You will receive the exact certificate pictured
Over 35 years old
Common stock
April 22, 1982
Issued, uncanceled
Security-Columbian/United States Bank Note Company
Machine printed signatures
12" (w) by 8" (h)
NA
Historical Context
Republic Airlines began in 1979 with the merger of North Central Airlines and Southern Airways, the first such merger following the federal Airline Deregulation Act. The new airline's headquarters were at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport where it operated a major hub however their largest hub was at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. A third hub was also operated at Memphis International Airport. Following their buyout of Hughes Airwest in 1980, Republic became the largest airline in the U.S. by number of airports served. New hubs were also acquired at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport.
The company operated the world's largest McDonnell Douglas DC-9 fleet, with DC-9-10, DC-9-30 and DC-9-50s and also flew Boeing 727-200, Boeing 757-200, and McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets. In addition, Republic operated Convair 580 turboprops previously flown by North Central.
After the merger, losses mounted and service reductions followed. Saddled with debt from two acquisitions and new aircraft, the airline struggled in the early 1980s, and even introduced a human mascot version of Herman the Duck. They reduced service to Phoenix and Las Vegas, former hubs of Hughes Airwest, citing their inability to compete with non-union airlines there, and eventually dismantled the former extensive route system operated by Hughes Airwest in the western U.S. As a result, this caused the airline’s image to worsen at a sensitive time, and rather than Republic, the airline was becoming known as "Repulsive".
In early 1985 Republic teamed up with Simmons Airlines and Express Airlines I to provide feeder service from dozens of smaller cities to Republic's three main hub airports at Detroit, Memphis, and Minneapolis. The service was known as Republic Express using turboprop aircraft that were painted as Republic Airlines, accommodating from 14 to 34 passengers.
Northwest Airlines
In 1986, Northwest Orient Airlines announced on January 23 that they would buy Republic for $884 million in response to United Airlines' purchase of the Pacific routes of Pan American World Airways and to provide domestic feed. Opposed by the Justice Department, the Northwest-Republic merger was approved by the Transportation Department on July 31 and was completed on October 1, with Northwest dropping the word Orient from their name after the merger. Republic's hubs at Minneapolis, Memphis, and Detroit became the backbone of Northwest's domestic network.
Northwest later merged with Delta Air Lines in October 2008; the deal was finalized in January 2010, with Delta as the surviving air carrier. Republic's hubs in Detroit and the Twin Cities have remained intact with Delta; Memphis was dehubbed in 2013.
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