Regional airline
Encyclopedia
Regional airlines are airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...

s that operate regional aircraft
Regional airliner
A regional airliner or a feederliner is a small airliner designed to fly up to 100 passengers on short-haul flights, usually feeding larger carriers' hubs from small markets. This class of airliners are typically flown by the regional airlines that are either contracted by or subsidiaries of the...

 to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline
Mainline (flight)
A mainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares or regional subsidiaries...

 service. There are three ways for a regional airline to do business:
  1. As a feeder airline, contracting with a major airline
    Major carrier
    Major carrier or major airline carrier is a designation given by the United States Department of Transportation to U.S.-based airlines that post more than $1 billion in revenue during a fiscal year.As of 2010, there were 19 major carriers....

    , operating under their brand name
    Doing business as
    The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...

    , filling two roles:
    1. Deliver passengers to the major airline’s hubs from surrounding communities (this is known as regional feed or regional traffic), and
    2. Increase frequency of service in mainline markets during times of day/days of week when demand does not warrant use of large aircraft.
  2. Operating under their own brand, providing service to small and isolated communities, for whom the airline is the only reasonable link to a larger town. An example of this is Peninsula Airways, which links the remote Aleutian Islands of Alaska
    Alaska
    Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

     to Anchorage
    Anchorage, Alaska
    Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...

    . In this role, the term commuter airline is generally used.
  3. As an independent airline larger than an air taxi
    Air taxi
    An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...

     or commuter airline service, that operates scheduled point-to-point transit
    Point-to-point transit
    Point-to-point transit refers to a transportation system where a plane, bus or train travels directly to a destination, rather than going through a central hub...

     service under its own brand, that does not meet the descriptions above or fly larger "mainline
    Mainline (flight)
    A mainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares or regional subsidiaries...

     sized" (over 100 seats) aircraft". Mokulele Airlines
    Mokulele Airlines
    Mokulele Airlines, is an American commuter airline headquartered in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii. The airline operates scheduled inter-island and charter flights primarily among Hawaii's smaller airports.-History:...

     and the independently branded Expressjet Airlines
    ExpressJet Airlines
    ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. is an American regional airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlantic Southeast Airlines which is in turn a subsidiary of the airline holding company SkyWest, Inc., parent company of the air carrier SkyWest...

     operations to larger and medium size cities, would be examples of this type of operation in the U.S.

History

Regional airlines began by operating propeller-driven aircraft over short routes, sometimes on flights of less than 100 miles. In the early days of commercial aviation few aircraft had ranges greater than this, and airlines were often formed to serve the area in which they formed. That is, there was no strong distinction between a regional airline and any other airline. This changed with the introduction of long-range aircraft, which led to the development of the flag carrier airlines, such as British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...

 and Trans-Canada Airlines. As the flag carriers grew in importance with increasing long-range passenger traffic, the smaller airlines found a niche flying passengers over short hops to the flag carrier's airport. This arrangement was eventually formalized, forming the feeder airlines.

Through the 1960s and 1970s, war surplus designs, notably the DC-3, were replaced by much more capable turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...

 or jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...

-powered designs like the Fokker F27 Friendship or BAC One-Eleven
BAC One-Eleven
The British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111, BAC-1-11 or BAC 1-11, was a British short-range jet airliner of the 1960s and 1970s...

. This extended the range of the regionals dramatically, causing a wave of consolidations between the now overlapping airlines.

In the early 1990s, much more advanced turboprop-powered, fuel efficient, and passenger friendly DC-3 type replacement projects such as the 19 passenger Embraer/FMA CBA 123 Vector
Embraer/FMA CBA 123 Vector
-References:* Lambert, Mark . Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993-94. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0-7106-1066-1.* "South American Vector". Air International, September 1990, Vol 39 No. 5. pp. 122–128.-External links:*...

 and the 34 seat Dornier 328
Dornier 328
|-See also:- References :* Swanborough, Gordon. "Dornier 328: A Daimler for Commuters". Air International, March 1992, Vol. 42 No. 3. pp. 123–128. ISSN 0306-5634....

 were undertaken, but met little financial success, partly due to economic downturn in the airline industry resulting from the outbreak of hostilities when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Many of the regional airlines operating turboprop equipment such as Delta
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...

's regional sister Comair
Comair
Comair is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines headquartered on the grounds of Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport in unincorporated Boone County, Kentucky, United States, west of Erlanger, and south of Cincinnati, Ohio...

 airlines in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 set the course for bypassing entirely the regional turboprops as they became the first to transition to an all-jet regional jet fleet. To a lesser extent in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 this transition, to notably the Embraer
Embraer
Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....

 or Canadair
Canadair
Canadair Ltd. was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. It was a subsidiary of other aircraft manufacturers, then a nationalized corporation until privatized in 1986, and became the core of Bombardier Aerospace....

 designs, was well advanced by the late 1990s. This evolution towards jet equipment, brought the independent regional airlines into direct competition with the major airlines, forcing additional consolidation.

