TranStar Airlines
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TranStar Airlines was a domestic U.S. carrier based in Houston, Texas from 1981 to 1987.
[edit] History
The company was first established as a commuter carrier called Muse Air, named for its founder and one time president of Southwest Airlines, Marion Lamar Muse. It began service between Dallas and Houston in 1982 with two Douglas DC-9 aircraft. An air traffic controller's strike almost immediately made things difficult for the company, and Muse stepped down as CEO to let his son Michael take over the company. By the end of 1984 the company was still struggling, and actively looking for a merger to keep it afloat. At the end of the year, Harold C. Simmons, president of the Amalgamated Sugar Company offered the airline the money to continue, on the condition that Michael Muse resign, and that his father return as CEO. Despite the new influx of cash and Lamar Muse in charge again, the company was not able to generate a consistent profit despite its use of non-union labor and competitive fares.
In 1985, Southwest Airlines bought out Muse Air, making it a subsidiary company, and renaming it to TranStar Airlines. Lamar Muse was removed from having any active role in management, and the company was restructured. With the addition of MD-80 aircraft, its routes changed to service flights from California to Florida, and they were restricted from carrying mail, air freight, and any interline passengers traveling partly on other airlines. At its peak, TranStar employed some 900 people and served 14 cities, but by 1987 the company was still not making a profit, and operations were ceased.
[edit] References
- Muse Air from the Handbook of Texas Online
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