Wright

(IATA: WR | ICAO: WRA | CALLSIGN: WRIGHT)

Founded: 1958 in Dayton, Ohio as Wright Aviation.
Headquarters: Columbus, Ohio
Hubs: BNA, CMH, MCI

Wright Airways (originally Wright Aviation and then later Wright Skyways until adopting its current name) began as a regional airline in the Midwestern United States that grew into a small but successful local service carrier. With the advent of airline deregulation in 1978, the company struggled to adapt and nearly ceased operations in 1982 (even began liquidating some of its assets) before a group of investors formed a coalition with employees to save the airline in order to maintain air service to underserved areas of the Midwest and South that were being abandoned by larger carriers amidst the rapid airline consolidation of the times.

The restructured company began to slowly rebuild its network with a focus on quality service and creating a pleasant customer experience. During the 1990s, the carrier was doing quite well and began expanding into new markets, including some international destinations. Unfortunately, the downturn in the industry during the early 2000s forced Wright to cut back a lot of its services and streamline operations. After weathering the difficult first decade of the 21st century, the airline finally regained a strong position in the Midwestern region and retained its market share in the South while also expanding into the Western region.