Delta Connection

Delta Connection logo

Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc. Mainline carriers often use regional airlines to operate services in order to increase frequency, serve routes that would not sustain larger aircraft, or for other competitive reasons.

History

A Delta Connection Bombardier CRJ-701, operated by SkyWest, landing at Vancouver

A Delta Connection CRJ-100, operated by Comair, landing at Baltimore

Delta Connection began in 1984 as a means of expanding the Delta network to smaller markets via partnerships with regional airlines.

Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) began Delta Connection service on March 1, 1984, from the Atlanta hub, with a substantial later presence at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. ASA was a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines under the Delta Connection, Inc., holding company from May 11, 1999, to September 7, 2005, when it was purchased by SkyWest, Inc, the parent company of SkyWest Airlines.

Ransome Airlines operated Delta Connection flights from March 1, 1984, to June 1, 1986, when it was purchased by Pan Am.

Comair began Delta Connection service on September 1, 1984. In January, 2000, Comair became a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines under the Delta Connection, Inc., holding company.

Rio Airways operated Delta Connection flights from the Dallas/Fort Worth hub from June 1, 1984, to December 14, 1986, when the airline declared bankruptcy.

Business Express operated Delta Connection flights in the northeastern US and Canada from June 1, 1986 to March 15, 2000. The company was purchased by AMR Corporation in 1999 and integrated into the American Eagle Airlines system in 2000.

Trans States Airlines operated Delta Connection flights from March 1998 to March 31, 2000, mainly from the Boston and New York focus cities.

On November 2, 2004 Atlantic Coast Airlines ended service as a Delta Connection Carrier. Atlantic Coast Airlines reinvented itself as a low fare carrier called Independence Air based at Washington Dulles Airport. Independence Air and its parent company Flyi was not a great success. Despite popularity with passengers, it was very unprofitable. Flyi filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and soon after officially shut down on January 5, 2006.

On December 22, 2004, Delta Air Lines announced that Republic Airways would order and operate 16 Embraer 170 aircraft under the Delta Connection banner. Since then, it has been announced that Republic Airways subsidiary, Shuttle America, would operate the flights. The initial flight took place on September 1, 2005.

On May 4, 2005, Delta Air Lines announced that Mesa Air Group subsidiary Freedom Airlines would operate up to 30 Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft under the Delta Connection banner beginning in October 2005. Shortly after the announcement, the decision was made for Freedom to operate the Embraer ERJ 145 for Delta Connection instead of the CRJ. After a legal battle with Mesa Air Group, Delta and Freedom Airlines terminated their contract effective September 1, 2010.

On December 21, 2006, it was announced that Big Sky Airlines would become a Delta Connection carrier, using eight Beechcraft 1900 turboprops out of Boston's Logan International Airport.

On March 1, 2007, it was announced that ExpressJet Airlines would operate 10 Embraer ERJ 145XR aircraft under the Delta Connection banner beginning in June 2007, on flights from Los Angeles International Airport. It was later announced that ExpressJet would operate an additional eight aircraft as Delta Connection. On July 3, 2008, Delta and ExpressJet announced that they had terminated their agreement and that ExpressJet operations as Delta Connection would end by September 1, 2008.^[1]

On April 30, 2007, it was announced that Pinnacle Airlines would operate 16 Bombardier CRJ-900 under the Delta Connection banner starting in December 2007.

The merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines meant that the latter's similar regional operations, known as Northwest Airlink, would be merged into Delta Connection. The new Delta Connection would include the combined regional airline carriers of both the original Delta and existing Northwest carriers. On November 8, 2008, Delta and Mesaba Airlines, a former fully owned regional subsidiary of Northwest Airlines that operated as Northwest Airlink, announced that the seven CRJ-900 aircraft previously operated by Freedom as well as eight new-order aircraft would be operated for Delta Connection beginning February 12, 2009.

