Rich International Airways

  1969 to July 1997

  United States of America

TYPE: Cargo and passenger charter airline

IATA/ICAO CODES: JN / RIA

HEADQUARTERS: Miami, FL

FORMER NAME: nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: nil

Rich International Airways was founded by aviation pioneer Jean Rich, one of the few women in the US to own and operate an airline. All-cargo operations started in 1969 with Commandos and Beech 18s, mainly to the Caribbean. Capacity increased steadily, and Douglas DC6 & DC8 were later added to the fleet.

In 1982, the carrier was granted permission to fly passenger charters to Europe and Hawaii. However, losses from the expansion forced the company to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1983. This was followed by scrutiny from the Federal Aviation Administration, which eventually led to the AOC revocation due to maintenance irregularities in the spring of 1984. The FAA agreed to return the operating certificate with the a change in management personnel. George E. Batchelor invested in the company, and by 1991, Rich had successfully exited bankruptcy protection. This period of prosperity was accompanied by more expansion, including the introduction of Lockheed L1011 TriStars for flights to Europe. By 1996, Rich was operating scheduled passenger service with the L1011 twice a week between Anchorage, AK and Honolulu, HI.

Rich was grounded again by the FAA in 1996 due to maintenance irregularities. Operations ceased on 1 September 1996, and the company eventually declared bankruptcy in February 1997 with all its assets auctionned the following July.

December 1970* to September 1984*

Rich operated 7 Commandos in cargo configuration.

• Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando: N5134B / N137R / N74173 (II)
• Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando: N77CC, N273R, N1874C, N5370N, N74173 (I)
• Curtiss R5C-1 Commando: N7768B