New ownership brought major changes for the carrier; not least
a rebranding as AirCal and a striking new colour scheme designed
to portray the warmth and colours of a California sunrise. Aircraft
interiors and exteriors, flight attendant uniforms and ticket
counters were also updated to reflect the new theme.
The AirCal name was officially launched on April 1, 1981
and a month later the first MD-80 took to the skies to increase
capacity from Orange County and the San Francisco Bay area
airports. New out of state destinations soon followed with
Seattle and Phoenix added to the AirCal route map.
With the introduction of the MD-80, AirCal offered a pass
programme for various cities on its route system. Discounted
passes valid for a year could be purchased for flights to San Jose
and Oakland from Burbank for $9.80 one way and $19.60 for
the round trip (limited to four a year). After initial success, San
Francisco was also added to the pass programme.
Passengers kept flying with bookings up by more than 15%
over the previous year, leading the carrier to lease two additional
737s from Aer Lingus and Aloha Airlines.
However, a year later in 1982, AirCal was suffering growing
pains caused by its rapid rise and growth. It therefore terminated
services out of Phoenix, Las Vegas, Fresno and Monterey and
the 737 fleet was reduced by four airframes. A strong campaign
to streamline management, adjust its route structure and begin
aggressive marketing and advertising was implemented but
AirCal ended 1982 with its first financial loss in ten years.A New Sunrise
AirCal went back to its roots in 1983 and revamped its
route system to focus on the lucrative Southern California
to San Francisco Bay area market, which put it head to
head with the major carriers particularly on the Los
Angeles to San Francisco route.
The MD-80 became an AirCal workhorseand re-entered the Lake Tahoe market when the airport’s jet ban
was lifted. The year would mark a turnaround for the carrier,
which was now flying seven MD-80s and 14 Boeing 737s with
over 200 flights taking place each day between 13 cities.
Nonetheless, AirCal forged ahead with growth management
and began looking at its future fleet needs. Southern California’s
population was growing and so was demand for noise reduction
around its airports. The beach communities just west of
Orange County Airport were in the departure corridor for the
majority of all take-offs due to the almost constant westerly
winds off the Pacific.
Though relatively new to the fleet, the MD-80 wasn’t as quiet
as competing aircraft and suffered slot restrictions at this very
noise sensitive airport. AirCal was a heavy operator of the
Boeing 737 and had a significant fleet of -200s and two -100s- so when Boeing began offering the quieter CFM56-powered
737-300 AirCal responded with a major commitment.
In June of 1984 the carrier made the decision to buy nine and
lease an additional three new -300s plus acquire eleven options
in a deal valued at US$300 million. The new aircraft were not
just quieter but also more fuel efficient and would eventually
replace the entire fleet of nearly new MD-80s while bringing
fleet commonality with the existing 737 fleet.
O • AirCal
purchased the ultra-
quiet BAE146-200
to directly compete
with PSA at Orange
County Airport. The
BAe 146-200 was
conf igured to seat
85 passengers, f ive
abreast and was
focused on Orange
County services and
thin routes like those
to Burbank. Shown
between f lights is BAe
14 6 -20 0 N141AC.Boeing 737-297
N73711, leased by
AirCal in 1981 from
Aloha Airlines, is
shown at Orange
County in the Aloha
colour scheme with
AirCal titles. The
aircraft was returned
to Aloha and suffered
a structural in-f light
failure in 1988.
64 AIRLINER Classics 2018
64 AIRLINER Classics 2018
“WHEN Boeing began
offering the quieter 737-300
AirCal responded with a major
commitment”