US's Elite Airways to be bought by unnamed investor

US's Elite Airways secures FAA dormancy waiver extension

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Elite Airways (MNU, Portland International Jetport) a 30-day grace period before it moves to revoke its operating authority. The carrier suspended flights in mid-2022, and s.204.7 of the FAA's Aeronautics and Space Rules say an airline must commence or recommence operations within 12 months of being found fit and proper to do so or face losing their operating authority.

On June 9, Elite Airways submitted an application to the FAA for a waiver of the revocation for dormancy provision of 14 CFR 204.7 and asked for an extension of the one year limit, saying it planned to recommence operations on or about September 1, 2023.

Elite Airways suspended scheduled and charter services in July 2022 after several weeks of cancelled flights attributed to aircraft going out of service for maintenance reasons and delays in obtaining the required spare parts. The airline was also under financial stress, saying it needed to seek funding to service aircraft lease payments, insurance premiums, employee salaries and benefits, vendors, landing fees and other...

Nigeria's ValueJet secures first CRJ200 freighter

ValueJet (VK, Lagos) has secured the first of three CRJ200 converted freighters with CRJ200ER(SF) 5N-CBZ (msn 7452) having been ferried from the United States on May 21, 2023, in the Nigerian carrier's colours.

Ex-N114WF of Elite Airways (MNU, Portland International Jetport) had been stored in Tucson International since May 2022 and left on May 20, 2023 for Bangor, US, and was well en route to Reykjavik Keflavik in Iceland on May 21 when it diverted to St. John's in Canada, ADS-B data revealed.

The Nigerian carrier was not immediately available for comment.

The airline in January announced it was setting its sights on the domestic cargo industry and expected delivery of three CRJ200 converted freighters in the third quarter of 2023, claiming it would be the first such cargo operation in West Africa.

ValueJet started passenger operations from Lagos in October last year. It currently operates three CRJ900s, of which it owns two and leases one CRJ900LR from Regional One,...

Editorial Comment: Clarified that the first freighter is a CRJ200ER(SF) - 29.09.2023 - 13:38 UTC

US's Elite Airways begins freighter operations

Wisconsin's Midwest Express sees renewed investor interest

Midwest Express Airlines (Milwaukee General Mitchell) is moving forward with its planned relaunch after COVID-19 had forced it to put its plans on hold indefinitely, according to a company spokesperson.

Midwest Express spokeswoman Laurie Coleman has reported renewed investor interest in the airline following the roll-out of the US vaccination programme. “Passengers are feeling more confident to fly, which has opened the door to renewed investor interest,” she told the Milwaukee Magazine.

Coleman, however, remained tight-lipped about details and time-frames. Midwest Express President Greg Aretakis was not immediately available to comment to ch-aviation.

Midwest Express has twice pushed back its announced relaunch in 2018. It first announced its intention to return to operations with a private stock offering in May 2018. Its most recent SEC filing, on May 27, 2020, shows it received an additional USD250,000 in investment, bringing the total raised to USD1 million. It has not submitted any regulatory filings since.

In 2019, it announced initial plans for nonstop flights from its home base at Milwaukee General Mitchell...