Conquest Airlines
| Commenced operations | April 1988 |
|---|---|
| Ceased operations | July 28, 1997 |
| Operating bases | Robert Mueller Municipal Airport |
| Fleet size | See Fleet below |
| Destinations | See Destinations below |
| Parent company | Air L.A. Inc. after 1995 |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Key people | Rafael Rivas(Executive vice president) and Victor Rivas |
| Employees | 78 in 1989 |
Conquest Airlines was an American regional airline initially headquartered in Jefferson County, Texas, and later headquartered in Austin, Texas. Conquest operated primarily on routes within Texas from its hub in Austin (at the now closed Robert Mueller Municipal Airport).
Rafael Rivas and Victor Rivas, two brothers from Queens, New York City, created the concept of Conquest Airlines. The airline began in April 1988 with flights from Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas to Austin and Dallas; the airline later added Corpus Christi, McAllen, and San Antonio. In the late 1980s the airline shifted its hub and operations to Austin. Rafael Rivas, who became the executive vice president of Conquest, said that the airline chose Austin as its hub since Dallas and Houston were not centrally located in Texas. Rivas added that by being located in Austin, the airline would avoid competition from regional airline carriers operating in Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth areas. In addition the airline catered to passengers traveling within Texas instead of passengers planning to do inter-state travel. Rivas added that his airline did not intend to compete with Southwest Airlines; it intended to compete with the automobile. Around November 1989 the airline's aircraft carried 21,000 passengers on 2,500 trips per month.
Conquest originally had its headquarters on the grounds of Southeast Texas Regional Airport in unincorporated Jefferson County, Texas, Texas. Conquest planned to move its headquarters to Austin in the beginning of 1990. In 1989 Conquest moved its corporate headquarters, 78 employees, and six aircraft to Austin. The City of Austin granted its first ever tax abatement in exchange for the relocation of the corporate headquarters. The abatement relieved the airline of about $1.3 million worth of aircraft property taxes over a 7-year period. Austin politicians said that the relocation of Conquest would lead to the employment of 200 Austinites at Conquest for at least 14 years and a $47 tax base that would contribute to the stabilization of property values after the end of the abatement.
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