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This article discusses the 1985-1989 Virginia-based carrier, see Presidential Airways (charter) for the Florida-based airline.
Presidential Airways (IATA: XV, ICAO: n/a , and Callsign: Washington Eagle) was an airline based out of Washington Dulles International Airport serving Washington, DC. It was founded in 1985 by Harold J. (Hap) Pareti, formerly an officer at People Express, as a low-cost carrier, with Boeing 737 service from Dulles to Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts commencing October 10 of that year.
It expanded to a number of destinations, merging with the original Colgan Air in 1986 and adding the BAe 146 regional jet and orders for the de Havilland Dash 8-300 turboprop to its fleet (The DASH-8-300s were never received). It was unable to sustain its expansion, however, and became a regional feeder for Continental Airlines in 1987 and then United Airlines in 1988. In early-1989, Presidential attempted to capitalize on the "hub fever" then prevalent in the Southeastern United States by trying to raise money from investors in Birmingham, Alabama (BHM) with the stated intent of operating a mini-hub there. Presidential's already shaky financial condition and eventual bankruptcy assured that nothing ever came of it. Burdened with debt from its changes of business plan, Presidential filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 26, 1989. It ended operations on December 5, 1989 and its assets subsequently liquidated.
At one point just before its demise, Presidential ran an odd mix of fleet types. 12 BAe Jetstream 31s and 32s (some of which were contracted), 2 early model BE-1900s, 8 BAe 146 jets and an aging Boeing 737. The 737 primarily did roundtrips between Dulles (IAD) and MacArthur-Islip (ISP) on Long Island, New York.
Of these the BE-1900s were the first to go being sold to pay bills. There was also an odd mix of paint schemes. Some BAe 146 jets and Jetstream turboprops were painted in the red white and blue Presidential scheme while others were in United's white with rainbow stripe scheme. The planes contracted from Eastern Metro were in an Eastern Airlines scheme (and flown by Eastern Metro pilots). Some of the Jetstreams were in no airline livery at all.
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