Profile

Janet is the de facto name for a small fleet of passenger aircraft operated for the United States Air Force. Their aircraft transport military and contractor employees and currently serve mostly the Nevada National Security Site (most notably Area 51) from their terminal at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport. The origin of the term "Janet" is obscure and, while it is used as a radio callsign, it is not known whether it is an official name, code word or acronym.

Operation

Due to the secretive nature of the airline, little is known about its organisation. Most likely it is operated for the USAF by defense contractor URS Corporation, formerly known as EG&G; this based on the company's history of providing this service to the Air Force and job openings published by URS. For example, in 2010, URS announced it would be hiring Boeing 737 Flight Attendants to be based in Las Vegas, requiring applicants to undergo a Single Scope Background Investigation in order to be able to obtain a Top Secret security clearance. Janet flights operate with a three digit flight number and a WWW-prefix. In the official publication of ICAO airline codes, this specific three-letter designator is listed as being blocked.

The first flights from Las Vegas to Area 51 were performed in 1972 by a Douglas DC-6 operated by EG&G. A second Douglas DC-6 was added in 1976 and this type remained in use until 1981.

Currently, the Janet fleet consists of six Boeing 737-600s painted white with a prominent red cheatline. There are also five smaller executive turboprops (two Beechcraft 1900s and three Beechcraft 200Cs) painted white with less prominent blue trim stripes. The fleet is registered to the Department of the Air Force, while some earlier aircraft were registered to several civil aircraft leasing corporations. Before the arrival of the 737-600s Janet operated Boeing 737-200s, some of which were modified from military T-43A aircraft. One of the 737-200s with registration N5177C in the 1980s was briefly based in Germany at Frankfurt International Airport (which was at the time also home to a USAF base, Rhein-Main Air Base), and was operated by Keyway Air Transport, which also appears to have been a US government operation with Keyway Air Transport merely being a front company. It was retired on March 6, 2009. Together with the other 737-200s it was sent to AMARG at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona for storage.

All the 737-600 aircraft are ex-Air China and with the exception of N273RH and N365SR were previously operated by the now defunct China Southwest Airlines before being acquired for US Air Force operations starting in 2008. The aircraft were initially taken to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base before being transferred to Las Vegas. Most of the Beechcraft airplanes were sold directly to the Air Force, except for two, which had civilian owners first.

One aircraft, a Beechcraft 1900s, was lost on March 14, 2004, when it crashed on approach for Tonopah Test Range Airport after the pilot suffered sudden cardiac death. Five people, including the pilot, were killed in the accident.