Universal Airlines (United States)



Universal Airlines was a United States supplemental air carrier that operated from 1966 to 1972, based initially at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan and later at Oakland International Airport in California. "Supplemental" was the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) term for a charter airline, the CAB being the Federal agency that tightly regulated US carriers at the time.

A Houston-based commuter air carrier also used the Universal name during the late 1970s operating scheduled passenger service in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

History
The Matthews family bought Zantop Air Transport and renamed it Universal. The fleet originally comprised C-46, DC-6, DC-7, and Argosy AW650 aircraft to which Lockheed Electras were added. Universal had three businesses: flying parts for auto manufacturers, flying freight for the military and passenger charters.

Lamar Muse was president and part owner of Universal from 1967 to 1969. He went on to become the first President and CEO of Southwest Airlines (1971-1978) and later co-founded his namesake airline Muse Air where he served as Chairman and CEO. Muse resigned from Universal after the owner insisted on ordering 747s. During his tenure, Universal became a public company with an initial public offering in November 1968.

In 1969 Universal took delivery of DC-8 aircraft both standard and stretched versions, and leased three additional DC-8s over the next three years. It operated a number of military contract flights. During its heyday in 1969, Universal Airlines looked into the plausibility of obtaining the Lockheed L-500 (Civilian C-5) to carry passengers and their vehicles from coast to coast. A scale model of that concept was displayed in the hangar two lobby.

In 1970, Universal announced it was moving to Oakland, at that time a center of the US charter business, home to World Airways, Trans International Airlines and Saturn Airways. In May 1971, Universal purchased American Flyers Airline. But in May 1972, Universal ceased operations and went bankrupt. Trans International took over its passenger contracts while Saturn took over some of the cargo contracts, including absorbing nine Universal Electras in its fleet.

Fleet
The Universal Airlines fleet consisted of the following aircraft:


 * 9 - Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy
 * 1 - Boeing 727-100
 * 49 - Curtiss C-46 Commando
 * 6 - Douglas C-47 Skytrain
 * 4 - Douglas DC-3
 * 7 - Douglas DC-4
 * 7 - Douglas DC-6
 * 21 - Douglas DC-7
 * 2 - Douglas DC-8-55
 * 5 - Douglas DC-8-61CF
 * 2 - Douglas DC-8-63CF
 * 2 - Learjet 23
 * 13 - Lockheed L-188 Electra