Although regional airlines in the United States are often viewed as small, not particularly lucrative "no name" subsidiaries of the mainline airlines, in terms of revenue, many would be designated major airline carrier
Major carrier
Major carrier or major airline carrier is a designation given by the United States Department of Transportation to U.S.-based airlines that post more than $1 billion in revenue during a fiscal year.As of 2010, there were 19 major carriers....

 status but they do not qualify for this status since the aircraft they operate generally seat less than 100 people.

Beginning around 1985, a number of trends has been apparent. Regional aircraft are getting larger, regional aircraft are getting faster, and regional aircraft are flying longer ranges. Most recently regional aircraft in the US have been getting slightly more comfortable with the addition of better ergonomically
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and its cognitive abilities.The International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics as follows:...

 designed aircraft cabin
Aircraft cabin
An aircraft cabin is the section of an aircraft in which passengers travel. At cruising altitudes of modern commercial aircraft the surrounding atmosphere is too thin to breathe without an oxygen mask, so cabins are pressurized at a higher pressure than ambient pressure at altitude.In commercial...

s, and the addition of varying travel class
Travel class
A travel class is a quality of accommodation on public transport. The accommodation could be a seat or a cabin for example. Higher travel classes are more comfortable and more expensive.-Airline booking codes:...

es aboard these aircraft. From small, less than 50-seat "single-class cabin" turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...

, to turbofan
Turbofan
The turbofan is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used for aircraft propulsion. A turbofan combines two types of engines, the turbo portion which is a conventional gas turbine engine, and the fan, a propeller-like ducted fan...

 regional jet equipment, present day regional airlines provide aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

 such as the higher capacity CRJ700
Bombardier CRJ700
The Bombardier CRJ700, CRJ900, and CRJ1000 are regional airliners based on the Bombardier CRJ200. Final assembly of the aircraft is at Montréal-Mirabel International Airport in Mirabel, Quebec, outside Montreal, Canada.-Development:...

, CRJ900
Bombardier CRJ700
The Bombardier CRJ700, CRJ900, and CRJ1000 are regional airliners based on the Bombardier CRJ200. Final assembly of the aircraft is at Montréal-Mirabel International Airport in Mirabel, Quebec, outside Montreal, Canada.-Development:...

, CRJ1000
Bombardier CRJ700
The Bombardier CRJ700, CRJ900, and CRJ1000 are regional airliners based on the Bombardier CRJ200. Final assembly of the aircraft is at Montréal-Mirabel International Airport in Mirabel, Quebec, outside Montreal, Canada.-Development:...

 series of aircraft and the somewhat larger fuselage Embraer E-Jets
Embraer E-Jets
The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series...

. Some of these newer aircraft are capable of flying longer distances with comfort levels that rival and surpass the regional airline equipment of the past.

Historically important United States regional airlines

In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, regional airlines were an important building block of today's passenger air system. The U.S. Government encouraged the forming of regional airlines to provide services from smaller communities to larger towns, where air passengers could connect to a larger network.
The first United States regional airline (then called a commuter airline) was Wright Airlines
Wright Airlines
Wright Airlines, founded in Cleveland, OH in 1966 is regarded as the first United States Regional airline. The airline was based in Cleveland at Burke Lakefront Airport. The airline has since gone out of business.-Business:...

, founded by aviation legend Gerald Weller in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

. The airline was based at Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport, becoming the airport's first commercial carrier. Though airlines had come and gone from Burke over the years, Wright Airlines
Wright Airlines
Wright Airlines, founded in Cleveland, OH in 1966 is regarded as the first United States Regional airline. The airline was based in Cleveland at Burke Lakefront Airport. The airline has since gone out of business.-Business:...

 endured, and by the time the airline declared bankruptcy in the late 1980s, it was appropriately the last commercial airline to leave Burke Lakefront Airport. (Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

's commercial traffic has since been consolidated at the city's larger Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is a public airport located nine miles southwest of the central business district of Cleveland, a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The airport lies just within the city limits of Cleveland...

).

Some of the original regional airlines (then known as Local Service airlines) sanctioned by the Civil Aeronautics Board in the 1940s and 1950s include:
  • Allegheny Airlines
    Allegheny Airlines
    Allegheny Airlines was an airline operating out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1952 to 1979. It was a forerunner of today’s US Airways. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia....

  • Bonanza Air Lines
    Bonanza Air Lines
    Bonanza Air Lines was an international and domestic regional airline in operation from 1945 to 1968, with routes in the Western United States and Mexico...

  • Central Airlines
    Central Airlines
    Central Airlines was a regional airline providing service in Texas and Oklahoma from 1949 to 1967. Central was founded by Keith Kahle in 1944 to operate charter and fixed base services in Oklahoma. Due to financing difficulties, it did not begin scheduled air service until September 15, 1949, just...

