World Airways announced today, 3 days from their 66th anniversary, that they're shutting down and ceasing all operations.

:(

 

http://www.nycaviation.com/2014/03/breaking-world-airways-immediately-ceasing-operations/

That's a shame.  I've flown on World MD-11's several times across both ponds during my time in the Air Force.  They were also frequent visitors to the flightlines at bases I was at supplementing Air Mobility Command missions.  Evergreen International pulled the plug a few months ago and now this.

 

They'll still live on through my signature block and in FSX :smile:

Sorry to hear about this.  I have fond memories of seeing a World Airways MD-11 or 747 passing over my house from McGuire Air Force Base.   They have to level off at about 8000 feet just minutes from takeoff on the KWRI SID to avoid conflicting with departing traffic from my "homebase", KPHL.  Also enjoyed seeing them in FSX, I will miss compiling their AI flightplans.  

 

From the brief reading I have conducted, it looks like the drawdown in military spending, and the lack of commercial traffic to replace the missing revenue stream, has played a part in this.   Also, the gulf carriers (Emirates, Etihad) are providing plenty of competition for cargo operations, as these carriers are a new found force of reckoning for some mainline passenger carriers like Qantas and Asian carriers in carrying passengers from the U.S. to the Eurasia region.

 

Such a storied name in air cargo history, I fear there will be more bankruptcies down the road for the U.S. cargo operators.