Rich International Airways

Rich International Airways was founded as a cargo airline in 1969, flying Curtiss C-46 Commando and Beechcraft Model 18 aircraft to the Caribbean. Capacity was steadily increased with the addition of Douglas DC-6 and Douglas DC-8-60 freighters.

In 1982, the carrier was granted permission to fly passenger charters, and began operations to Europe and Hawaii. However, losses from the expansion forced the company to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1983. This was followed by scrutiny from the Federal Aviation Administration, which revoked the airline's operating license due to maintenance irregularities during the DOT “white glove inspections” directed by the Hon. Elizabeth Dole in the spring of 1984. The FAA agreed to return the operating certificate with the addition of new key personnel, Director of Operations, Chief Pilot, Director of Maintenance and Director of Training.

Following the restart and new operating approvals, Miami-based George E. Batchelor invested in the company, and by 1991, Rich had successfully exited bankruptcy protection. This period of prosperity was accompanied by more expansion, including the introduction of the wide-body Lockheed L-1011 TriStar for flights to Europe.

In the wake of the crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in the Everglades, much media attention was given to the FAA's poor oversight of the ValuJet's rapid, unsustainable growth and multiple safety violations. The FAA grounded Rich for alleged maintenance irregularities. Operations ceased on September 1, 1996, and though attempts were made to restart flights, the airline was liquidated in July 1997.

The following year, the FAA released findings stating that the grounding of Rich may have been an overreaction, and that minor maintenance issues may have been blown out of proportion in the public hysteria following the ValuJet crash.[3]

A Rich International Airways Lockheed TriStar at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

• Beech 18 "Twin Beech" (quantity unknown)
• Curtis C-46 Commando (quantity unknown)
• 1 - Boeing 727-077
• 2 - Douglas DC-8-55F
• 3 - Douglas DC-8-62F
• 1 - Douglas DC-8-63F
• 15 - Lockheed L-1011-1 Tristar
• 1 - Lockheed L-1011-500 Tristar

• List of defunct airlines of the United States

• Hengi, B.I. (2000). Vergangen, Vergessen, Vorbei [Airlines Remembered: Over 200 Airlines of the Past, Described and Illustrated in Colour]. Neil Lewis, translator. Leicester, England: Midland Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-091-3.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rich International Airways.

• Fleet and Code data
• Airliners.net photos