  • Frontier Airlines
    Frontier Airlines (1950-1986)
    Frontier Airlines was formed from a merger of Arizona Airways, Challenger Airlines, and Monarch Airlines on June 1, 1950. They established their headquarters at Stapleton Airport in Denver. However, the airline dated itself to November 27, 1946, when Monarch Airlines began service in Colorado,...

  • Lake Central Airlines
    Lake Central Airlines
    Lake Central Airlines was an airline that served points in the midwestern United States from 1950 to 1968, when it was merged into Allegheny Airlines. Founded as Roscoe Turner Airlines, the company was based at Weir-Cook Airport in Indianapolis, IN. It serviced communities principally in...

  • Mohawk Airlines
    Mohawk Airlines
    Mohawk Airlines was an airline that operated in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, primarily the states of New York and Pennsylvania from the mid-1940s until its acquisition by Allegheny Airlines in 1972...

  • North Central Airlines
    North Central Airlines
    North Central Airlines was founded as Wisconsin Central Airlines in 1944 in Clintonville, Wisconsin. It was headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Early history:...

  • Ozark Airlines
  • Piedmont Airlines
    Piedmont Airlines (1948-1989)
    Piedmont Airlines was a major airline in the United States which operated from 1948 until its operations were merged into USAir in 1989. Its headquarters were located at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a building which is now part of Wake Forest University.As of April 1989,...

  • Southern Airways
    Southern Airways
    Southern Airways was a regional airline operating in the United States from its founding by Frank Hulse in 1949 until 1979 when it merged with North Central Airlines to become Republic Airlines, which on October 1, 1986, became part of Northwest Airlines, which in 2008 became a part of Delta Air...

  • Southwest Airways (renamed Pacific Air Lines in 1958)
  • West Coast Airlines
    West Coast Airlines
    West Coast Airlines was a U.S. domestic and international regional airline linking smaller communities with larger cities in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Montana, California and northward to southern Canada...



None of these airlines survives today; some airlines use these names today but are not the direct successors to the original airlines.

Since the Airline Deregulation Act
Airline Deregulation Act
The Airline Deregulation Act is a United States federal law signed into law on October 24, 1978. The main purpose of the act was to remove government control over fares, routes and market entry from commercial aviation...

 of 1978, the US federal government has continued support of the regional airline sector to ensure many of the smaller and more isolated rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...

 communities remain connected to air services. This is encouraged with the Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which, prior to deregulation, were served by certificated airlines, maintained commercial service. Its aim is to maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service to these...

 program that subsidizes airline service to smaller U.S. communities
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...

 and suburban centers, aiming to maintain year-round service.

An alternative to some regional airline service may be the new Small Aircraft Transportation System
Small Aircraft Transportation System
The Small Aircraft Transportation System is a joint research project between the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , along with local airports and aviation authorities...

 initiative in conjunction with general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...

 and VLJs (very light jets). With the introduction of air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...

 VLJs, city pair links to smaller communities lacking regional connections could become more common.

North America

Many large airlines, especially in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, have established operational relationships with one or more regional airline companies. Their aircraft often use the aircraft livery
Aircraft livery
Aircraft livery is a paint scheme applied to an aircraft, generally to fuselage, wings, empennage , or jet engines. Most airlines have a standard paint scheme for their aircraft fleet, usually prominently displaying the airline logo or name. From time to time special liveries are introduced, for...

 for the company they are operating flights for. These airlines can be subsidiaries
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...

 of the major airline or fly under a code sharing
Code sharing
A codeshare agreement, sometimes simply codeshare, is an aviation business arrangement where two or more airlines share the same flight. A seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a cooperating airline under a different flight number or code...

 agreement. An example would be the fully owned AMR Corporation's American Eagles Holdings Corporation
American Eagle Airlines
American Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...

 regional subsidiaries "American Eagle Airlines" and Executive Airlines
Executive Airlines
Executive Airlines, Inc. is an airline headquartered in Carolina, Puerto Rico.Executive Airlines operates an extensive inter-island network in the Caribbean and to the Bahamas and the USA in American Eagle colors. Its main base is Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, San Juan. In addition,...

 which fly under the similar American Eagle brand.

Characteristics of Regional Airlines


  • Regional commuter airline (carriers)http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/aviation/certific/caclist.pdf fly and operate with their own ICAO or IATA codes, their own call sign, with a fleet of aircraft with 9-19 passenger seats, no flight attendant, non-stand up cabins, and function with or without an individual identity and brand, even though an individually operating certificated regional airline company. In many instances, the regional commuter airline may be owed by a conglomerate
    Conglomerate (company)
    A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure , usually involving a parent company and several subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company...

     airline holding company
    Holding company
    A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...

