Valujet DC-9-30s

Description

Valujet Airlines began life with great promise as a low-cost carrier in 1993. Operating from Atlanta, GA with used DC-9 aircraft, the airline grew rapidly, and achieved profitability faster than any airline in U.S. history. That growth and profit came with a cost. The airline’s maintenance and safety record was terrible, due to a lack of oversight and excessive cost cutting. The situation came to a breaking point with the tragic crash of Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades in May 1996. After getting back into the air, the airline bought Florida-based AirTran Airways and assumed their name to distance themselves from the checkered past associated with the Valujet name. AirTran would eventually be acquired by Southwest Airlines.