Orion Lift ServicedbaOrion Air was a US charter and contract freight airline founded on the earlierZantop Airways by parent company The Aviation Group (TAG), originally to flyGulfstream G-159 freighters. In October 1981 it was certificated to flyBoeing 727s on behalf ofUnited Parcel Service (UPS). Orion grew to a fleet of over 50 commercial jets, includingBoeing 747s, flying for several package express/air freight operators. But in 1988, Orion lost much of its business when UPS brought air operations in-house. In 1989, Orion flew charters under its own name only to have its tour operator contract cancelled. Meanwhile,Emery Worldwide, Orion's remaining freight contract, announced it would also eventually move most flying in-house. Orion ended operations at the end of 1989; remaining aircraft transferred toRyan International Airlines.
Zantop Airways was aPart 298 (or air taxi) carrier started in 1968 by Lloyd Zantop, one of the brothers who founded the separate carriersZantop Air Transport andZantop International Airlines. The Aviation Group (TAG) bought Zantop Airways in 1981. The underlying corporation dated to 1948; prior to Zantop Airways it wasWayne County Flying Service.
In 1983, TAG bought another carrier,General Aviation Enterprises, to which the original Orion G-159 business was transferred. General Aviation briefly became a subsidiary of Orion Air in 1987, before being sold to Kitty Hawk Group in 1988, becomingKitty Hawk Air Cargo. Another TAG spinoff was the aircraft maintenance organizationTIMCO, originally created with Orion in mind.
Lloyd Zantop was one of the brothers who foundedZantop Air Transport (ZAT) andZantop International Airlines (ZIA). Between the 1966 sale of ZAT and the 1972 establishment of ZIA, Lloyd Zantop founded Zantop Airways, separate and distinct from the other Zantop carriers, from Wayne County Flying Service (WCFS), which he bought in 1968.[8] WCFS, which offered flight instruction[9] and chartered small aircraft,[10] was incorporated in 1948.[11] Zantop Airways operated as aPart 298 (air taxi) carrier, flying small aircraft for clients such asEmery,Federal Express and auto manufacturers. An associated company, Zantop Aviation, leased aircraft.[8]
The Aviation Group (TAG) was founded in 1977 inChapel Hill, North Carolina (moving toRaleigh in 1982) to applyGulfstream G-159s to air freight.[12] TAG acquired and improved asupplemental type certificate to add a cargo door to the G-159 and converted "at least nine" G-159s.[13] In February 1981, Lloyd Zantop closed the sale of Zantop Airways to TAG; the airline had G-159s (seeFleet). TAG changed the airline's name to Orion Lift Service, withtrade name Orion Air. In October 1981 the CAB awarded Orion an all-cargo airline certificate so it could fly nineBoeing 727s forUnited Parcel Service (UPS). In fact, the CAB provided Orion temporary exemption to fly for UPS in September in advance of awarding the certificate.[14] The nine ex-Braniff aircraft were the first UPS bought.[15] TAGwent public in December 1981.[16]
Orion Air would come to fly over 50 commercial jet freighters under contract to Purolator,Emery Worldwide andConsolidated Freightways (CF) air freight subsidiary CF AirFreight as well as UPS (seeFleet). Under a typical contract, the client supplied the aircraft and fuel, with Orion providing crews and maintenance.[12][17] However, UPS remained its largest customer and UPS's main hub was atLouisville, Kentucky, making that Orion's main base. TAG at one time considered moving its headquarters there,[18] and established a pilot training center in Louisville, including simulators.[19] TAG diversified within and outside aviation. For instance, in 1983 TAG bought another airline (discussed below) and a company that rented TVs to hospitals (purchase closed in early 1984).[20] In 1985, Orion phased out the G-159s; the aircraft were too small.[21] In January 1986, Primark, originally a Michigan-based utility, closed the purchase of TAG for $129 million (about $390 million in 2026 terms).[22][23]
