Boston-Maine Airways’ operating certificate has been officially stripped by regulators, after the carrier failed to provide “any evidence” to support its financial ability to continue or expand operations.The Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based airline, which operated under the Pan Am Clipper Connection banner, was given a US DoT warning in February that its certification would be pulled due to lack of adequate finances, managerial competence and regard for the law.
Despite arguments from Boston-Maine that the DoT’s tentative finding applied solely to its ability to conduct operations with large aircraft, the regulator remained unconvinced.
In an immediately effective order formally revoking Boston-Maine’s certificate, the DOT says: “Because [Boston-Maine] has failed to demonstrate its financial fitness to operate, the department maintains that the air carrier is not financially fit to continue to conduct any air transportation regardless of aircraft size.
“The department concludes that [Boston-Maine] is not fit to conduct operations as a US certificated air carrier and denies [the carrier’s] request to maintain its certificate authority to operate small aircraft to facilitate the sale of the company to Maine Aviation.”
The decision closes a lengthy review into Boston-Maine, which became the focus of a DOT office of inspector general investigation in 2005 after submitting false financial documents to the regulator. The airline’s long-standing request to grow its Boeing 727 operation was also suspended.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
Source: Flight International
