"It was Piedmont at its most daring, we built a state-wide airline almost overnight."
William R. Howard, CEO Piedmont Airlines
What Was Project Omaha?
- Project Omaha was the confidential codename Piedmont Airlines used in the 1980s to launch an unprecedented intrastate jet shuttle network in Florida. The name had no link to Nebraska. It was deliberately chosen to mislead competitors and conceal Piedmont's real expansion target: FLORIDA. Officially launched on October 1, 1985, Project Omaha quickly grew into one of the largest regional airline systems in U.S. history, using mainline Fokker F-28-1000 and F-28-4000 jets with regional feeder support from Henson Airlines, The Piedmont Regional Airline.
- Omaha, Nebraska had courted Piedmont for hub status in recent years (including renting a large billboard very close to Piedmont's General Office promoting Omaha). Executives chose Project Omaha as a strategic diversion, masking Florida development from competitors and the media. It aligned with Piedmonts tradition of operating in quiet, aggressive bursts to secure market position.
Key Milestones
- Oct 1, 1985: Piedmont launches The Piedmont Shuttle with 68 daily Fokker F-28 jet flights to 10 Florida cities.
- Aug 15, 1986: The airline boards its 1,000,000th Piedmont Shuttle passenger, just 11 months after launch.
- Feb 1, 1987: Henson Airlines begins operating Shuttle Link service with 32 daily turboprop flights to 8 Florida destinations.
- Mar 15, 1987: Henson expands again: 6 more destinations and 25 additional daily flights. Combined Piedmont Shuttle reaches 134 daily intra-Florida flights serving 12 cities.
- 1989: Following Piedmonts merger into USAir, The Piedmont Shuttle is discontinued soon thereafter.
Florida Cities Mainline Jet Service
- MIA | Miami: Service began JUN 15, 1978
- TPA | Tampa: Service began APR 01, 1979
- MCO | Orlando: Service began JAN 07, 1981
- DAB | Daytona Beach: Service began AUG 01, 1981
- JAX | Jacksonville: Service began FEB 01, 1982
- FLL | Fort Lauderdale: Service began OCT 01, 1985
- TLH | Tallahassee: Service began OCT 01, 1985
- GNV | Gainesville: Service began OCT 01, 1985
- APF | Naples: Service began OCT 01, 1985
- EYW | Key West: Service began OCT 01, 1985
- PBI | West Palm Beach: Service began JAN 15, 1986
- PNS | Pensacola: Service began JAN 15, 1986
Shuttle Link Henson Airlines (as of October 10, 1987)
- By late 1987, Henson Airlines, The Piedmont Regional Airline, had grown into a key component of Project Omaha offering turboprop service to smaller Florida markets and the Bahamas.
- Florida Cities: Miami (MIA), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), West Palm Beach (PBI), Naples (APF), Tampa (TPA), Melbourne (MLB), Orlando (MCO), Gainesville (GNV), Jacksonville (JAX), Tallahassee (TLH), Pensacola (PNS).
- Bahamas (via FLL): Treasure Cay, Marsh Harbour, North Eleuthera, Governors Harbour, Rock Sound.
- Aircraft: Shorts 360, Beechcraft 99, Fairchild Metro III
By the Numbers (March 1987 Peak)
- Total Daily Flights: 134 (68 jet, 66 turboprop)
- Cities Served: 12 (jet), 14+ total (w/ Shuttle Link)
- Aircraft Used: Fokker F-28, Shorts 360, Beech 99
- Passengers (1st year): Over 1,000,000
- Duration: 1985-1989
The Legacy
- Project Omaha was a bold regional innovation - an uncommon example of jet shuttle service operating entirely within a single U.S. state. It demonstrated the viability of high-frequency, short-haul jet operations, advanced the concept of regional feeder networks, and helped shape the evolution of hub-and-spoke strategies. The rapid success of The Piedmont Shuttle underscored Piedmont's ambition, strategic secrecy, and exceptional operational discipline.
