Delta Connection
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 planes, serve routes using cheaper labor, or for other competitive reasons.
History
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.
American Eagle has provided code-share service from Los Angeles to cities in California since January 18, 2002. The agreement allows Delta to sell seats on certain American Eagle flights and to give Delta passengers SkyMiles frequent flier credit on designated flights.
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.
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. ExpressJet will operate flights from Los Angeles International Airport. It was later announced that ExpressJet would operate an additional 8 aircraft as Delta Connection.
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.
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 November 8, 2008, Delta and Mesaba Airlines announced that the 7 CRJ-900 aircraft previously operated by Freedom as well as 8 new order aircraft will be operated by Mesaba as Delta Connection beginning February 12, 2009.
After a legal battle with parent company Mesa Air Group, Delta and Freedom Airlines have terminated their contract effective September 1, 2010.
Delta announced that it will add in-flight WiFi to 223 Delta Connection aircraft beginning in 2011.[2]
The new Delta Connection will include the combined regional airline carriers of both the Old Delta Connection and Northwest Airlink as Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines merge.
The preceding airlines are all owned and managed by Delta Air Lines Inc, and will continue to fly and d/b/a as Delta Connection, while the following airlines are owned and managed independently, and flown under contract for the greatly expanded and enlarged New Delta Connection brand and network:
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 Delta's SkyTeam.
Fleets
| Aircraft | Total | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) | |||
| Bombardier CRJ-200 | 98 | (0/50) | |
| Bombardier CRJ-700 | 38 | (9/56) | |
| Bombardier CRJ-900 | 10 | (12/64) | |
| Chautauqua Airlines | |||
| Embraer ERJ-145 LR | 24 | ||
| Comair | |||
| Bombardier CRJ-200 | 69 | ||
| Bombardier CRJ-700 | 15 | ||
| Bombardier CRJ-900 | 13 | ||
| Compass Airlines | |||
| Embraer 175LR | 36 | ||
| Mesaba Airlines | |||
| Bombardier CRJ-200 | 19 | ||
| Bombardier CRJ-900 | 41 | +36 options; | |
| Saab 340B+ | 32 | ||
| Pinnacle Airlines | |||
| Bombardier CRJ-200 | 126 | ||
| Bombardier CRJ-900 | 16 | ||
| Shuttle America | |||
| Embraer 170 | 1 | 8 Orders, Entry into service Summer 2011 | |
| Embraer 175 | 16 | ||
| SkyWest Airlines | |||
| Bombardier CRJ-200 | 52 | ||
| Bombardier CRJ-700 | 13 | ||
| Bombardier CRJ-900 | 21 | ||
| Embraer Brasilia EMB-120 | 11 | ||
| Total Aircraft | |||
| Bombardier CRJ-200 | 364 | ||
| Bombardier CRJ-700 | 66 | ||
| Bombardier CRJ-900 | 101 | 1 orders, 36 options | |
| Embraer ERJ-145 LR | 24 | ||
| Embraer 170 | 1 | ||
| Embraer 175 | 52 | ||
| Embraer Brasilia EMB-120 | 11 | ||
| Saab 340B+ | 32 | ||
| 651 | |||
Academy
Delta Connection Academy is an airline flight school, formally a wholly owned by Delta Air Lines,[citation needed] was one of the few mainline carriers in the world to own their training centers to help source their regional airline affiliates staffing needs. 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.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
- 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 September 26, 2010, Delta Connection flight 4951 had a crash landing in New York City when its landing gear failed to extend and the wing hit the runway. No one sustained serious injury on board.
In a press release on November 26th, 2010, the FAA noted that Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529's incident rate was "exceptionally low" [9]
References
- ^ Rigby, Bill (2008-07-03). "Delta, ExpressJet ditch regional pact". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
- ^ http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Delta-to-Add-Inflight-WiFi-to-prnews-2129333240.html?x=0&.v=1
- ^ "Wounded Bird," Mayday
- ^ 9 Minutes 20 Seconds
- ^ Under 49 CFR Part 830.2, a fatal injury is one which results in death within 30 days of the accident.[1]
- ^ "Heroic flight attendant returns to Georgia crash site," CNN
- ^ "SR 407 - Robin Fech - honoring," Senate of Georgia
- ^ NTSB Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc., Flight 529
- ^ "http://ohsonline.com/articles/2010/11/29/faa-urged-to-require-bird-strike-resistant-helicopter-windshields.aspx?admgarea=news
External links
- Delta Connection
- Northwest Airlines site
- Pinnacle Airlines site
- Mesaba Aviation site
- Compass Airlines site
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