    , or may be a completely independent and individually owned regional commuter airline company. Most usually aircraft are routed via the point-to-point
    Point-to-point transit
    Point-to-point transit refers to a transportation system where a plane, bus or train travels directly to a destination, rather than going through a central hub...

     transit models of aircraft routing.http://www.atwonline.com/channels/airlineFocus/article.html?articleID=1160

  • Regional feeder-airline (carriers) fly and operate with their own ICAO or IATA codes, their own call sign, and fly and operate aircraft with 9-99 passenger seats, without an individual corporate identity
    Corporate identity
    In Corporate Communications, a corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives...

     or brand,
    even though an individually operating certificated regional feeder airline company. In many instances, the regional feeder airline may be owed by a conglomerate airline holding company, or may be a completely independent and individually owned regional feeder airline company. Most usually aircraft are routed via the hub-and-spoke model
    Spoke-hub distribution paradigm
    The hub-and-spoke distribution paradigm is a system of connections arranged like a chariot wheel, in which all traffic moves along spokes connected to the hub at the center...

     of aircraft routing.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/regional-turboprop.htm

  • Regional airline carriers are federally operating certificated airlines which operate their own fleet of aircraft with their own brand, ICAO or IATA code, and their own call sign, upon a fleet of aircraft with 9-99 seats and always include at least one fleet of aircraft which requires a flight attendant
    Flight attendant
    Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...

    . Typically aircraft are routed upon both the hub-and-spoke
    Spoke-hub distribution paradigm
    The hub-and-spoke distribution paradigm is a system of connections arranged like a chariot wheel, in which all traffic moves along spokes connected to the hub at the center...

     and the point-to-point transit
    Point-to-point transit
    Point-to-point transit refers to a transportation system where a plane, bus or train travels directly to a destination, rather than going through a central hub...

     models of aircraft routing.http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/aviation/domav/regjets.pdf This category of airline carrier, being independent of regional feeder-airline arrangements with major airline carriers, typically are not shaped or size / growth constrained due to scope
    Scope clause
    A scope clause is part of a contract between an airline and a pilot union. Generally, these clauses are used by the union of a Major airline to limit the number and/or size of aircraft that airline may contract out to a Regional airline...

     agreements http://seekingalpha.com/article/207801-regional-airlines-challenging-investor-perceptions in place with mainline carriers which the feeder-airlines supplement.

  • Airline carriers operate their own fleet of aircraft with their own brand and identity, ICAO or IATA code, and their own call sign. Federally operating certificated regional airlines http://www.airlines.org/products/AirlineHandbookCh3.htm are considered airlines. California Pacific Airlines
    California Pacific Airlines
    California Pacific Airlines is a planned airline that is headquartered on the grounds of McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California.-History:In 2009, 89-year old Ted Vallas proposed starting a new airline out of Palomar Airport...

     is one of the newest airlines in the US, which observers may mistakenly call a regional airline because of its tendency to fly smaller under 100 passenger short haul aircraft.


United States regional brands

Larger airline holding companies
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...

, to improve their market penetration, rely on operators of smaller aircraft to provide service or added frequency service to some airports.

Such airlines, often operating in code-share arrangements with mainline airlines, often completely repaint http://www.eturbonews.com/7932/commuter-airlines-bring-anxiety-business-travelers their aircraft fleet in the mainline airline's sub-brand livery. For example, Continental Connection regional airline partner CommutAir
CommutAir
Champlain Enterprises, Inc., operating name CommutAir, is an American regional airline with its headquarters in South Burlington, Vermont and its operations center in North Olmsted, Ohio. It operates under the name Continental Connection for United Continental Holdings, with its main bases at...

 paints its entire fleet in Continental Connection
Continental Connection
Continental Connection is a brand name under which several commuter airline carriers and their holding companies operate services marketed exclusively by Continental Airlines...

 colors. On the other hand, regional airline Gulfstream International Airlines
Gulfstream International Airlines
Gulfstream International Group, Inc., operating as Gulfstream International Airlines , is a United States airline based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It operates scheduled and charter services to Florida and Bahamas and the Caribbean. It operates as a United Express carrier for United Airlines...

 paints none of its aircraft in Continental Connection colors. Colgan Air
Colgan Air
Colgan Air, Inc. is an American certificated regional airline subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. The headquarters of Colgan Air are located in Memphis, Tennessee....

 paints a handful of aircraft in their own Colgan Air colors, but most in the colors of Continental Connection
Continental Connection
Continental Connection is a brand name under which several commuter airline carriers and their holding companies operate services marketed exclusively by Continental Airlines...

, US Airways Express
US Airways Express
US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from...

, and United Express
United Express
United Express is a brand name under which eight regional airlines operate feeder flights for United Airlines. They primarily connect smaller cities with United's domestic hub airports and “focus cities,” although they offer some point-to-point service such as Sacramento to Eureka.As of Sept...

, with whom it has contractual agreements.

Hyannis Air Service, owners of regional airline Cape Air
Cape Air
Hyannis Air Service, Inc., operating as Cape Air, is an airline headquartered at Barnstable Municipal Airport in Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States. It operates scheduled passenger services in the Northeast, Florida, the Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic States, Midwest, and Micronesia...

