Texas’s Judah 1 eyes larger planes for missionary flights

US non-profit start-up Judah 1 (Sherman) plans to debut as a non-scheduled religious airline out of Shreveport Regional in Louisiana in 2021 to transport Christian missionaries worldwide. Chief Executive Officer Everett Aaron told The Christian Post the carrier had already carried small groups of missionaries to disaster areas and mission fields in its capacity as a private airline. However, starting next year, it will gauge up, applying for US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification to operate up to four larger aircraft. “By the end of next year, we would like to have three to four large planes,” he stated. “As of yesterday, we now have added to our fleet a B767-200(ER).” He did not provide further details on the origin of the plane. According to the organisation’s website, the current fleet consists of one MD-83, N836F (msn 49950); one Cessna (twin turboprop) 414 for short-range disaster relief work; and one Aero Commander IAI Westwind jet for transporting medical personnel. In addition to expanding the fleet, Judah 1 is also exploring establishing bases in other states, he said. According to the website, Judah 1 Inc is an aviation ministry aimed at serving “Christian individuals and groups of all denominations travelling to mission fields around the world”. Aaron previously served as the Chief Information Officer and Director of IT for several large companies. He and his wife, Kathy, both claim to be ordained ministers of Revival Ministries International.