Озарк Эйр Лайнс: История Американской Авиакомпании (1950–1986)

Defunct airline in the United States (1950–1986)
the defunct U. S. carrier

Ozark Air Lines was a local service carrier in the United States that operated from 1950 until 1986, when it was purchased by Trans World Airlines (TWA). In 2001, TWA was merged into American Airlines. A smaller regional airline that used the Ozark name (and whose operating certificate was purchased by Great Plains Airlines) operated in 2000–2001. From 1950 until 1986, Ozark's headquarters was located at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

On , Ozark Air Lines was founded to fly services from Springfield, Missouri, and, in January 1945, it began flights between Springfield and St. Louis on Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwings, replaced by Cessna AT 17 Bobcats in the late 1940s. The required license from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was not forthcoming and operations had to stop. In July 1950, the Civil Aeronautics Board granted Ozark a local service carrier certificate to operate Parks Air Transport routes not previously activated. Services were started on , using Douglas DC 3s from St. Louis to Chicago, Tulsa and Memphis. In 1955, the airline had 13 DC 3s flying to 35 cities between Sioux City, Indianapolis, Wichita, and Nashville. Ozark's main hub was St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Like other Local Service airlines, it was subsidized; in 1962, its operating revenues of million (equivalent to million in ) included million (equivalent to million in ) of federal subsidy. In 1960, turboprop Fairchild F 27s were introduced; piston engine Martin 4 0 4s were added to the fleet in 1964 and removed in 1967. One of three co founders, Arthur G. Heyne was an attorney in St. Louis, Missouri, and served as Secretary Treasurer starting in 1950. The three swallows on Ozark fins represented on time flights, referring to the legend of the swallows that return to the Mission San Juan Capistrano, in California, each year on 19 March.

In 1961, Ozark's network reached from Minneapolis to Nashville and from Kansas City to Indianapolis and Louisville. Denver was added in 1966 and, in 1969, the network sprouted eastward: Ozark was awarded nonstops from Champaign and Peoria to Washington Dulles, continuing to New York LaGuardia. Atlanta was added in 1978 and four Florida cities in winter 1978–1979. In September 1966, Ozark and Central Airlines announced plans to merge, subject to CAB approval; the new airline was to retain the Ozark name and would be one of the largest local service carriers in the U. S. However, in November 1966, the two airlines announced that merger talks had ended by mutual consent due to financing difficulties. By 1967, the Martins and F 27s were replaced with Fairchild Hiller FH 227s, a stretched F 27; Ozark was all turbine after the last DC 3 flight in October 1968. Ozark's introduced its first jets in July, 1966 with the Douglas DC 9 10s. The DC 9 10s were later augmented with McDonnell Douglas DC 9 30s (DC 9 31/32) and McDonnell Douglas DC 9 40s. The airline also ordered two Boeing 727 200s but never took delivery. In late 1980, Ozark retired its last FH 227 prop aircraft and went all jet with an all DC 9 fleet. Several very small cities including Burlington, Fort Dodge, and Mason City in Iowa, Decatur, Marion, and Quincy in Illinois, and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, briefly saw DC 9 jet service before Ozark discontinued serving those cities in 1982. In 1984, larger McDonnell Douglas MD 80s were added.

In 1985 Ozark began a code share agreement with Air Midwest, a commuter airline operating 17 seat Fairchild Swearingen Metroliners. The operation was called Ozark Midwest and the Air Midwest aircraft were painted with green stripes, similar to Ozark but without the swallows. Ozark Midwest provided feeder service to Ozark from many smaller cities in the midwest that were not able to support large DC 9 jets including several cities that Ozark had previously discontinued.

In the mid 1980s Ozark and TWA had a de facto duopoly at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, a hub for both. Ozark accounted for 26.3 percent of boardings at STL in 1985, while TWA accounted for 56.6 percent. On , the two airlines announced plans to merge: TWA would buy Ozark for million in cash (equivalent to million in ). Shareholders of both airlines approved the merger by late summer, and the United States Department of Transportation gave its approval on
Ozark ceased to exist as an independent company on The Ozark DC 9s were gradually painted with a modified paint scheme with "TWA" in the tail. Over the next couple of years, the fifty Ozark airplanes were repainted in the TWA livery. On , TWA was merged into American Airlines.

In 1998, rights to the airline's name were purchased by William E. Stricker of Columbia, Missouri. The reformed Ozark Air Lines received its operating certificate on , and began service 10 days later, from Columbia Regional Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Chicago Midway Airport, using two Fairchild Dornier 328JET aircraft. Later in 2000, service was added to Joplin Regional Airport in Joplin, Missouri, as a stop between Columbia and Dallas/Fort Worth. In early 2001, Ozark operated to the Taos Regional Airport serving Taos, New Mexico, from Dallas/Fort Worth on two days per week during the winter ski season. A year later, the company ceased operations and sold its assets to the now bankrupt Great Plains Airlines, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

From the 1960s through the late 1980s, Ozark Air Lines' reservations department used a special toll free WX telephone prefix in New Jersey which could be reached only in certain areas of the state by dialing 0 and asking the New Jersey Bell operator to connect to Ozark's WX number: WX 8300. The number could not be dialed directly by the customer and was only available to certain telephone exchanges where WX was available. (Direct dial toll free service made WX numbers obsolete, and they have been largely phased out.)

In the late 1960s, comedian George Carlin appeared in Ozark advertising.

On , Ozark Air Lines Flight 965, a Douglas DC 9 15, collided in midair with a Cessna 150F while both aircraft were on approach to runway 17 at Lambert–St. Louis Municipal Airport (Lambert Field), St. Louis, Missouri. The Cessna was demolished by the collision and ground impact, and both of its occupants were killed. The DC 9 sustained light damage and was able to land safely; none of its 44 passengers or five crewmembers were injured. On , Ozark Air Lines Flight 982 crashed shortly after takeoff from Sioux Gateway Airport. 35 of the flight's 62 passengers and 4 crew members were taken to area hospitals, mostly for treatment of minor cuts and scratches. It was the "first crash of any significance for the airline." The million DC 9 aircraft (equivalent to million in ) was a total loss. On , Ozark Air Lines Flight 809, a Fairchild Hiller FH 227B, crashed while on approach to Lambert–St. Louis International Airport. Of the 45 passengers and crew on board, only seven survived. Microburst induced windshear and the captain's decision to land in a thunderstorm were cited as the cause. On , Ozark Air Lines Flight 650, a McDonnell Douglas DC 9 31, struck a snow plow while landing at Sioux Falls Regional Airport. The driver of the snow plow was killed and two flight attendants suffered minor injuries. No passengers were injured.