US - based charter airline iAero ceased operations late last week, after the US’s largest solely 737 charter carrier failed to recover from their Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
The airline was founded in 1997 as Swift Air in Greensboro, North Carolina, with a sole Embraer ERJ-135, doing mostly sports and VIP charters. In 2006, they purchased a few 737-400s and sold off their ERJ-135. Their fleet grew, and were brought more into the public view as John McCain used Swift Air for his 2008 presidential campaign.
In May 2019, Swift Air was rebranded as iAero, after it was bought out by iAero Group, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group.
iAero Airways operated charter flights for nationally known fractional aircraft operators, financial institutions, construction and transportation as well as many collegiate athletic departments, professional sports organizations, and major tour operators. It is also a major contractor for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, operating many of the agency’s deportation flights as well as flights transporting detainees between immigration detention facilities within the United States. The airline also provides ACMI services for private owners - Wikipedia
On September 20, 2023, the airline announced that it would be filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. On March 14, 2024, it was announced that Eastern Airlines had bid $71 Million dollars to acquire the carrier’s assets out of bankruptcy. However, on April 1, 2024, President Timothy Rainey announced in a memo to staff members that the airline would cease all operations at the end of the day on April 6, 2024.
Most of their fleet of 737-800s and 737-400s was flown that day to various airplane boneyards across the United States.