In a further consolidation of the US nine-seater commuter airline market, Southern Airways Express owner Southern Airways Corporation is acquiring Missouri commuter airline Air Choice One (St. Louis Lambert International), effective March 31, 2022, the companies announced.
The airlines will continue to trade as separate entities under their own brands but will work closely together to develop new market strategies for future success, they said in a statement.
Jointly, they will accelerate their growth and compete more aggressively within the Essential Air Service Programme (EAS) and on cargo operations.
Southern Airways Express Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stan Little told ch-aviation that Southern intends to retire Air Choice One's fleet of two Beech 1900Cs this year and use its fleet of seven Cessna (single turboprop) 208B Caravans to bolster its current schedule and expand to additional cities.
"Southern's acquisition of Air Choice One ensures not only that we will remain America's fastest-growing commuter airline, but that we will have sufficient capacity to satisfy the increasing demand for service to the country's underserved cities. As many other airlines are cutting schedules and destinations due to the ongoing pilot shortage, Southern has onboarded nearly 300 new pilots in the past 18 months. Growing our fleet to nearly 50 aircraft gives us the planes we need to keep these crews flying," he said. Southern Airways Express operates a fleet comprising Cessna 208 Caravans, S340Bs, and Beech (twin turboprop) Super King 200s. It has 20 electric Regent Craft (North Kingstown) Seagliders on order.
Little had disclosed to ch-aviation in January that the company was in expansion mode and had been eyeing "at least one more acquisition in the nine-seater airline sector".
Air Choice One is Southern Airways Express's fifth acquisition since its launch in 2013, the others being Executive Express Aviation (sold to FLOAT Shuttle in 2019), Sun Air Express, Mokulele Airlines, and Makani Kai Air. Little predicted that Southern Airways Express and Cape Air (9K, Hyannis) would emerge as the two main players in the nine-seater market following consolidation in the US regional/commuter airline market.
The ownership change means major growth for Multi-Aero, Inc. d/b/a Air Choice One, said Air Choice One Chief Executive Officer Shane Storz. “Operating within a company as large as Southern Airways Corporation is going to be a great opportunity in multiple ways for all of us,” he said.
Multi-Aero Inc. will also join Southern Airways Express’s pilot cadet programme, operated in partnership with SkyWest Airlines (OO, St. George Municipal).
