Delta Connection
A Delta Connection Bombardier CRJ-700, operated by SkyWest Airlines, landing at Vancouver International Airport

Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and three wholly owned regional carriers 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.

[edit] History

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

A Delta Connection Canadair CRJ-100ER, operated by Comair, landing at BWI in 2007

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.

[edit] As Northwest Airlink Before Merger

Northwest Airlink was the trade name of Northwest Airlines' regional airline service, which flies turboprop and regional jet aircraft from Northwest's domestic hubs in Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis. The service was primarily to small-to-medium sized cities and towns where larger aircraft might not be economical to operate and also to larger markets to either provide additional capacity or more frequent flights than could be justified using mainline aircraft.

Northwest Airlink service was operated using 34-seat Saab 340 turboprops and 50-seat CRJ200 aircraft in a single class of service. Mesaba Airlines and Compass Airlines recently began operating Bombardier CRJ-900s and Embraer E-175s, respectively. Both aircraft are operated in a 76-seat, two-class configuration.

The service was operated by three separate companies:

Northwest Airlink CASA C-212 Aviocar at Flint, Michigan, in 1986 operated by Fischer Brothers Aviation

• Compass Airlines (a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines) operates Embraer 175 aircraft throughout the United States. It was formed using the operating certificate previously held by Independence Air.
• Mesaba Airlines (a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines) operates the Saab 340 turboprop, the CRJ200, and the new CRJ900 aircraft throughout the United States.
• Pinnacle Airlines (an independent company) operates the CRJ200 throughout the United States.

Fischer Brothers Aviation, Pacific Island Aviation, Business Express Airlines and Simmons Airlines formerly operated under the Northwest Airlink name.

In 2009, all Northwest Airlink flights were rebranded as Delta Connection.

A Compass Airlines Embraer ERJ-170-200LR shortly after takeoff from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on February 28, 2009.

A Mesaba Airlines Saab 340B/Plus shortly after takeoff from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on February 28, 2009.

[edit] The New Delta Connection

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.

• Comair
• Compass Airlines
• Mesaba Airlines

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:

• Atlantic Southeast Airlines
• Chautauqua Airlines
• Freedom Airlines
• Pinnacle Airlines
• Shuttle America
• SkyWest Airlines

[edit] Operating Airlines

• Atlantic Southeast Airlines
• Comair
• Compass Airlines
• Chautauqua Airlines
• Freedom Airlines
• Mesaba Airlines
• Pinnacle Airlines
• Shuttle America
• SkyWest Airlines

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Academy

Delta Connection Academy is an airline flight school, wholly owned by Delta Air Lines, 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.

[edit] Incidents and accidents

• On August 21, 1995, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529, an Embraer Brasilia crashed near Carrolton, 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. ^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]}

• On January 9, 1997, Delta Connection Flight / Comair Flight 3272, an Embraer 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, at 6:07 am Eastern Time, a Delta branded flight operated by Comair, Delta Air Lines Flight 5191, crashed after takeoff at Lexington, Kentucky's Blue Grass Airport, with 47 passengers and three crew members on board. The first officer survived.

• On February 18, 2007, Shuttle America, operating as Delta Connection flight 6448, skidded off the runway and crashed through a fence while landing on runway 28 at 3:14pm at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport at the end of the Delta Connection flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. None of the 70 passengers and four crew on board the Embraer 170 were reported injured. The flight was operated by Shuttle America. The crew was very non-responsive to the needs of the passengers who remained on the plane for approximately 1 hour after the crash. Initially Delta employees stated to the passengers that the plane had not crashed, it simply skidded off the runway and came to a stop. Sherry Williams the Regional Manager for Delta gave the passengers a 45 second speech before sending them along to baggage claim where the passengers had to wait hours for their bags. Days later passengers were offered a 350 dollar voucher for their troubles. Also on the plane was Dancing With The Stars Winner Julianne Hough and GetWebEdge, Inc General Manger Jarrod Edge. Interviews by local Cleveland news media can be seen at http://www.newsnet5.com/news/11075442/detail.html

• March 4, 1987: Northwest Airlink Flight 2268, operating under Fischer Brothers Aviation, a CASA 212 was on a scheduled flight from Mansfield to Detroit with an intermediate stop in Cleveland when it crashed while landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. The plane yawed violently to the left about 70 feet above the runway, skidded to the right, hit 3 ground support vehicles in front of Concourse F and caught fire. Out of 19 occupants onboard (16 passengers and 3 crew), 9 were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error. ^[8]

• December 1, 1993: Northwest Airlink 5719 being operated by Express Airlines II, a Jetstream 31, was flying a scheduled flight from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to International Falls with an enroute stop in Hibbing when it crashed while approaching for landing at Chisholm-Hibbing Airport. The plane descended struck the tops of trees and then two ridges and came to rest inverted on its right side. All 18 occupants (16 passengers and 2 crew) died. The cause of the crash was the lack of crew-coordination and loss of awareness of the altitude during a night instrument landing.^[9]

• Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701 was a Bombardier CRJ200 with a crew of two operating a ferry flight (with no passengers) from Little Rock, AR to Minneapolis, MN. It crashed on October 14, 2004 in a residential area in Jefferson City, MO due to the flight crew pushing the plane past its capabilities and ignoring warnings. The NTSB has since finished its investigation of the accident.^[10]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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