Citing cost reductions, Delta Air Lines sold former Northwest regional subsidiary Mesaba Airlines on July 1, 2010 to Pinnacle Airlines Corp. for $62 million USD. Its headquarters were moved to Pinnacle's in Memphis on December 26, 2011, but the airline maintained its independent operations. ^[2][3] The same day, Trans States Holdings purchased Compass Airlines for $20.5 million USD. ^[4] It has maintained both regional operations with the airlines as of January 1, 2012.

Delta announced that it will add in-flight WiFi to 223 Delta Connection aircraft beginning in 2011.^[5]

Regional carrier GoJet Airlines, also owned by Trans States Holdings, will begin operations from Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport to cities in the Midwest using 15 CRJ-700 aircraft beginning on January 11, 2012. ^[6]

Following a merger between Atlantic Southeast Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines, Delta Connection flights will operate under the latter's name and cease operations as ASA. All routes will remain the same, but the flights will operate as ExpressJet beginning in 2012. ^[7]

Current Delta Connection airlines

Comair (As of December, 2011 operating Delta Flights 2850-3238) is wholly owned and managed by Delta Air Lines Inc, and will continue to fly exclusively for Delta Air Lines d/b/a Delta Connection, while the following airlines are owned and managed independently, and flown under contract for the Delta Connection brand and network:

• Republic Airways Holdings
  • Chautauqua Airlines (Flights 6026-6138)
  • Shuttle America (Flights 5868-6017)
• Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
  • Pinnacle Airlines (Flights 3284-4369)
• SkyWest, Inc.
  • ExpressJet Airlines (Flights 4869-5612)
  • SkyWest Airlines (Flights 4439-4818 and 7755-7813)
• TranStates Holdings
  • Compass Airlines (Flights 5680-5865)
  • GoJet Airlines (Flights 6151-6168) [begins March 25]

Destinations

Codeshare Agreements

American Eagle code shares with Delta Connection for flights operating from Los Angeles International Airport to various destinations in California. American Eagle does not operate in Delta Connection colors on any of its flights or aircraft, as it is owned by AMR Corporation, a company which owns American Airlines, a member of the Oneworld alliance, rival to the SkyTeam alliance to which Delta belongs.

Fleets

An Atlantic Southeast Airlines CRJ-700 with a Comair CRJ-200 in the foreground.

A Chautauqua Airlines ERJ-145LR in Delta Connection livery.

The new livery on a Comair CRJ-100ER.

Shuttle America ERJ-170.

A SkyWest CRJ-700.

Academy

Delta Connection Academy is an airline flight school, formerly wholly owned by Delta Air Lines.^{[citation needed]} The academy is located in Sanford, Florida on the grounds of the Orlando Sanford International Airport. The school serves all the Delta Connection carriers above, and has been known to train pilots for over 30 other airlines in the world. The school currently issues more FAA certificates than any other Part 141 school in the country.

Incidents and accidents

• On August 21, 1995, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529, an Embraer Brasilia crashed near Carrollton, Georgia. Officials determined that a propeller blade loss and inability to feather the remaining blades caused the accident, which killed 8 of the 28 passengers and crew on board.^{[8][9][10][11][12][13]}
• On January 9, 1997, Delta Connection Flight / Comair Flight 3272, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, crashed near Monroe, Michigan. The flight, which originated from Cincinnati, Ohio was on approach to Detroit. All 29 passengers and crew were killed when the plane crashed 18 miles from the airport. Officials say that ice buildup may have been a factor in the crash.
• On 27 August 2006, a Delta branded flight operated by Comair, Comair Flight 191, crashed after takeoff at Lexington, Kentucky's Blue Grass Airport, with 47 passengers and three crew members on board. The first officer survived.
• On 11 April 2011, a Delta branded flight operated by Comair, Comair Flight 293, a Canadair CRJ-700 Jet (registration N641CA), was clipped on the tail, and rotated nearly 90° while taxiing to the gate at JFK. They were clipped by the wing of an Air France A380 operating as flight AF007, with service to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. No injuries were reported.

References

External links

• Delta Connection
• Northwest Airlines site
• Pinnacle Airlines site
• Mesaba Aviation site
• Compass Airlines site