, is also a Continental Connection
Continental Connection
Continental Connection is a brand name under which several commuter airline carriers and their holding companies operate services marketed exclusively by Continental Airlines...

 code-share partner for Continental Micronesia
Continental Micronesia
Continental Micronesia, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental Airlines. It operated daily flights to Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as international services to Asia, Micronesia and Australia from its base of operations at Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport on Guam, a U.S. territory in...

, but at the same time runs a sub-branded fleet of aircraft for itself and Hyannis Air Service but under its own brand name of Nantucket Airlines
Nantucket Airlines
Nantucket Airlines is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cape Air based in Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States.The airline offers regularly scheduled passenger service between Barnstable Municipal Airport in Hyannis and Nantucket Memorial Airport on the island of Nantucket...

. Many airline passengers find all this sub-branding very confusing, while many other airline passengers are content to think they are on a mainline or flagship airline's aircraft, while in actuality they are far from it. As described this sub-branding is pretty consistent throughout the airline industry of the United States, with all the regional airlines, mainline airlines, and the regional airline holding companies, as well as the mainline airlines holding companies participating.

Historically, one of the first independently owned and managed airlines in the entire world that was to rebrand its flying in another larger airlines image and colour scheme was Air Alpes of France. During 1974, Air Alpes painted its newly delivered short range feeder airliner regional jets into the colors of Air France. The success of the "rebranding" or "pseudo branding" of a much smaller airline into the name recognition of a much larger one soon became clear as passenger numbers soared at Air Alpes, and it was soon decided to paint other aircraft such as the Fokker F-27 into full Air France colours as well.

Among some of the more well-known advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...

 sub-brands used by the larger mainline
Mainline (flight)
A mainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares or regional subsidiaries...

 airlines in North America are:
  • Allegheny Commuter (defunct)
  • America West Express
    America West Express
    America West Express was the name for America West Airlines commuter and regional flights operated by Mesa Air Group's Mesa Airlines under a code share agreement...

     (acquired, now operates as US Airways Express
    US Airways Express
    US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from...

    )
  • American Eagle (extant, for detailed information about the brand refer to American Eagle, as discussed under Executive Airlines
    Executive Airlines
    Executive Airlines, Inc. is an airline headquartered in Carolina, Puerto Rico.Executive Airlines operates an extensive inter-island network in the Caribbean and to the Bahamas and the USA in American Eagle colors. Its main base is Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, San Juan. In addition,...

     operations, and American Eagle Airlines
    American Eagle Airlines
    American Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...

     code-share operations inherited from TWA Connection)
  • AmericanConnection
    AmericanConnection
    AmericanConnection is a brand name used by Chautauqua Airlines in the operation of passenger air service as a regional affiliate of American Airlines at its Chicago hub...

  • ATA Connection
    ATA Connection
    C8 and ATA Connection are the defunct IATA code designator and DBA name of Chicago Express Airlines, which in its later years was doing business as ATA Connection, and was the trademark codeshare name and brand used by the renamed parent company of ATA Holdings Inc...

     (defunct)
  • Continental Connection
    Continental Connection
    Continental Connection is a brand name under which several commuter airline carriers and their holding companies operate services marketed exclusively by Continental Airlines...

  • Continental Express
    Continental Express
    Continental Express is the operating brand name used by a number of independently owned regional airlines providing regional jet feeder service under agreement with Continental Airlines...

  • Delta Connection
    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...

  • Frontier JetExpress
  • Midwest Connect
    Midwest Connect
    Midwest Connect was the brand name for the regional airline service of Midwest Airlines, rather than a certificated airline carrier. Skyway Airlines was the sole operator of Midwest Connect since its inception in 1989, until SkyWest Airlines began additional Midwest Connect service on April 1, 2007...

  • Midway Connect (defunct)
  • Northwest Airlink
    Northwest Airlink
    Northwest Airlink was the trade name of Northwest Airlines' regional airline service, which flew turboprop and regional jet aircraft from Northwest's domestic hubs in Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis...

     (acquired, now Delta Connection)
  • Pan Am Express
    Pan Am Express
    Pan Am Express was a regional airline of the United States. Initially a banner carrier brand operated by Ransome Airlines, it later entered a codeshare-like affiliated arrangement with Pan American World Airways....

     (defunct)
  • United Express
    United Express
    United Express is a brand name under which eight regional airlines operate feeder flights for United Airlines. They primarily connect smaller cities with United's domestic hub airports and “focus cities,” although they offer some point-to-point service such as Sacramento to Eureka.As of Sept...

  • US Airways Express
    US Airways Express
    US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from...



