Zantop Air Transport

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Zantop Air Transport was a U.S. airline founded in July 1956 by the Zantop brothers—Lloyd, Howard, and Duane Zantop—from their earlier Zantop Flying Service. It was based at Wayne County Airport in Inkster, Michigan, with a U.S. base at Ontario, California at one time. The airline mainly did contract cargo work for the Big Three automakers and for the U.S. Air Force and Navy, flying along the Eastern Seaboard.

Originally a Part 45 carrier (not a common carrier), Zantop could not formally offer passenger service. In 1962 the Civil Aeronautics Board approved transferring the operating certificate of Coastal Air Lines, which allowed Zantop to operate as a supplemental carrier and offer public charters in addition to its contract work.

In 1966 the Zantop brothers sold their shares and resigned from the company. The Michigan entity filed a name change to Universal Airlines, Inc. effective December 29, 1966, in a deal arranged by Frank Lorenzo and Robert Carney. Universal Airlines later folded in 1972.

Afterward, the Zantop brothers started Zantop International Airlines in May 1972, re-entering the business to fly auto parts again, with minority participation from two other people.

Origins go back to 1946, when Zantop Flying Service began as a fixed base operator (FBO) in Jackson, Michigan. The operation expanded to cargo for General Motors, then for Chrysler and Ford after obtaining a commercial operators permit in 1952. The company moved its base to Wayne Major Airport (Detroit Metro) in 1953 and continued as Zantop Flying Service until becoming Zantop Air Transport in 1956.

In 1960 Zantop pursued a U.S. Air Force Logair cargo contract and planned to buy five Lockheed C-130B transports, but the financing terms could not be agreed upon, and the deal did not go through.