Chautauqua Airlines
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | May 3, 1973 in Jamestown, New York, United States |
| Defunct | December 31, 2014 |
| Fate | Operations consolidated into Shuttle America |
| Successor | Shuttle America |
| Headquarters | Indianapolis , United States |
Area served | United States and Canada |
Key people | Bryan Bedford (President & CEO) |
| Products | Regional airline services (code-sharing with Delta Connection, AmericanConnection, United Express, and others) |
| Owner | Republic Airways Holdings |
| Parent | Republic Airways Holdings |
Chautauqua Airlines, Inc. operated as a regional carrier within the United States and functioned as a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, with its headquarters located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to halting all operations on December 31, 2014, the airline serviced 52 airports throughout the U.S. and Canada via code-sharing partnerships with prominent airlines such as Delta Air Lines (operating as Delta Connection), American Airlines (under AmericanConnection), and United Airlines (as United Express).
Historically, the airline provided feeder flights for multiple carriers including Allegheny Airlines (Allegheny Commuter), USAir (USAir Express), Trans World Airlines (Trans World Express), Continental Airlines (Continental Express), Frontier Airlines (Frontier JetExpress), and America West Airlines (America West Express). Eventually, its operations were consolidated under the Shuttle America operating certificate.
Chautauqua maintained crew bases at several principal hubs such as LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Louisville International Airport, and Port Columbus International Airport.
History
- Republic Airways Holdings originated from Chautauqua. For more information, see: History of Republic Airways Holdings
Established on May 3, 1973, in Jamestown, New York, Chautauqua Airlines commenced flights on August 1, 1974, initially utilizing two Beechcraft 99 turboprops with a capacity of 15 seats each. The airline began operations under Allegheny Commuter and later transitioned to USAir Express. In 1984, the fleet expanded to include five Fairchild Metro III aircraft seating 19 passengers. Two years later, in 1986, Chautauqua was acquired by GAC, an affiliate of Guarantee Security Life Insurance Company, which modernized the fleet by adding twelve Saab 340 aircraft accommodating 30 passengers.
Chautauqua was among the final carriers operating within the original Allegheny Commuter regional franchise system. After being purchased by Wexford Management in January 1998 and incorporated into Republic Airways Holdings, the airline discontinued service from its initial base at Chautauqua County-Jamestown Airport.
Expansion Phase
In 1998, Chautauqua signed a contract with Embraer for ten ERJ-145 regional jets configured with 50 seats. The next year marked the beginning of a ten-year codeshare agreement with Trans World Airlines (TWA), during which Chautauqua operated at least fifteen ERJ-145 aircraft. Following American Airlines’ acquisition of TWA in 2001, this feeder service was extended at St. Louis using ERJ-140 jets. Between 2001 and 2003, Chautauqua collaborated with America West to operate America West Express services across the Eastern United States. Additionally, in 2002, it initiated regional jet operations for Delta Air Lines in Florida. By 2004, United Airlines contracted Chautauqua to fly sixteen ERJ-145 jets under the United Express brand.
In 2004, Republic Airways Holdings revealed a jet service agreement with US Airways involving Embraer E170 and E190 aircraft. Chautauqua became one of the earliest U.S. operators of the E170; however, due to pilot union scope clause limitations at American Airlines, these jets were reassigned to sister carrier Shuttle America in 2005. Early in 2007, Chautauqua incorporated twenty-four Bombardier CRJ aircraft through a codeshare with Continental Airlines but eventually retired all CRJs from its fleet.
A new maintenance center capable of servicing nine aircraft simultaneously was established by Chautauqua at Louisville International Airport in 2006. Maintenance activities also took place at facilities in Indianapolis, Columbus, Louisville, and St. Louis. Heavy maintenance checks for ERJ-135/140/145 models were centralized at the Columbus location.
In April 2010, the FAA proposed a penalty totaling $348,000 against Chautauqua for allegedly neglecting mandatory inspections over a three-year period, including operating an Embraer 145 aircraft for 43 days beyond the specified replacement interval for an inertial navigation unit.
Wind down
In October 2012, Republic Airways Holdings amended its contract with Delta Air Lines to operate an additional seven 50-seat Embraer 145 jets under the Delta Connection banner. This move was part of a larger initiative aimed at cutting expenses and boosting revenue in response to a downturn in regional airline demand.
By spring 2014, Republic announced plans to reduce Chautauqua Airlines' activities by opting not to renew its United Airlines agreement for ERJ-145 flights out of Cleveland. Consequently, all 14 ERJ-145 aircraft were grounded by April 1 due to a shortage of pilots. Additionally, the company decided against renewing the AmericanConnection contract, which brought Chautauqua's AmericanConnection services to an end on August 18, 2014.
On July 28, 2014, Republic revealed that Chautauqua Airlines would be consolidated into Shuttle America before the end of the year as a cost-saving measure. The remaining fleet of 41 ERJ-145 planes was reassigned under Shuttle America's operating certificate, leading to the retirement of Chautauqua's certificate. The airline operated its final Delta Connection flight on December 31, 2014, with all personnel and maintenance operations absorbed by Shuttle America.
Awards
| Year | Organization | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Air Transport World (ATW) Industry Achievement Awards | Regional Airline of the Year |
| 2004 | Regional Airline World | Regional Airline of the Year |
| 2004 | Regional Airline World | Airline Executive of the Year (President & CEO Bryan Bedford) |
| 2006 | Flight International | Aviation Excellence Award |
| 2008 | Air Transport World (ATW) Industry Achievement Awards | Regional Airline of the Year |
See also
External links
- Official website (Archive)
- Republic Airways Holdings
- Articles with short description
- Regional Airline Association members
- Defunct regional airlines of the United States
- Defunct companies based in Indianapolis
- Airlines established in 1973
- Republic Airways
- American companies established in 1973
- Airlines disestablished in 2014
- Airlines based in Indiana
- 5
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment