START-UP NEVADA-based carrier Tri Star Airlines will begin services on 17 July, from Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon with three British Aerospace 146-200s.
The airline ran a series of proving flights for five days from 5 July before beginning three daily services to Las Vegas and up to five to the Grand Canyon. Tri Star is leasing the three ex-Business Express 100-seat BAe 146s from BAe's Asset Management Organisation.
Tri Star has a marketing agreement with Japan Airlines, and expects that up to 40% of its passengers will be Japanese tourists on package trips to the Grand Canyon. The airline expects to have inter-line agreements, with other Asia-Pacific and European operators and is linked to JAL's Access computerised reservation system.
Many of the Tri Star management have BAe 146 experience, including president, Don Martin, a former Aspen Airways and Continental Express president.
Source: Flight International
