MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AIRLINES

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AIRLINES

timetable dated December 1, 1984

Mississippi Valley Airlines and myself wish you a Happy December to you and your loved ones.

MVA timetable dated December 1, 1984 from www.departedflight.com

MVA was founded as Gateway Aviation in the late sixties, in La crosse. Operations began on July 22, 1968 with a fleet of DHC twin otters linking la Crosse with Chicago and Milwaukee. The company changed irs name to Mississippi Valley Airways in October 1969
By 1973 , Mississippi Valley Airlines as the company would  be known until its merger with Air Wisconsin in 1985,  expanded its operations to include Minneapolis-St Paul, Dubuque, Winona, Prairie du Chien, as evidenced by this map from MVA  timetable dated June 23, 1973. Worth norting in this timetable the different name appearing on the front of the timetable and on its back.

From the collection of Arthur Na

The turbulent early eighties were  not kind to commercial aviation :  the deregulation of 1978 and the subsequent economic crisis had a toll on the operations of many  major and regional airlines . This uncertainty is best reflected in the changes of destinations experience by MVA

In 1980, the company served 15 destinations in upper Midwestern part of the USA : Clinton. Dubuque, Milwaukee, Chicago, Moline, La Crosse,Waterloo, Des Moines, Cedar Rapides,  Kansas City, Burlington. Omaha, Ottumwa , Peoria  and Minneapolis-St Paul.(based on MVA  timetable dated 27/4/1980)

In 1981, Indianapolis is introduced whereas Des Moines stopped being served.

In 1982 the company moves its HQ to Moline and experiences a major restructuring : if Madison is added to the network,  La Crosse,Waterloo, Indianapolis, Ottumwa , Peoria and Clinton are lost (based on MVA  timetable dated 25/4/1982)

1983 will be kinder as Benton Harbor, Rockford, and St Louis will be added to the network but Omaha waves good bye.(based on MVA  timetable dated 24/4/1983)

The timetable dated December 1, 1984 present the following map

MVA NETWORK DECEMBER 1 , 1984 . LENGTH 5026 km

Compared to 1983 , the 1984 Dec 1 timetable shows Rockford, Burlington, and Kansas City are not longer served but on the other hand, MVA adds 6  destinations : La Crosse, Waterloo, Peoria, Champaign, Springfield the state capital and Columbia (Mo).
All flights were operated from O'Hare airport except Chicago-Springfield operated from both O'Hare and Meigs field

The company transports 741,279 passengers in 1984  carried on a fleet of  4 Fokker F27-500, 6SH360  and 5 SH330. 


"MVA Shorts 330 at Minneapolis - 9 Sept 1983" by Eduard Marmet - http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0901451/L/. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.


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