Republic's turnaround in the mid 1980s came from its "Heartland Strategy" of focusing on the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Detroit hubs with comprehensive service to parts of the country that competitors' Chicago and Atlanta operations had trouble covering well. Retrenchment freed up aircraft that were used to build needed capacity on core routes out of the three hubs, but the other part of the strategy was to field "Republic Express" to provide reliable, frequent service under the RC banner to the midsize and small stations across the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and Deep South. Express Airways I was contracted to build up service at Memphis with BAe Jetstreams - and saw immediate success, so much so that Saab 340s were ordered to add seats. The Express I operation expanded to MSP, while Simmons Airways was contracted to cover DTW. The Saab 340 eventually became the default equipment for Express and then Airlink service - offering comfortable cabins with mainline space, ample baggage storage, and sturdy mechanical systems. The Saab faithfully served all the way into the 2000s with Delta colors. We present it here in its first color scheme, the "Mary Tyler Moore" grey and maroon stripes of Republic.
The desk mat itself is made of 4mm thick neoprene material with an anti-slip backing and a hemmed edge for durability and stability. It's easy to spot-clean with a bit of detergent and hot water after any inadvertent spills. We are offering it in two different sizes. This print-on-demand item will be sent directly from the production facility in the USA to you - and your purchases help the NWAHC continue to tell the stories of our great family of airlines!