The regional airline business lost more of its luster last week, when Delta Air Lines announced it would retire its entire Saab 340 turboprop fleet and “adjust” flying in 24 small markets, 16 of which benefit from Essential Air Service subsidies.
Pinnacle Airlines
June 27, 2011 - 1:00pm
Air Canada regional subsidiary Jazz Aviation began operating its first 74-seat Bombardier Q400 turboprop on June 7 on a route linking Toronto Pearson International Airport with Quebec City. On May 26 the airline took delivery of the first of 15 Q400s, all of which will replace 50-seat Bombardier CRJs as the delivery schedule stretches into July 2012. Jazz also holds options on another 15 airplanes.
June 26, 2011 - 6:45am
Former Frontier Airlines boss Sean Menke will succeed Phil Trenary as CEO of Memphis-based Pinnacle Airlines, the regional carrier announced in late May. A managing partner at Denver-based Vista Strategic Group, Menke assumes his new duties on July 1. Trenary resigned his position on March 24, leaving interim leadership of the company to chairman of the board Donald Breeding.
December 7, 2010 - 12:55am
Canada's Flying Colours is talking to potential partners outside North America to support operators for which it has completed Bombardier Challengers. About 90 percent of its clients to date have been on other continents and it has already had preliminary discussions with prospective joint venture partners.
November 30, 2010 - 7:33am
Not everyone agrees with the regional airlines’ assertion that they fly just as safely as their mainline counterparts. With this perception and several specific accidents in mind, the NTSB convened a symposium in late October to shed more light on airline code-sharing arrangements and their role in aviation safety.
September 22, 2010 - 7:45am
The consolidation of the regional airline industry continued unabated last month, as St. George, Utah-based SkyWest revealed plans to acquire Houston-based ExpressJet. The $133 million transaction will involve a direct purchase by SkyWest's Atlanta-based subsidiary, Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA), of all of ExpressJet's common shares for $6.75 each in cash.
September 3, 2010 - 5:16am
Faced with leaving for vacation without passing an FAA reauthorization bill that would tighten pilot training rules, lawmakers stripped those provisions from the main bill and added them to the 15th short-term extension of funding, taxes and programs for the agency.
August 28, 2010 - 8:07am
After investigating four accident flights operated under code-sharing arrangements in the past three years, the NTSB will hold a two-day symposium on October 26 to 27 on such agreements between regional airlines and major carriers.
August 26, 2010 - 12:25pm
Faced with leaving for vacation without passing an FAA reauthorization bill that would tighten pilot training rules, lawmakers stripped those provisions from the main bill and added them to the 15th short-term extension of funding, taxes and programs for the agency.
August 2, 2010 - 6:32am
Delta Air Lines announced last month that it has entered into definitive agreements to sell two of its wholly owned regional airline subsidiaries–Minneapolis-based Mesaba and Compass Airlines. Delta has sold Mesaba to Memphis, Tenn.-based Pinnacle Airlines for $62 million, and Compass to St. Louis-based Trans States Holdings for $20.5 million. Delta said it would use the proceeds from the transactions for general corporate purposes.
