Southern Airways, which added Birmingham flights in July, seeks funds for expansion

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Southern Airways, the small, Memphis-based airline that began Birmingham service in July, is raising funds for an expansion, founder Stan Little said today.

The airline, which was launched in August, is in discussions with venture capitalists in New York, Little said in a prepared statement.

"We need the next round of funding to secure more aircraft, expand our routes, and add the resources we need to do it right," he said.

The airline currently flies four refurbished nine-seat Cessna turboprops and serves five states. Tickets for flights from Birmingham to the Gulf Coast range in price from $129 to $249 each way with flights to Gulf Shores, Destin and Panama City. 

The potential investors have expressed interest in duplicating Southern Airways’ model in the Northeast, serving New York, the Hamptons and Cape Cod, Little said. The airline is pitching the addition of routes connecting Memphis with Southeastern cities that lost nonstop service following the Northwest Airlines, Delta merger, he said.

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