THE NEW PAN American World Airways is awaiting final US Department of Transportation (DoT) approval to start low-cost, long-haul scheduled services. On 20 August, the resurrected Pan Am gained tentative approval, but interested parties were given 15 days to comment on the DoT's decision to let the carrier begin services.
The DoT then extended the comment period by seven days, to 11 September.
Initially, Pan Am will operate one daily flight between New York and Los Angeles and between New York and Miami, Florida, using leased ex-Eastern Airlines Airbus A300B4s, painted in the old Pan Am "billboard" colours. The fleet may grow to eight A300s by late 1997 as more routes are set up.
The revitalised carrier is based in Miami, and headed by Martin Shugrue, the ex-chief operating officer of the original Pan Am, which was forced into bankruptcy in 1991. The new owner acquired Pan Am's name, logo and related assets in 1993 for $1.3 million.
A planned merger between Miami-based Carnival Airlines and Pan Am, was abandoned in early August, after the two companies failed to agree terms.
Source: Flight International
