Gem State Airlines

Gem State Airlines was a United States airline founded in 1978 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.^[1][2][3][4] It carried passengers for 11 months, from December 1978 to November 1979,^[5][6] and merged in January 1980 with Air Pacific to become Golden Gate Airlines.^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

Gem State Airlines

Convair 580 in 1980
IATA ICAO Call sign GS – –
Founded	1978; 47 years ago (1978)
Ceased operations	1980; 45 years ago (1980)
Focus cities	Boise, Idaho, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Fleet size	9
Destinations	12
Headquarters	Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S.
Key people	Tom Soumas, Jr. Justin S. Colin (1924–2012)

Founded by Thomas D. "Tom" Soumas, Jr. (b. 1953) of Coeur d'Alene,^[12][13] its primary investor was Justin S. Colin (1924–2012), a New York financier.^{[14][15][16][17]}

Idaho's nickname is the Gem State, with origins back to its territorial years.^[18]

Cities served

• Boise, Idaho
• Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
• Idaho Falls, Idaho
• Lewiston, Idaho
• Pocatello, Idaho
• Pullman, Washington (& Moscow, Idaho)
• Reno, Nevada
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Seattle, Washington
• Spokane, Washington
• Sun Valley, Idaho
• Twin Falls, Idaho

Source:^[8][19]

Fleet

Gem State Airlines Swearingen SA-226TC Metro II

Gem State operated the following turboprop aircraft:

• 6 Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
• 3 Convair 580^{[1][10][20][21][22][23]}

See also

• List of defunct airlines of the United States