Presidential Airways

Ghost Corp Apparel — resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Founded by former PEOPLExpress executive Harold J. “Hap” Pareti, Presidential Airways began scheduled Boeing 737 service on October 10, 1985, from Washington Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia. Its ambition was suitably oversized: make Dulles a north-south hub and connect the capital region with cities from New England to Florida. The carrier also operated Colgan Airways as a commuter affiliate and acquired charter operator Key Airlines in 1985.

The independent-airline dream met the deregulation-era dogfight quickly. In 1987, Presidential sold its Dulles midfield terminal to Continental Airlines and began flying under a long-term marketing agreement as Continental Express, while remaining a separate corporation. That arrangement ended in early 1988. On February 6, 1988, the airline started connecting service for United Airlines as United Express—another paint scheme, another attempt to keep the wheels turning.

Financial pressure finally won. Presidential filed for Chapter 11 protection on October 26, 1989, and ceased flight operations on December 5, 1989. Our Presidential Airways collection celebrates the brief, bold Dulles challenger: a crisp late-deregulation corporate ghost that tried to fly presidential before the industry handed it a very unpresidential itinerary.