2/28/2008: Boston-Maine Airways Grounded

DALLAS — Today, in 2008, Boston-Maine Airways (E9), operating as Pan Am Clipper Connection, ceased operations.

The Portsmouth-based regional airline commenced operations as a charter carrier in May 2000. Its fleet initially consisted of Bae Jetstream 31s (J31).

The airline's 2005 route map. Photo: flypanam.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Pan Am Tie-up

In December 2001, approval was granted to commence scheduled services. This would allow the carrier to feed passengers into its new affiliate, Pan Am MK. III's network. Plans were to connect with the airline on flights to numerous New England, Florida, and the Caribbean destinations.

Its turboprop fleet had swelled to ten J31s, and E9 put half of these to work for the Pan Am franchise. At the time, Pan Am's John Nadolny spoke of how valuable the feeder service was for the mainline carrier: "There are a lot of domestic opportunities for the J31s. There are smaller niche markets where regional jets can't get in for operational or economic reasons, but they are markets people still have to reach."

However, in November 2004, the third attempt at resurrecting the Pan Am name failed. The airline fleet of seven Boeing 727-200s was subsequently taken up by E9, which began operating them under the Pan Am Clipper Connection brand.

Pan Am Boeing 727 'Clipper Guilford.' Photo: Bubba73 (You talkin' to me?), (Jud McCranie) (Transferred by Apalsola/Originally uploaded by Bubba73), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Investigation Launched

In August 2005, an investigation was launched by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) after the carrier submitted false financial documents. This was the beginning of the downfall of the airline.

Expansion plans were continually thwarted, and despite continued calls to provide evidence to support its financial ability to continue its operations, no information was forthcoming.

The DOT then revoked the airline's license, wounding operations. The DOT said, "The department concludes that [Boston-Maine] is not fit to conduct operations as a US-certificated air carrier and denies [the carrier's] request to maintain its certificate authority to operate small aircraft to facilitate the sale of the company to Maine Aviation."

Featured image: Pan Am Clipper Connection Boeing 727 'Clipper Guilford.'

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