| Airline: | Republic Airlines |
| Iata: | RC |
| Icao: | REP |
| Callsign: | REPUBLIC |
| Founded: | |
| Ceased: | |
| Frequent Flyer: | Perks Program |
| Headquarters: | Fort Snelling, Minnesota, United States |
Republic Airlines was an airline in the United States that operated from 1979 until it merged with Northwest Airlines in 1986. Republic was formed by the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways on July 1, 1979. Their headquarters were at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, in what is now Fort Snelling in unincorporated Hennepin County, Minnesota.[1] [2] The former headquarters is now Delta Air Lines Building C.[3]
Republic Airlines began in 1979 with the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways,[4] the first such merger following the federal Airline Deregulation Act.[5] The new airline's headquarters were at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport where it operated a major hub however their largest hub was at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. A third hub was also operated at Memphis International Airport. Following their buyout of Hughes Airwest in 1980,[6] [7] Republic became the largest airline in the U.S. by number of airports served. New hubs were also acquired at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and at Las Vegas McCarran Internation Airport.
The company operated the world's largest McDonnell Douglas DC-9 fleet, with DC-9-10, DC-9-30 and DC-9-50s and also flew Boeing 727-200, Boeing 757-200, and McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets. In addition, Republic operated Convair 580 turboprops previously flown by North Central.[8]
After the merger, losses mounted and service reductions followed.[9] Saddled with debt from two acquisitions and new aircraft, the airline struggled in the early 1980s,[10] [11] [12] and even introduced a human mascot version of Herman the Duck.[13] [14] They reduced service to Phoenix and Las Vegas, former hubs of Hughes Airwest, citing their inability to compete with non-union airlines there,[15] and eventually dismantled the former extensive route system operated by Hughes Airwest in the western U.S.[16] As a result, this caused the airline’s image to worsen at a sensitive time, and rather than Republic, the airline was becoming known as "Repulsive".[17]
In early 1985 Republic teamed up with Simmons Airlines and Express Airlines I to provide feeder service from dozens of smaller cities to Republic's three main hub airports at Detroit, Memphis, and Minneapolis. The service was known as Republic Express using turboprop aircraft that were painted as Republic Airlines, accommodating from 14 to 34 passengers.[18]
In 1986, Northwest Orient Airlines announced on January 23 that they would buy Republic for $884 million[19] [20] in response to United Airlines' purchase of the Pacific routes of Pan American World Airways and to provide domestic feed.[21] Opposed by the Justice Department,[22] the Northwest-Republic merger was approved by the Transportation Department on July 31[23] [24] and was completed on October 1, with Northwest dropping the word Orient from their name after the merger.[25] Republic's hubs at Minneapolis, Memphis, and Detroit became the backbone of Northwest's domestic network.
Northwest later merged with Delta Air Lines in October 2008; the deal was finalized in January 2010, with Delta as the surviving air carrier. Republic's hubs in Detroit and the Twin Cities have remained intact with Delta; Memphis was dehubbed in 2013.
In October 1984 Republic introduced a new frequent flyer program called the Perks program. The new program eliminated the need to place a frequent flyer account number sticker on each flight ticket coupon, with earned mileage automatically being assigned to accounts if the reservation was booked directly with Republic. Each flight segment earned a minimum of 1,000 miles or the actual mileage, if greater. A domestic round trip reward ticket was automatically issued every 20,000 miles. The new program included a partnership with Pan American World Airways for earning and redeeming mileage awards. In January 1986, Western Airlines was added as a partner. Effective October 1, 1986, the Republic Perks frequent flyer program was merged into Northwest Airlines which adopted the WorldPerks program name, taken from Republic.
According to the Republic Airlines system route map dated March 2, 1986, the airline was serving the following domestic and international destinations shortly before the merger with Northwest Airlines:[26]
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New York
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Washington, D.C. / Virginia
Washington state
Wisconsin
Canada
Cayman Islands
Mexico
The airline had a high safety rating, but incurred a passenger fatality in 1983 when a section of propeller blade entered the cabin of Flight 927 at Brainerd, Minnesota on Sunday, January 9.[31] Arriving from Minneapolis in sleet and snow showers at 7:40 p.m., the Convair 580 skidded off the right edge of the runway and the right propeller struck a snowbank. Three other passengers were injured, one seriously.[32] [33] Following this incident, the airline had a number of close calls in 1983.[12]