note
Evergreen International can trace its history back to 1926, when Johnson Flying Service began operations from Missoula, Montana as a flying school. Following World War II it operated C-47s in "smokejumping" services, and later moved into the aerial firefighting business. It entered the passenger and cargo charter business in the 1950s, flying Ford TriMotors, a DC-2, DC-3s and C-46s. Its name was changed to Johnson Air, then Johnson International Airlines. In 1975 it was sold to Del Smith, and was merged with Intermountain Aviation, a former CIA front company based at the old Marana Army Air Field. The new name of the merged company became Evergreen International Aviation.
The airline began passenger and cargo charters, and briefly operated scheduled passenger service in the late 1970s. In 1981 EIA begun scheduled freight service for UPS and continued to do so until UPS established its own airline in 1988. It also developed a Boeing 747 airborne tanker for fire fighting. Today, EIA operates ACMI freight services as well as contract cargo flight for the US military.
It is a subsidiary of Evergreen International Aviation, which operates Evergreen Helicopters and also owns museum at company's headquarters in McMinnville Oregon.
Evergreen Helicopters were sold in March 2013 to Ericson Air-Crane for $267mil.
Evergreen Maintenance Center at Pinal Airpark Marana Arizona was sold in 2011 to a private equity firm Relativity Capital.
In November 2013 company's founder Del Smith died and company filled for bankruptcy protection. Evergreen itself filed for dissolution on December 31st 2013. Most of its assets were sold to Jet Midwest Group.
founded - demised (age)
1926 - December 31 2013 (87)
headquarters
3850 Three Mile Ln, McMinnville, OR
web
base airports
related operators
current /stored fleet (0)
