Here's the official statement from Mike Conway on the demise of three year=20
old National Airlines: =20
LAS VEGAS, NV (NOV 6) - National Airlines announced that it will cease=20
operations, effective November 6, 2002. The cessation of operations was=20
necessitated after the carrier was unable to complete a previously announced=
=20
agreement to the satisfaction of its senior management, Board of Directors,=20
aircraft lessors and other key creditors.Customers with tickets on National=20
Airlines that were purchased with MasterCard or VISA credit cards may apply=20
for a refund through their credit card company. Customers using other credi=
t=20
cards must inquire at their respective credit card companies about refunds.=20=
=20
Customers holding tickets for future National Airlines=E2=80=99 flights shou=
ld be=20
able to fly on other carriers based on those respective carriers=E2=80=99 ac=
ceptance=20
program as outlined by Section 145 of the Aviation and Transportation=20
Security Act. Use of National Airlines tickets on other carriers may affect=
=20
customers=E2=80=99 refund requests with their respective credit card compani=
es. =20
Refunds for tickets from National Airlines will not be available. =20=
=20
Michael J. Conway, president and CEO, said, =E2=80=9CThis is a very sad day=20=
for the=20
1,500 employees of National Airlines, the City of Las Vegas and Southern=20
Nevada, as well as the traveling public who now have one less choice to meet=
=20
their travel needs.=E2=80=9D He added, =E2=80=9CWe exhausted every possible=
viable=20
alternative in seeking funding to maintain our ability to fly and serve=20
hundreds of thousands of people each month. Unfortunately, we could not=20
obtain the support necessary and were forced to make the very difficult=20
decision to cease operations. =E2=80=9CWe were very close to comp=
leting a=20
successful reorganization on a few different occasions, only to have=20
additional obstacles confront us at the last minute. We were able to meet=20
all these challenges successfully, until now.=E2=80=9CI truly hope that othe=
r=20
carriers pick up the service vacuum and still maintain the low fare=20
competition that National brought into every city we served.=E2=80=9D =20=
=E2=80=9C
Despite our unfortunate decision to cease operations, I am very proud of wha=
t=20
we were able to accomplish at National Airlines, and extend my heartfelt=20
thanks to all of National=E2=80=99s employees, who responded so admirably to=
every=20
new challenge.=E2=80=9CI would also like to thank the more than 7 million pa=
ssengers=20
that have flown on National over the past three years,=E2=80=9D Conway concl=
uded.
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