History
Scenic Airlines was started by John & Elizabeth Seibold and their single engine Cessna airplane in North Las Vegas in 1967. Between 1967 and 1993 Scenic Airlines grew to be one of the world's largest fixed-wing air tour operations. In 2000, John Seibold was recognized by the Las Vegas Review Journal as being one of the most influential businessmen in Las Vegas in the previous 100 years. In 1977, Scenic Airlines purchased the design and manufacturing rights to turboprop-powered conversions of the Cessna 402 and Cessna 414 from American Jet Industries. In 1983, the airline co-developed modifications to the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter to make it more suitable for use as an air tour airplane. The airline eventually moved to Las Vegas's McCarran International Airport.
In 1993 the Seibolds sold the airline to SkyWest Airlines and it continued to see growth until it merged with Eagle Canyon Airlines in 1998. In spring 2006, citing rising fuel costs, the airline announced it would be ceasing scheduled passenger operations to focus on its sightseeing flights, thus abandoning its scheduled services using its fleet of three Beechcraft 1900 aircraft. Almost all of the scheduled service routes were Essential Air Service routes and were picked up by US Airways, operated by Air Midwest.
On March 29, 2007, Scenic Airlines was sold to Grand Canyon Airlines and today the airline operates from the Boulder City Airport providing services to Grand Canyon West, Grand Canyon, Page, Arizona, Monument Valley, Utah, and Rainbow Bridge, Utah. Scenic Airlines continues sightseeing service to the Grand Canyon every day of the year.
On March 19, 2009 Scenic Airlines moved its operations at the Boulder City Municipal Airport(BLD) into the companies new Boulder City Aerocenter, a 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) terminal.
Although operations have been merged both Scenic and Grand Canyon have been operating under two operating certificates. Scenic will no longer exist after April 30, 2009 when both airlines will be merged and operate under the Grand Canyon Airlines operating certificate.
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