PRIMARIS AIRLINES

'Primaris Airlines' is an American charter airline based in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. It operates domestic and international services. Its main base is McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas.^[1]

Contents

History

Destinations

Services

Fleet

Notable charter activity

External links

References

History

The airline was established in 2003 and started operations in October 2004. It has 140 employees (at July 2007). It achieved a FAA certified Part 121 certification in June 2004 as a Domestic, Flag and supplemental operator. It achieved 180 minute ETOPS certification November 3, 2006.
Primaris was Boeing's first US airline customer for its new Boeing 787 aircraft, with an order for 20 aircraft. Primaris planned to use these aircraft to expand its services internationally, but cancelled their intent to purchase the new Boeing aircraft in June 2006 ^[2]. No reason was given for the 787 order cancellation. No information has been made public on make or type of other new aircraft to be used. It is speculated that negotiations are in progress with Airbus and/or a re-negotiation with Boeing aircraft.

Destinations

Two aircraft currently operate charter routes from New York, Toronto, and Fort Lauderdale to Georgetown, Guyana, and Port-of-Spain, Trinidad (non- stop) and from Trinidad to Curaçao on behalf of the charter group Constellation Travel Services. A third aircraft was added to the fleet on September 6, 2007.

Services

The Scheduled Service Funding will determine actual timelines.

★ 2007 routes: New York John F. Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Atlanta

★ Second Quarter, 2008 routes: New York to Denver, Dallas, and London

★ Fourth Quarter, 2008 routes: New York to Manchester, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt
Due to lack of scheduled service funding Primaris Airlines remains a small charter airline. Interest in the mid level market remains high, with proof of concept being demonstrated by other niche market airlines in Europe.
The route map on Primaris's web page advertises scheduled service to JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta as available in 2006, "subject to receipt of government operating authority". However, such service is not actually available and neither the home page nor the route map appears to have been updated since 2006.
Operator has gained operating approval from the Government of Canada to commence charter operations from Vancouver to Macau through fall 2007.

Fleet

Type	Engines	Number	Seats	Notes
Boeing 757-200	Pratt & Whitney PW2000	1	222	Available for and conducting ad-hoc charter operations at JFK.
Boeing 757-200	Rolls-Royce RB211	2	198	Operating for Constellation Travel Services conducting charter operations on the East coast, Caribbean, and South America. Based at JFK.

Notable charter activity

★ The White House travel office used the airline to fly the press corps to Bush events during the 2004 Presidential Campaign.

★ Has operated for TNT Vacations from Boston-Punta Cana, and Boston-Cancún.

★ Flew for Santa Barbara Airlines Caracas, Venezuela for 18 months on Caracas - Miami route.

External links

★ Primaris Airlines

References

1. Directory: World Airlines
2. Seattle Times 6 July 2006