Transmeridian Shuts Down

dfw79

Senior
Aug 20, 2002
308
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TransMeridian Airlines (TMA) will be ceasing operations effective tomorrow, Sept 30th. News reports coming over local media in TOL, and agents have been notified. TOL is also a mx base that is being cleaned out tonight as well.

Their scheduled charter experiment has come to end...what a shame.
 
Does anyone know if TMA will still operate the tract charters this winter season or have they completely kicked the bucket?
 
Looks like they've completely kicked the bucket. The company is filing for Ch. 7 bankruptcy protection (liquidation). Here's the website....(for as long as it's up.)

TMA website
 
And another non-sched bites the dust due to piss poor management and trying to go sched..

The management team took them down the same path as Private Jet and Leisure to name a few.

I worked for TMA when they first got started....helped get the 727 program up and running..

It's too bad, there are still a lot of good people there....good luck to all of them.
 
News Release

TransMeridian Airlines Shuts down All Operations and will File for Protection Under Section 7 of the US Bankruptcy Code

Lithia Springs , GA. , September 29, 2005 - Today TransMeridian Airlines announced the shut down of all flight operations effective immediately. The Atlanta based supplemental carrier was unsuccessful in negotiations to restructure its debt.

All flight operations have been terminated. Passengers who purchased tickets on cancelled flights should contact their travel agent or credit card company.

Since its founding in 1995, TransMeridian has carried more than a million passengers to more than 150 destinations within the United States , Mexico , South America and the Caribbean . The management of TransMeridian would like to thank all of its customers for their patronage and continued support over the years.

The airline is now working on efforts to assist employees affected by the shutdown. Airline officials expressed their sincere gratitude to their hundreds of dedicated workers who served the charter airline.

Passengers seeking more information can contact the company by email at [email protected]

Frank Fraboni

Communications Director

TransMeridian Airlines



USA TODAY story
 
I remember seeing them at ABE at least several times a day during the weeks and they had packed houses bound for FLA. I wish all the affected employees well during their difficult time
 
Musta been the high labor costs that killed 'em. It's always labor, isn't it? Why didn't they give back more? Couldn't they have asked for a minimum wage exemption?

It steams me that airlines with a billion in cash like NW can blame labor costs on their need to file bankruptcy. TMA's shutdown proves that low costs are not the only answer.
 
luvn737s,

I aggree that major airlines blaming labor isn't the answer, but comparing TMA's cost structure to NW or any other scheduled airline is like comparing apples and oranges.

Non-scheds are completely different animals to a scheduled airline. Your only as good as your last contract. (and I don't mean union contract)

TMA could have 10 seasonal 757's with Apple Vacations one year and none the next. It's very dynamic.

Pure and simple, TMA's demise can be blamed on poor management.
 
Look at the recent scheduled carrier liquidations - National, Kiwi, Pro Air, Legend, Great Plains, Air South, none of them could be accused of being a slot machine. And they were operating when gas was cheap - er. High labor costs are not the sole cause of any airlines demise (or threatened demise). They are the just the most convenient to squeeze and attract the biggest audience.
 
That explains why one of their 757's has been sitting in the exact same place for 2 weeks at ORD.

I wonder who is next?