Parent company Scheerer Air, Inc. Ceased operations 1981 | Founded 13 June 1980 Fleet size 3 | |
Hubs Palm Beach International Airport Destinations Gainesville, FL, Tallahassee, FL, Jacksonville, FL, Freeport, Bahamas Key people Rudolph P. Scheerer, M.D. Headquarters West Palm Beach, Florida, United States Hub Palm Beach International Airport | ||
Florida Commuter Airlines was a small U.S. regional airline based out of Palm Beach International Airport that evolved directly from Roberson Air, Inc. which did business as Red Baron Airlines. This happened when Dr. Rudolph P. Scheerer bought out Dr. Clive E. Roberson for a 100% stake in the airline on June 13, 1980. The management structure remained the same except for Dr. Clive E. Roberson. On July 24, 1980, Florida Commuter Airlines received its carrier operating certificate as a commuter and charter operator. It was certified to fly 2 DC-3's and a Piper PA-31 Navajo. On September 9, 1980, and interline agreement was signed with Air Florida. An interline and a bilateral agreement was also signed with Eastern Airlines.
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Route
The airline offered weekday flights starting in the morning from West Palm Beach, FL and stopping in Gainesville, FL before continuing to Tallahassee, FL and then Jacksonville, FL. In the afternoon the route was the reverse. Finally in the late afternoon the flight path was West Palm Beach, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and the reverse for the evening. On Saturday and Sunday Jacksonville was not a destination.
The airline later became Southern Airlines in 1981 shortly after the Florida Commuter Airlines crash of a Douglas DC-3 in the Bahamas on September 12, 1980.