The US Government Just Killed Two Zombie Airlines Everyone Thought Died Years Ago
- Long after they had ceased to exist, Continental Airlines and US Airways were still officially allowed to fly. Now, after 13 years, the Department of Transportation has finally grounded them.
The US government has just killed off two so-called ‘Zombie airlines’ that have been haunting its books for more than a decade, driving a stake through the hearts of Continental Airlines and US Airways and ensuring they are finally grounded for good.
At their height, Continental and US Airways were two of the most well-known airlines in the United States, but that all began to change in the merger-mad 2000s during a period of rapid consolidation in the aviation industry.
Continental Airlines merged with United Airlines in 2010, and the brand disappeared for good from departure boards just two years later. Meanwhile, US Airways merged with American Airlines in 2013. The airline operated its final flight from Phoenix to Philadelphia just 22 months later.
But despite the fact that it’s been more than 13 years since anyone could actually buy a ticket to fly Continental Airlines, and 10 years for US Airways, both carriers still had licenses to operate domestic and international flights.
That was, however, until earlier this month, when the Department of Transportation (DOT) finally got around to doing some very overdue cleanup work of its records.
Until now, the two Zombie airlines, or at least their legal entities, had two dormant certificates sitting untouched. One was an interstate certificate for domestic flights, and the second was a foreign certificate for international flights.
In September, the DOT finally revoked the interstate certificates for both Zombie airlines, and a few days ago, the foreign certificates were finally revoked.
The question, of course, is why now? Well, it simply appears that the DOT is cleaning house… who said the federal government wasn’t efficient?
Thankfully for fans of Continental Airlines, parts of the airline are still very much alive. When the carrier merged with United, there was a tussle over which brand would take the ‘lead’, and while United obviously won the battle over which name the airline would take, Continental’s iconic ‘Globe’ icon replaced United’s decades-old Tulip design.
As for US Airways, well, there’s nothing left at all now, except for artifacts like the aircraft from the 2009 ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ incident in which Captain Sully Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles miraculously managed to land a US Airways Airbus A320 on the Hudson River after a bird strike took out both engines shortly after landing.
The original aircraft remains on display at the Sullenberger Aviation Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the remarkable story is told as part of an immersive experience.