Among some of the lesser known smaller advertising brand used by the regional airlines and their regional airlines parent company are listed below. Many of these airlines have had contentious histories as has often been discussed in detail within the context of the d/b/a sub-brand or brands individual sections dealing with their holding companies or certificated airlines.
  • go!
    Go! (airline)
    Go! , based in Honolulu is a regional brand of Phoenix, Arizona based Mesa Airlines. Go! operates inter island services within Hawaii. Its main base is Honolulu International Airport...

    • a regional airline brand of Mesa Airlines
      Mesa Airlines
      Mesa Airlines, Inc. is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a FAA Part 121 certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group. It was known briefly as Mountain West Airlines from...

      , itself a subsidiary of the regional airline holding company Mesa Air Group
      Mesa Air Group
      Mesa Air Group, Inc. is a Nevada Corporation commercial aviation holding company with headquarters in Suite 100 at 410 North 44th Street in the Camelback East area of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The company operates one regional airline subsidiary: Mesa Airlines, and five supporting...

      .
  • go!Express
    • a regional airline brand, used in a codeshare arrangement by regional airline Mokulele Airlines
      Mokulele Airlines
      Mokulele Airlines, is an American commuter airline headquartered in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii. The airline operates scheduled inter-island and charter flights primarily among Hawaii's smaller airports.-History:...

       for Mesa Air Group's, Mesa Airlines
      Mesa Airlines
      Mesa Airlines, Inc. is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a FAA Part 121 certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group. It was known briefly as Mountain West Airlines from...

       airline division known as go!
  • PWExpress
    • a regional airline brand of the regional airline named Pacific Wings
      Pacific Wings
      Pacific Wings Airlines is an American commuter airline headquartered in Dallas, Texas, United States. It operates over 90 daily scheduled departures, as well as VIP charter air services throughout Hawaii. Its main base is Kahului Airport.- History :...

      , IATA code (LW) which is owned by Pacific Air Holdings company.
  • New Mexico Airlines
    • a regional airline brand of the regional airline named Pacific Wings, IATA code (LW) which is owned by Pacific Air Holdings company. New Mexico Airlines was set up to take over the Air Midwest flying dropped by Mesa Air Group
  • Mesa
    • a regional airline brand used by the regional airline Air Midwest
      Air Midwest
      Air Midwest, Inc., was a Federal Aviation Administration Part 121 certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number AMWA510A issued on May 15, 1965. It was headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, United States, and was a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group. It operated flights as US...

      , a subsidiary for the regional airline holding company Mesa Air Group
      Mesa Air Group
      Mesa Air Group, Inc. is a Nevada Corporation commercial aviation holding company with headquarters in Suite 100 at 410 North 44th Street in the Camelback East area of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The company operates one regional airline subsidiary: Mesa Airlines, and five supporting...


  • Nantucket Airlines
    Nantucket Airlines
    Nantucket Airlines is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cape Air based in Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States.The airline offers regularly scheduled passenger service between Barnstable Municipal Airport in Hyannis and Nantucket Memorial Airport on the island of Nantucket...

    • a feeder airline marketing brand operated by feeder and regional airline Cape Air
      Cape Air
      Hyannis Air Service, Inc., operating as Cape Air, is an airline headquartered at Barnstable Municipal Airport in Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States. It operates scheduled passenger services in the Northeast, Florida, the Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic States, Midwest, and Micronesia...

       which is wholly owned by the regional airline holding company Hyaniss Air Services.
  • Pan Am Clipper Connection (Defunct)http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/
    • an airline brand operated by defunct regional airline Boston-Maine Airways
      Boston-Maine Airways
      Boston-Maine Airways was an American airline headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States. It operated scheduled commuter services under the Pan Am Clipper Connection banner. Its main base was Pease International Airport, Portsmouth...

       for the airline holding company Pan Am System's
      Pan Am Systems
      Pan Am Systems is a privately held company that controls the following divisions: rail transport; manufacturing and energy; transportation related brands; real estate; and a now-defunct airline division. The company is headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.-History:Guilford Transportation...

      .

United States regional airline holdings companies

Many small regional airlines have grown substantially, usually through the use of virtual mergers by use of the regional airline holding company as pioneered earlier by AMR Corporation in 1982. AMR created the AMR Eagle Holding Corporation
AMR Corp.
AMR Corporation is a commercial aviation business and airline holding company based in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Formed in 1982, as part of American Airlines's non-bankruptcy reorganization into a Delaware corporation, its name derives from American Airlines's ticker symbol on the New York...

 which unified its wholly owned American Eagle Airlines
American Eagle Airlines
American Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...

 and Executive Airlines
Executive Airlines
Executive Airlines, Inc. is an airline headquartered in Carolina, Puerto Rico.Executive Airlines operates an extensive inter-island network in the Caribbean and to the Bahamas and the USA in American Eagle colors. Its main base is Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, San Juan. In addition,...

 under one division, but still maintained the regionals operating certificate
Operating certificate
Operating certificate is a category of license issued by a government agency allowing an individual or company to provide a controlled type of service. These certificates are generally issued for a limited time period...

s and personnel separate from each other and American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...

