July 1985
volume 36, number 6
News about Piedmont. The Up Aiid-Coniin^ Airline.
Our next hub-a 'nonhub' in Florida
Our secret is out. Our next
major expansion will be in the
state of Florida where, on Octo
ber 1, we will add 56 daily in
trastate departures and begin
service to five more airports.
But this major expansion
program — dubbed the “Omaha
Project” because so many specu
lated that our next move would be
to develop a Western hub — will
be unlike any we’ve undertaken
before. The hub concept will not
be used for the Florida expansion,
and one aircraft, the F28, has
been singled out to provide the
new service.
“We believe that this will be the
largest network of jet air service
ever initiated between Florida
communities," Bill Howard,
Piedmont's president and chief
executive officer, said at a press
conference held in Tkllahassee,
the state capital, on July 10.
“While there are many flights
today between cities in Florida,”
Howard said, “most jet services
between Florida communities are
so-called ‘tag end’ flights timed to
bring travelers from the North to
two or more cities within the state.
“Our services will be very
different in that we will provide
as many as four daily round-trip
flights between pairs of Florida
cities at conveniently timed
morning, mid-day, afternoon and
evening hours — services that
simply do not exist in most in
stances within Florida today.”
Howard added.
To achieve this, we will devote
part of our fleet of F28s to the
expansion.
Five new Florida destina
tions will be linked to our
system on October 1. These
airports include: Tallahas
see (TLH), Key West (EYW),
Fort Lauderdale (FLL),
Naples (APF), and Gains-
ville (GN'V). Schedules will
be announced in early
August. Piedmont already
serves Miami, Tampa, Day
tona Beach, Jacksonville,
and Orlando.
m
mm
“The F28s have 65 seats and a
low plane-mile cost,” Dick James,
staff vice president-corporate
planning, said.
“These aircraft will allow us
significant strategic advantages
in Florida. Not only will we be
able to provide new service but a
frequency of services these com
munities need.”
A large crowd. In
cluding reporters
from television sta
tions. radio stations,
and newspapers
from around the
state, turned out for
our press conference
in Tallahassee on
July 10. President
Howard (standing
on airstairs) invited
the media aboard
one of our F28s.
flown to Tallahassee
for the special an
nouncement. The
group later took a
short flight on our
aircraft.
Planning for the “Omaha
Project” began over a year ago.
“Our employees have been
especially helpful,” James said.
"Agents in both reservations and
Continued page 4
Cyrella Pettis Peeler (far left), an
agent at our reservations office at
Reston, receives a word of con
gratulations from First Ixidy Nancy
Reagan. The Pettis family — Cyrus
and Sara Pettis and their seven
children including Cyrella — were
honored June 19 at the White
House along with nine other fami
lies from across the nation as one
of the best families in the country.
Mrs. Reagan, honorary chair
person of the Great American
Family Awards Program, present
ed plaques to the families. The
Pettis family, from Fort Lauder
dale. was chosen because of the
members' many achievements and
their contributions to the commu-
n i ty over the years.
Mr. and Mrs. Pettis still reside In
Fort Lauderdale. Their children
have settled In cities across the
United States.