| Airline: | Red Way |
| Hubs: | Lincoln Airport |
| Headquarters: | Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Key People: | Nickolas Wangler |
Red Way was an American virtual airline headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, with its hub at Lincoln Airport. The airline's first flight occurred on June 8, 2023, with its flights operated by Global Crossing Airlines through a public charter agreement. Red Way ceased operations on August 31, 2023.
In March 2023, Red Way was announced as a new airline serving seven domestic destinations from Lincoln, Nebraska, consisting of Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Nashville, and Orlando, with plans to begin operations from Lincoln Airport in June 2023.[1] The airline commenced operations on June 8, 2023, operating as a virtual airline by selling seats on aircraft owned and operated by Global Crossing Airlines under the banner of GlobalX Air Tours, as Red Way lacked its own air operator's certificate. The establishment of the airline was enabled by a $3 million fund from the American Rescue Plan Act provided via the City of Lincoln, which significantly reduced start-up costs.
Red Way originally planned to fly mostly seasonal routes but changed its schedule to twice-weekly flights to each destination, with increased service on some routes from September 2023, before extending its schedule through November 2023, citing strong demand.[2] Despite this, the airline announced on August 23, 2023, that it would cease operations at the end of that month, with the last flight occurring on August 31, 2023. The airline cited costs and lack of resources as the reason for ceasing operations.[3] The airline operated for less than 3 months.
Red Way is now under investigation by the Nebraska State Auditor's Office due to use of ARPA funds from the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County, Nebraska.[4]
Red Way flew from Lincoln Airport to several destinations within the United States:[5] [6]
| State | City | Airport | Start date | End date | Notes | class=unsortable | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | Orlando | Orlando International Airport | June 8, 2023 | August 31, 2023 | |||
| Georgia | Atlanta | Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport | June 16, 2023 | ||||
| Minnesota | Minneapolis/Saint Paul | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport | June 16, 2023 | [7] | |||
| Nebraska | Lincoln | Lincoln Airport | June 8, 2023 | August 31, 2023 | |||
| Nevada | Las Vegas | Harry Reid International Airport | June 8, 2023 | August 31, 2023 | |||
| Tennessee | Nashville | Nashville International Airport | June 24, 2023 | August 30, 2023 | |||
| Texas | Austin | Austin–Bergstrom International Airport | June 24, 2023 | ||||
| Dallas/Fort Worth | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport | June 16, 2023 | August 28, 2023 | ||||
Red Way did not own its aircraft, instead, it chartered its flights through Global Crossing Airlines, which operates a mix of Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft.
Red Way operated a business model used by other low-cost carriers, with lower fares while additional services such as baggage allowances or in-flight catering were offered at an additional cost.