Executive Airlines

Executive Airlines, Inc.
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Airline
Founded	1979
Founder	Joaquín Bolivar
Defunct	2013-03-31
Fate	Ceased operations; merged into American Eagle Airlines
Headquarters	Carolina, Puerto Rico, United States (Puerto Rico)
Area served	Caribbean and the Bahamas
Key people	Pedro Fabregas (President and CEO)
Products	Regional airline services
Parent	AMR Corporation

Executive Airlines, Inc. was a regional carrier based in Puerto Rico, with its headquarters situated at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico, near San Juan. As a fully owned subsidiary of AMR Corporation, it operated flights under the American Eagle brand, with schedules and marketing managed by American Airlines. From its primary hub in San Juan, Executive Airlines offered an extensive network of inter-island routes throughout the Caribbean and the Bahamas.

Originally established as Executive Air Charter in 1979, the airline integrated into the American Eagle system on September 15, 1986. AMR Corporation completed its acquisition on December 7, 1989. In late 2007, plans were made by AMR to spin off Executive Airlines; however, these were abandoned by 2008 due to volatility in the airline industry following the 2008 financial crisis. To generate liquidity for AMR, Executive’s fleet of twelve ATR 72 turboprop aircraft was involved in a leaseback arrangement in February 2008. The airline ultimately ceased operations on March 31, 2013, as part of AMR’s restructuring during Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and the subsequent merger with US Airways that formed the American Airlines Group. Pedro Fabregas, who served as President and CEO of Executive Airlines, moved on to lead American Eagle Airlines (later rebranded as Envoy Air).

The "Executive Airlines" designation had also been utilized by a commuter airline operating in the northeastern United States and Florida during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

History

Puerto Rican entrepreneur Joaquín Bolivar founded the company as Executive Air Charter in 1979. It became part of the American Eagle system in 1986 as an independent operator conducting code-share services for American Airlines.

Following its purchase by AMR Corporation—the parent entity of both American Airlines and American Eagle Airlines—Executive Airlines concentrated its operations primarily within the Caribbean region. In late 2007, AMR announced intentions to spin off both American Eagle Airlines and Executive Airlines; however, these initiatives were halted due to economic uncertainty triggered by the financial crisis.

As part of AMR’s financial restructuring efforts, Executive’s ATR 72 aircraft were involved in a sale-leaseback transaction to bolster cash flow. After AMR filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2011, Executive began returning planes to lessors throughout 2012. The airline was officially shut down on March 31, 2013, with its regional services consolidated under American Eagle Airlines.

Former destinations

Airports served from the former American Airlines hub in San Juan

Fleet

By February 2008, Executive Airlines maintained a fleet exclusively composed of ATR 72 aircraft, specifically 12 ATR 72-200 turboprops, each outfitted with 64 seats arranged solely in economy class.

Prior to adopting the ATR 72 series, the airline operated a variety of turboprop planes, including the ATR 42, CASA 212, and Short 360 models.

Incidents and accidents

On May 8, 1987, American Eagle Flight 5452, operated with a CASA 212-200 on a domestic flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, crashed short of Mayaguez’s Runway 09. The aircraft collided with a fence and ditch following impact. Among the six individuals onboard (four passengers and two crew members), two lost their lives. The accident was linked to faulty maintenance that affected the propeller and engine fuel flow settings.
On June 7, 1992, American Eagle Flight 5456, another CASA 212-200 flying the same route, impacted nose-first approximately three-quarters of a mile from Mayaguez airport, resulting in fatalities for all onboard—including crew and three passengers. The crash was caused by unintentional lever movement by the copilot, which led to loss of control.
On May 9, 2004, American Eagle flight 5401, an ATR 72, crashed during its landing approach at San Juan after the captain lost control of the aircraft. Seventeen occupants sustained injuries.

History

Former destinations

Fleet

Incidents and accidents

See also