Iowa airline faces court battle over its name

A struggling Iowa-based airline is now facing a new challenge — in court. It’s a case of AccessAir versus Access Air. The two airlines share what sounds to be the same name, but one of the names is all one word, the other is two seperate words. It’s creating confusion for both businesses. The airline based in Des Moines is being sued by the airline based in Boise, Idaho. The Idaho Access Air claims the Iowa AccessAir is using its name illegally, as it started flying in 1995, while the Iowa carrier claimed the name a year later. The case is before a Patent Office appeal board. The Idaho company charters small planes and helicopters nationally while the Iowa version flies jets between Des Moines and Chicago. Iowa’s AccessAir just returned to the air last fall after filing for bankruptcy protection.