Smokers Express is the strange but true story of two men, three jets, and an airline dream that went up in smoke.
Many gimmick airlines were proposed in the late 20th century, but Smokers Express sought to bypass regulations recently imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the early 1990s.
Its two founders had many innovative ideas for the airline outside of smoking, and thousands of passengers were reportedly on board. However, the airline fell short of its financial goals and never got past the planning phase.
‘Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fliers’
In 1990, the FAA banned smoking on all U.S. commercial flights, citing safety concerns and the health risks of secondhand smoke. While the move was made to protect passengers and crew, it sparked backlash from some smokers, who felt the ban unfairly targeted them.
Two businessmen from Cocoa Beach, Florida, decided to capitalize on this ruling by proposing an airline that openly encourages smoking. Former Disney executive George ‘Mickey’ Richardson and businessman William Watts came up with Smokers Express in 1993.
The founders planned to bypass the FAA’s restrictions by simply labeling the company a ‘private club’ instead of a public airline. The carrier would be exempt from the FAA’s regulations as a private entity.
Smokers Express mailed swaths of flyers to residents of Florida to raise awareness of the airline. These flyers guaranteed up to 25 interesting perks for members, some of which were as follows:
- Free cigarettes
- Free burgers and subs
- Free newspapers
- Free lottery tickets
- ‘No screaming babies’ – All flights were only for people 21 and up
- Many discounts on hotel reservations, rental cars, vacation packages, cruises, and tours
According to the flyer, a ‘Smokers Express Vacation’ and an accompanying magazine were also in the works.
Customers had to mail in $25—cash, check, or credit card—to become members. But there was a twist: one could also earn membership by mailing in a gallon-sized bottle of Jack Daniel’s or Dewar’s.
The gimmicks didn’t end there, however. In an interview with Florida Today, Richardson also expressed interest in placing ads on the sides of their planes, similar to those on racing cars.
Smokers Express’s Efforts End Up a Little ‘Blunt’
Smokers Express reportedly sold around 5,000 to 6,000 memberships. According to Richardson, two-thirds of the memberships were for women. Apparently, this wasn’t enough money to start the airline, despite the airline securing three Douglas DC-9 aircraft.
An initial list of flight offerings focused on gamblers and included flights from Orlando, FL (MCO) to Las Vegas (LAS) via Dallas, TX (DFW). Another flight would operate between Orlando, FL (MCO), and Atlantic City, NJ (ACY), via Atlanta (ATL). Additional proposed destinations included Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Baltimore, New Orleans, Chicago, Denver, and Detroit.
The airline’s proposed base was Space Coast Regional Airport (TIX), near Titusville, Florida.
Smokers Express scheduled its first flight for 25 September 1993 from Florida to Washington, D.C. The occasion? To protest President Clinton’s proposed tobacco tax hike and join the ‘Smokers’ Rights March at the White House’ event. The flight was rescheduled to 26 January 1994 out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU).
Tickets for this flight cost $345 round-trip. However, not enough tickets were sold, and the flight was later canceled.
Following the canceled flight, communication from Smokers Express was radio silent. In June 1994, Aero Corp Director of Marketing Dan Givens confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel that his company had a verbal agreement to provide maintenance for Smokers Express’ fleet.
Givens also revealed, however, that the airline was unable to secure enough financial support to continue.
‘I believe they found out it’s not as easy to start an airline as people might think,’ Givens said.
Around the same time, Freedom Air started the ‘Freedom Air Smoker Club,’ offering charter flights for tobacco lovers. This program also fizzled out shortly after due to a lack of interest.