.
Among the more significant of these airline holding companies are.
  • Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
    Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
    Pinnacle Airlines Corp. is an American holding company headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, which is the parent company of three airlines: Pinnacle Airlines, Mesaba Airlines and Colgan Air...

     "holders" of the airline air carrier operating certificates of
    • Colgan Air
      Colgan Air
      Colgan Air, Inc. is an American certificated regional airline subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. The headquarters of Colgan Air are located in Memphis, Tennessee....

    • Mesaba Airlines
      Mesaba Airlines
      Mesaba Airlines is an American regional airline based in Eagan, Minnesota. The airline operates under Mesaba Aviation, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corporation...

    • Pinnacle Airlines
      Pinnacle Airlines
      Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. is an American regional airline, which is a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp., and operates as Delta Connection for Delta Air Lines...

  • Republic Airways Holdings
    Republic Airways Holdings
    Republic Airways Holdings, Inc. is an aviation holding corporation based in Indianapolis, Indiana, which owns six airlines operating in the United States: Chautauqua Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Republic Airlines, Shuttle America, and the former Lynx Aviation....

    • Chautauqua Airlines
      Chautauqua Airlines
      Chautauqua Airlines, Inc. is a regional airline and a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Based on 2009 published flight schedules, it operates scheduled passenger services on more than 700 flights daily to 98 airports in 31 states, Washington, D.C...

    • Republic Airlines
      Republic Airlines
      Republic Airline, Inc., operating as Republic Airlines is a regional airline subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings that operates service as Frontier Airlines, Midwest Airlines and US Airways Express using a fleet of Bombardier Q400, Embraer 170, Embraer 175 and Embraer 190 aircraft...

    • Shuttle America
      Shuttle America
      Shuttle America Corporation is a regional airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. It feeds United Airlines flights at Chicago, Denver, and Washington as United Express, and feeds Delta Air Lines flights at Atlanta and New York as Delta Connection and Delta Shuttle.-History:Shuttle America...

  • SkyWest, Inc.
    SkyWest, Inc.
    SkyWest, Inc. is the parent company of SkyWest Airlines , Atlantic Southeast Airlines, and ExpressJet Airlines. It is headquartered in St. George, Utah, United States.-History:...

    • SkyWest Airlines
      Skywest Airlines
      Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline company based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia; servicing key towns in the state of Western Australia, Darwin, Northern Territory and Melbourne, Victoria; as well as charter flights to Bali, Indonesia....

    • Atlantic Southeast Airlines
      Atlantic Southeast Airlines
      Atlantic Southeast Airlines is an American airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia, flying to 144 destinations as a Delta Connection carrier and, as of February 2010, commenced service as a United Express carrier. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. ASA operates...

  • Trans States Holdings
    Trans States Holdings
    Trans States Holdings is a privately owned holding company of three certified regional airlines: Compass Airlines, GoJet Airlines and Trans States Airlines. The holding company is headquartered in Brigeton, Missouri near the Lambert-St...

     "holders" of the airline air carrier operating certificates of
    • Compass Airlines (North America)
      Compass Airlines (North America)
      Compass Airlines is a regional airline headquartered at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Fort Snelling, Hennepin County, Minnesota; prior to December 16, 2009, it was headquartered in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, east of the Chantilly CDP...

    • GoJet
      GoJet Airlines
      GoJet Airlines LLC is a company headquartered in Bridgeton, Missouri, United States and is wholly owned by Trans States Holdings with 570 employees. It operates commuter feeder services under the United Express name...

    • Trans States Airlines
      Trans States Airlines
      Trans States Airlines is the thirteenth largest American regional airline and is headquartered in Bridgeton, Missouri. It operates as United Express for United Airlines and US Airways Express for US Airways.- History :...


European regional airlines

European regional airlines serve the intra-continental sector in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. They connect cities to major airports and to other cities, avoiding the need for passengers to make transfers.

For example, BA CityFlyer
BA CityFlyer
BA CityFlyer is a wholly owned subsidiary airline of British Airways based in Didsbury, Manchester, England. It operates a network of domestic and European services from London City Airport...

 a regional subsidiary of British Airways uses the basic Chatham Dockyard Union Flag livery
British Airways ethnic liveries
In 1997 British Airways adopted a new livery. One part of this was a newly stylised version of the British Airways "Speedbird" logo, but the major change was the introduction of tail-fin art. Also known as the Utopia or world image tailfins, they used art and designs from international artists and...

 of its parent company
Parent company
A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company...

 and flies between domestic and European cities. In a slightly different category ExpressJet Airlines
ExpressJet Airlines
ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. is an American regional airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlantic Southeast Airlines which is in turn a subsidiary of the airline holding company SkyWest, Inc., parent company of the air carrier SkyWest...

 another regional carrier, but one which is independently owned and managed, although its 205 aircraft fleet operates in the marketing brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...

 of Continental Airlines, Inc.
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...

