How to start an Airline?

I'm a 19 year old entrepreneur and I've always wanted to start an airline, Recently I found just the right balance of crazy & courage to try to accomplish this dream.

I live in Alabama one of the most undeserved states in the US we only have 4 major airports and only one has all 4 of the major airlines (BHM), My idea is to not compete with the bigger airline but to work with them. I would like to start a small commuter airline that would operate short flights from the smaller airports to Birmingham where passengers can then connect to a major airline, One of the airlines I think would make a great partner is southwest because it is the only budget airline that flies to Alabama and they have the most destinations out of Birmingham.So if I could commute passengers to Birmingham then connect to southwest both of our companies would make an amazing profit.

I'm not a guru when it comes to this industry but I think one of you will be able to tell me more

You would need a very big bag of money. Very.

Start by learning to fly and buying a small plane the same way you'd buy a car, with a loan if you don't have the cash. Then start running charters. Then hire an additional pilot or two to fly your plane even when you don't. Then take your income and buy a second plane. At that point, you have an airline, albeit a small one. Grow it from there.

ONE PLANE at a time.
ONE employee at a time.
ONE destination at a time.
It will take YEARS to establish and hopefully make some profit.

IF Southwest and YOU can negotiate a deal you could have through tickets for your passengers.
You will need lots of money to get started before that first passenger pays a fare.

We only have 4 major airports. WHY do you think there are only four? Airports cost a lot of money and NO ONE wants one next to their place so do not expect any new ones in the near future. You can expect existing places to expand maybe a new terminal a hanger or two.
You need to consider your front of the house stuff. Things like a ticket counter a place for passengers to wait.A place to keep their luggage until it goes on board and so on.
Your plane when not flying is doing what? Maybe getting serviced overnight in some repair place.
Airports charge for the use of their stuff. The ticket counter space, your staff space, plane parking space using the gate and on and on.
There are thousands of planes at the many small Airports. You need to say WHY someone would want to fly on yours. What extra thing does the passenger get they can't get from many other pilots with planes.
Will your plane fly from A to B once a day or ten times. How about C D and E?

If your plane needs servicing do you have a backup one? You might need to store hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of spare parts to be available when you need them.
Can it be done? YES Is it easy or fast? NO.

Maybe you start your private charter service and see what business you can develop.Charter Airline can run a regular schedule if they want to. Most just go if they have some passengers. Reduces the empty flight keeping the schedule costs.
Good Luck. Many have tried to set up Airlines. Some succeeded and some never grow very big and others just go out of business.
You need to do a lot of research before you spend your money getting some planes and staff. Up to you to research if your Airports of choice can handle your plane and passengers and what they charge to do it.
DO NOT expect to make LOTS of money. WHY? If it was very profitable and easy to do many many others would also be doing it.
Ever thought of getting some float planes and taking your passengers to one of the many lakes in Alabama.

The big Airline KNOW where their passengers come from and go to after they use one their planes. Seriously how many do you think want to fly EVERYDAY from A to B. A very hard number to predict. One reason you start with one plane and fly when you have some passengers.
Some small Airports are not designed for many passengers have you looked at what is available at your places of interest?

Alabama has about 4,000,000 spread out. Four larger Airports not bad for that number of people.

Have you got several million Dollars to spare, because that is what you will need.

I think you have a really good idea going here… You just need to find a industry investor and talk to them, submit this idea, and let them help you

If you have to ask the question you're not going to be starting an airline. For " entrepreneur " read head in the clouds.

Do you know anything about how airlines work?
Have you ever worked in the industry at all?

Nothing beats personal experience.

Swindle several large investment firms

If you have to ask the question you're not going to be starting an airline