Short Brothers in Northern Island developed the chunky twin-engine, twin-tailed SC.7 Skyvan in 1962 and its bigger, more familiar model 330 in 1974. This 30-passsenger model was inexpensive to acquire and maintain, featuring a large unpressurized cabin capable of handling palletized cargo – which also made it tall enough (6-foot, 6-inch clearance) for passengers and crew to walk through unimpeded. In contrast to more common commuter aircraft of the time, such as the Beech C-99 or Swearingen Metro, the Shorts 330 was a true “widebody” – and found some success with the USA’s growing regional carriers in the later 1970s. While slow, its economy and capacity was excellent for short-range shuttle operations.
With US Deregulation unleashing commuter carriers’ expansion, Short Bros. saw the opportunity to upgrade the 330, and announced its model 360 in mid 1980 – introducing a 3-foot stretch to allow seating for 36 passengers, longer wings, more luggage capacity, and a conventional vertical tail. First flight was in August 1982, with Suburban Airlines putting it into service in November 1982. 165 units were produced before production ended in 1991.
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Simmons
Republic’s gradual draw-down of regional flying in 1982 from Chicago and Detroit to Upper Michigan left a capacity void that Simmons’ small Embraer Bandierantes were unable to address; the distance covered and awkward time zone boundaries involved made simply adding extra flights impractical. Simmons ordered the Shorts 360 for its higher seating capacity and put its first ship into service on December 15, 1982, ultimately bringing 35 frames into their operation by the time they were acquired by American Airlines in 1988.
Simmons placed small “Republic Express” titles near the boarding door, rather than painting its aircraft into Republic colors. During the Northwest Airlink years, some ships were painted in the NWA scheme and routed through Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul – trying to avoid Chicago where American was not too keen to see the Red Tail at its gates!
Fischer Brothers Aviation
FBA acquired a pair of Shorts 330s and one Shorts 360 during its early-1980s arrangement with USAir as an Allegheny Commuter carrier. By the time FBA became an Airlink in 1985, the 330s had been disposed of, and the 360 served briefly with NW flight codes. By mid-1985, the FBA fleet consisted of CASA 212s and Dornier 228s.
Pacific Island Aviation
Originally formed in 1987 as a general aviation enterprise, this Saipan-based company began commuter operations in early 1992 on the triangle route linking Guam with Rota and Saipan in the Northern Marianas. They operated as a Continental partner from 1992-1995, but when CO’s Micronesia operation pulled out of Rota, they began codesharing with Northwest, and eventually became a full Airlink in February 1998. While briefly adding service to the island of Tinian, the collapse of Japanese tourism to the Marianas dragged all other economic activity in the territory down as well. The resulting lack of traffic caused the carrier to close in February 2005.
PIA operated a total of three Shorts 360s during its Airlink period.