, Continental Express
Continental Express
Continental Express is the operating brand name used by a number of independently owned regional airlines providing regional jet feeder service under agreement with Continental Airlines...

. In these roles, all of the preceding airlines are operated primarily to bring passengers to the major hubs, where they will connect for longer distance flights on the national airlines also known as flagship carriers
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...

's, larger aircraft. The smallest regional carriers have become known as feeder airlines. The separate corporate structure allows the company to operate under different pay schedules, typically paying much less than their mainline
Mainline (flight)
A mainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares or regional subsidiaries...

 owners.

Some of Europe's regional airlines are subsidiaries of national air carriers, though there remains a strong entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...

ial sector of independents. They are based on business models ranging from the traditional full service airline to low cost carriers. Innovations include one where the passenger is required to join a membership club before being allowed to fly.

Some examples of European regional airlines include:

  • Air Nostrum
    Air Nostrum
    Air Nostrum, Líneas Aéreas del Mediterráneo, S.A., also known as Iberia Regional, is a regional airline based in Valencia, Spain. Air Nostrum is an independent carrier which operates as a franchisee of Iberia Airlines. Iberia Regional franchise is a regional partner of Iberia and an affiliate...

  • Air Southwest
    Air Southwest
    Air Southwest was a British airline owned by Eastern Airways. It operated regional scheduled passenger services in the South West of England. Its main base was Plymouth City Airport, with hubs at Newquay Cornwall Airport and Bristol Airport...

  • Aer Arann
    Aer Arann
    Aer Arann is a regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. Aer Arann operates scheduled services from Ireland and the Isle of Man to destinations in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, with a fleet of 18 aircraft. Aer Arann has expanded from a single aircraft to Ireland's third largest airline...

  • Aurigny Air Services
    Aurigny Air Services
    Aurigny Air Services was founded by Sir Derrick Bailey and started operations on 1 March 1968 after British United Airways withdrew the Alderney to Guernsey route...

  • Blue Islands
    Blue Islands
    Blue Islands Limited is an airline of the Channel Islands. Its head office is in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey, and its registered office is in Saint Anne, Alderney. It operates scheduled services from and within the Channel Islands and the UK and the Isle of Man...

  • Cimber Air
  • CityJet
    Cityjet
    CityJet Limited is an Irish regional airline headquartered in the Swords Business Campus in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. It operates at London City Airport, and flies franchise services on behalf of its parent company Air France from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Since the take over of VLM...

  • Eastern Airways
    Eastern Airways
    Eastern Airways is an airline with its head office at Humberside Airport in Kirmington, North Lincolnshire, England. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and private charter services...

  • Flybe
    Flybe
    Flybe Group PLC is a British low-cost regional airline headquartered at the Jack Walker House at Exeter International Airport in Devon, England...

  • Portugália
    Portugália
    Portugália is a regional airline with its head office in Lisbon, Portugal, and a subsidiary of TAP Portugal. When it was an independent company its head office was in Building 70 on the grounds of Portela Airport in Lisbon...

  • VLM
    VLM Airlines
    VLM Airlines is a Belgian airline whose head office is in Airport Building B50 at Antwerp International Airport in Deurne, Antwerp...



Asian regional airlines

SilkAir
SilkAir
SilkAir Private Limited is an airline based in Singapore. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines and operates scheduled passenger services from Singapore to 31 cities in Southeast Asia, South Asia and China. It has its head office on the fifth storey of SIA Superhub 1...

 is the regional wing of Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...

 and operates scheduled passenger services from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

 to 37 cities in the region of Southeast Asia, South Asia and China. This airline differs from airlines in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 and Middle America
Middle America (Americas)
Middle America is a region in the mid-latitudes of the Americas. In southern North America, it usually comprises Mexico, the nations of Central America, and the West Indies. The scope of the term may vary...

 in that it uses "mainline
Mainline (flight)
A mainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares or regional subsidiaries...

 sized equipment" that is aircraft with a seating capacity greater than 99 passenger, but uniquely receives the designation of a "regional airline" subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...

 by its aforementioned airline parent company
Parent company
A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company...

.

See also


External links

  • Regional Airline Association (US)
  • Regional Airline Partners (US)
  • European Regions Airline Association (EU)
  • Regional Aviation Association of Australia (Aus)
  • Frontline - Flying Cheap - February 9, 2010. One year after the deadly crash of Continental 3407
    Colgan Air Flight 3407
    Colgan Air Flight 3407, marketed as Continental Connection under a codeshare agreement with Continental Airlines, was a daily U.S. regional airline commuter flight from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York State.A Bombardier...

    , FRONTLINE investigate the safety
    Air safety
    Air safety is a term encompassing the theory, investigation and categorization of flight failures, and the prevention of such failures through regulation, education and training. It can also be applied in the context of campaigns that inform the public as to the safety of air travel.-United...

    issues associated with regional airlines.
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