Private Jet Expeditions

Private Jet Expeditions was a United States charter airline which also operated scheduled passenger service that was part of the OASIS Group from Spain.

Private Jet Expeditions

Private Jet Expeditions logo
IATA ICAO Call sign 5J PJE Pee Jay
Commenced operations	1989; 36 years ago (1989)
Ceased operations	March 1995; 30 years ago (1995-03)
Hubs	Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Fleet size	See Fleet below
Parent company	OASIS Group
Headquarters	Wichita, Kansas, then Atlanta, Georgia
Key people	Jack P. DeBoer

History

Private Jet Expeditions was founded in 1989 by Wichita, Kansas entrepreneur Jack P. DeBoer and began operations with a former Trans World Airlines (TWA) Boeing 727 aircraft to tourist destinations around the world operating under FAR Part 121. After Deboer sold the company its headquarters was moved to Atlanta, GA and was later owned by Apple Vacations and then by the Spanish consortium OASIS. When Oasis took over, the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 was put into service and service was expanded, including scheduled passenger flights. In 1993 it had a scheduled route from Chicago to Atlanta and on to Miami. According to the September 15, 1994 edition of the Official Airline Guide (OAG), the air carrier was operating McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 and MD-80 jetliners as National Airlines with the same "5J" airline code used by Private Jet Expeditions.^[1] According to the OAG, routes at this time included Miami - Atlanta - Dallas/Fort Worth - Las Vegas; New York LaGuardia Airport - Atlanta - Dallas/Fort Worth; Miami - Atlanta - New York LaGuardia Airport; and Chicago Midway Airport - Atlanta - St. Thomas - St.Croix. At one point, an MD-80 was leased from French carrier Air Liberté and used by Private Jet to briefly operate a scheduled Chicago Midway Airport - San Francisco route while retaining the full livery of the French carrier.^[2] Because of poor load factors these scheduled routes were abandoned in 1994 and shortly thereafter Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection was sought. The charter operations also did not go well and by March 1995 operations were permanently suspended.^[3]

Destinations in August 1994

According to its August 12, 1994 timetable and route map, Private Jet Expeditions was operating scheduled passenger flights as National Airlines with service to the following destinations:^[4]

• Atlanta, GA - Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport - Hub
• Chicago, IL - Chicago Midway International Airport
• Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
• Dallas, TX/Fort Worth, TX - Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
• Las Vegas, NV - McCarran International Airport
• Miami, FL - Miami International Airport
• New York City, NY - LaGuardia Airport
• St. Croix - Henry E. Rohlsen Airport
• St. Louis, MO - Lambert–St. Louis International Airport
• St. Thomas - Cyril E. King Airport
• Washington, D.C./Dulles, VA - Washington Dulles International Airport

Fleet

A Private Jet Expeditions McDonnell Douglas MD-83 in 1993

Private Jet Expeditions historical fleet

Aircraft	Total	Introduced	Retired	Remark
Boeing 727-100	1	1989	1991	N727PJ[5]
Boeing 727-200	3	1992	1994	[6]
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51	2	1994	1994	N919PJ, N920PJ[citation needed]
McDonnell Douglas MD-82	1	1993	1994	N500TR[7]
McDonnell Douglas MD-83	15	1991	1995	[citation needed]
McDonnell Douglas MD-87	1	1992	1994	N497PJ[citation needed]

See also

• List of defunct airlines of the United States