USA3000 Airlines
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Predecessor | Brendan Airways, LLC |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Defunct | 2012-01-30 |
| Fate | Ceased operations; aircraft transferred to VivaColombia |
| Successor | None |
| Headquarters | Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania , United States |
Area served | United States, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America |
Key people | John J. Mullen (President, Chairman, CEO), Steven Harfst (CEO from 2008), Angus Kinnear (former COO) |
| Products | Scheduled and charter airline services |
| Owner | Apple Vacations |
| Parent | Apple Vacations |
Brendan Airways, LLC, conducting business as USA3000 Airlines, was an American airline headquartered in Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The airline operated both scheduled and charter flights, primarily utilizing a fleet of five Airbus A320 aircraft. As a subsidiary of Apple Vacations, USA3000 maintained a relatively small scale of operations, with only two aircraft and limited destinations at the time it ceased operations. The airline discontinued all flights on January 30, 2012. Among its senior leadership was John J. Mullen, who held the roles of President, Chairman, and CEO during the latter period.
Inception & Apple Vacation Charter Operations: 2000–2002
USA3000 Airlines began its service with a single Airbus A320, launching its first flight on December 28, 2001, from Philadelphia to Cancun. By early 2002, the carrier concentrated solely on charter flights originating from Philadelphia, Newark, Hartford, and Columbus. The fleet expanded to three aircraft as the airline established a new base at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Growth & Introduction of Scheduled Flights: 2003–2007
To diversify revenue streams, USA3000 introduced scheduled flights alongside its charter offerings, enabling customers to book individual seats without purchasing Apple Vacation packages. Starting in 2003, scheduled routes expanded from northeastern U.S. cities to destinations in Florida, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. Domestic stops included Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Orlando, Melbourne, Florida, and Sarasota. The airline’s gateway cities included Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago (O'Hare), and St. Louis. Seasonal services were also introduced from Hartford, Boston, and Milwaukee. By late 2004, USA3000’s fleet had grown to 12 permanent Airbus A320 aircraft plus two additional seasonal planes leased from Thomas Cook Airlines.
Reduction & Military Charter Focus: 2008–2012
In early 2008, USA3000 exited the market at Newark Liberty Airport due to intensified competition from budget airlines. Midway through 2008, operations in Florida were scaled back significantly, retaining only the station at Fort Myers because rising fuel expenses affected profitability. Former COO Angus Kinnear highlighted that Fort Myers was the sole location where ticket pricing could absorb oil costs nearing $125 per barrel. The airline prioritized more lucrative international routes and reinstated seasonal service between Chicago (O’Hare) and St. Petersburg/Clearwater later that year as fuel prices declined and competitor flights lessened.
Steven Harfst took over as CEO in November 2008. In January 2009, USA3000 gained certification from the United States Transportation Command’s Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF), allowing it to bid on military charters for domestic and short-haul international routes to maximize aircraft utilization. Concurrently, the airline upgraded its website to boost sales and ancillary income.
Facing diminished demand amid economic challenges, USA3000 terminated services from Detroit and Milwaukee in April 2009 and subsequently ended flights to Baltimore and Pittsburgh; some routes were later resumed on a seasonal basis, including Detroit in October 2009. The crew base at Fort Myers closed in March 2010 without impacting scheduled flights at Southwest Florida International Airport.
By 2011, the airline operated five Airbus A320 jets. In November that year, Apple Vacations announced the discontinuation of USA3000 Airlines operations and redirected customers to other carriers such as Frontier Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, and Aeroméxico. The airline’s final scheduled flight took place on January 30, 2012; charter flights continued until May.
As of February 2019, USA3000 maintains a minimalistic website featuring limited information.
Destinations
At the time it ceased operations, USA3000 Airlines primarily served Cancún and St. Louis. In earlier periods, the carrier flew to a variety of prominent vacation destinations including:
- Aruba – Oranjestad
- Bahamas – Nassau
- Bermuda – Bermuda
- Costa Rica – Liberia
- Dominican Republic – La Romana, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Santo Domingo
- Jamaica – Montego Bay
- Mexico – Acapulco, Cozumel, Huatulco, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Puerto Vallarta, San Jose del Cabo
- St. Lucia – Vieux Fort
- United States – major metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago (O'Hare), Cleveland, Detroit, New York City (JFK), Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C. (Dulles), among others
Fleet
When operations ended, USA3000’s fleet consisted of two Airbus A320-200 aircraft, each outfitted with 168 seats arranged in a single-class configuration. As of February 2011, the average age of the fleet was 8.7 years. Following the airline’s shutdown, all planes were reassigned to VivaColombia.
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 2 | 0 | 168 | All aircraft transferred to VivaColombia |