Atlanta via Metro subsidiary Metro Express at Atlanta and subsidiary Aviation Associates at San Juan. In 1987 SAAB 340s began replacing the Convairs. Following the collapse of Eastern Airlines in 1991, which resulted in the two Eastern Express carriers ceasing operations, Metro Airlines Inc went into bankruptcy. In May 1993, the Metroflight Airlines operation was acquired by AMR Corp, and merged into Simmons Airlines. Metroflight Inc. parent, Metro Airlines Inc launched Eastern Express branded Metro Express Airlines in Atlanta and American Eagle branded Metro Express II at DFW. It acquired Sunaire in San Juan, which was renamed Aviation Associates. It also acquired the American Eagle carrier Chaparral Airlines, which eventually absorbed the operations of Metro Express II. The latter carrier would go on to become Starlight Express, a Federal Express feeder. It also acquird Brockway Air in 1989. changing its name to Metro Air Northeast, and becoming a TWA Express carrier,
founded - demised (age)
1967 - May 28 1993 (26)
headquarters
PO Box 58608, Houston, TX
web
base airports
related operators
current /stored fleet (0)