In April 1987, theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded Orion's DC-9s and 727s (37 out of then 56 aircraft) after repeated inability to produce life-limited parts andairworthiness directives data for those fleets, leaving Orion's clients (CF AirFreight, Emery, Purolator, UPS) scrambling to find replacements for a few days until Orion found the records.[24][25] In July, UPS decided to bring flying in-house,[15] which was announced in August; UPS accounted for just under half of Orion's revenues,[26] and Orion had 450 employees based at Louisville.[27] In September, Primark eliminated TAG as an operating entity; Primark transferred TAG's other aviation subsidiaries under Orion and moved TAG's non-aviation subsidiaries elsewhere within Primark. TAG's CEO, John K. Pirotte, in the role since 1981, left the company, which he said was unrelated to UPS's decision.[28][29] UPS bought Orion's Louisville training center.[15]
Meanwhile, in 1987, Emery acquired Purolator and in 1989,Consolidated Freightways (CF) bought Emery, into which it merged its CF AirFreight unit.[30][31] Thus, over the course of two years, Orion Air went from four customers (CF AirFreight, Emery, Purolator and UPS) to just one (Emery). Orion's contract with Emery also resulted in significant losses, requiring renegotation in 1989.[32] Further, CF also bought its own airline in 1989, creatingEmery Worldwide Airlines (EWA). Emery said that over time, it expected EWA to perform all its flying.[33] In 1989, Orion attempted to diversify by operating a 747 for passenger charters (see picture). Unfortunately, operational issues led to significant delays for passengers of British tour operatorAirtours, causing the 747 to be dubbed "the Flying Pig" by the UK press[34] and cancellation of the two year contract, worth $8.6 million in 1989.[32] Primark put its aviation activities up for sale in October, with one exception.[35] Orion Air's remaining operations transferred toRyan International Airlines as of 2 January 1990,[36] for a $3.5 million note.[37] The exception was the almost-completed maintenance facility calledTIMCO atPiedmont Triad International Airport (nearGreensboro, North Carolina), originally designed to maintain Orion, which Primark retained.[38]
In 1988,Eastern Air Lines contracted with Orion to fly 26 or more Boeing 727s in passenger service as part of contingency plans by Eastern, then controlled byFrank Lorenzo, for astrike. This attracted considerable controversy, including Congressional hearings.[39] Later in the year Eastern cancelled the contract, without comment.[40]
In 1983, TAG boughtGeneral Aviation Enterprises[41] (ICAO:GNL, call sign:GENERAL)[42] ofGreeneville, Tennessee, (incorporated 1979)[43] which became its propeller aircraft operation.[29] General Aviation flew the G-159s as well as pistonConvairliners (seeFleet). When Primark eliminated TAG as an operating entity in 1987, General became an Orion Air subsidiary. Kitty Hawk Group bought General in 1988, creatingKitty Hawk Air Cargo.[44]
15 December 1972: Zantop AirwaysLearjet 23 N20M on a flight toLexington, Kentucky crashed on takeoff fromDetroit into a gas tank, killing two pilots on board and one person on the ground. Probable cause was "undetermined."[49][50][51][52][nb 1]
15 July 1983: Orion AirGulfstream G-159 N68TG performing flight TAG409 fromKnoxville, Tennessee landed long and overran the runway atTri-Cities, Tennessee leading to destruction of the aircraft from fire, but no fatalities amoung the crew of two, nor any escape of material from the radioactive cargo. The captain was cited for mismanaging speed and distance.[53]
31 May 1985: Both crew were killed when General AviationGulfstream G-159 N181TG performing flight GNL115 fromNashville toIndianapolis crashed on takeoff. The crew failed to perform a pre-flight checklist, leaving a power lever in a position that caused the left engine to shutdown. The crew then also failed to perform the correct emergency procedure for an engine-out situation.[54][55]
^As of 5 February 2026, theAviation Safety Network reference lists this accident asZantop International Airlines, but the July 1971 U.S. Civil Aircraft Register clearly shows the aircraft registered to Zantop Aviation, sister company to Zantop Airways, also what contemporary reporting reflects
Carriers that operated for all/part of 1938–1978 when most were under close economic control of theCAB.Bold indicates survived into deregulated era (1979–today)
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