Compass Airlines (North America)

Compass Airlines, LLC

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Airline
Founded	2006
Defunct	2020
Fate	Ceased operations due to COVID-19 pandemic and loss of contracts
Headquarters	Fort Snelling, Minnesota , United States
Area served	United States
Products	Regional airline services
Number of employees	2000+ (2016)
Parent	Trans States Holdings (from 2010)

Compass Airlines, LLC operated as a regional carrier within the United States from 2006 until 2020, with its headquarters located in the Delta Air Lines Building C at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport in Fort Snelling, Minnesota. The airline originally was headquartered in Fairfax County, Virginia, and commenced service in May 2007 using a Bombardier CRJ200 under the Northwest Airlink brand. By December 2008, its fleet had grown to include 36 aircraft, incorporating Embraer 175 jets.

Initially established as a fully owned subsidiary of Northwest Airlines and subsequently Delta Air Lines, Compass was sold to Trans States Holdings in July 2010. This transition made Compass the last active airline originating from the former Northwest Airlines Group. At its operational height in 2016, the airline managed a fleet of 62 planes and employed more than 2,000 personnel, completing over 1.5 million flights during its existence.

Operations ceased on April 5, 2020, as a result of diminished travel demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and unsuccessful attempts by ownership to secure additional flight contracts. The shutdown occurred shortly after the closure of sister company Trans States Airlines, leaving GoJet Airlines as the only remaining carrier under Trans States Holdings.

History

The formation of Compass Airlines was triggered by a contract dispute between Northwest Airlines and its pilots' union, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). An agreement was reached permitting a limited number of 76-seat aircraft to be operated by subcontracted regional pilots, with mechanisms allowing pilot "flow-up" and "flow-down" between mainline and regional flights.

To facilitate this arrangement, Northwest purchased the operating certificate of the bankrupt Independence Air in March 2006 for $2 million. Under the pilot agreement, Compass was restricted to operating aircraft with no more than 76 seats. The airline obtained approval from the Department of Transportation on September 28, 2006, followed by FAA certification in April 2007 to commence commercial operations using CRJ200 aircraft.

Compass conducted its inaugural revenue flight on May 2, 2007, flying from Washington Dulles to Minneapolis–Saint Paul and expanded its fleet to include Embraer jets by August 2007. On July 1, 2010, Delta Air Lines sold Compass to Trans States Holdings for $20.5 million. Despite this change in ownership, Compass maintained strong operational connections with Delta, including its headquarters remaining within a Delta-owned facility and continuing to use a logo inspired by Northwest Airlines.

In March 2015, Compass began flying Embraer 175 jets for American Airlines under the American Eagle brand, broadening its operational footprint. However, in August 2019, Delta announced plans to end its regional flying contract with Compass as part of an initiative to decrease the number of regional carriers operating under Delta Connection. This decision resulted in reducing the fleet from 56 aircraft down to 20 by mid-2020, with all Delta-owned Embraer 175 jets withdrawn by April 2020.

Before ceasing operations, Compass maintained maintenance facilities at Phoenix, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle/Tacoma. Early in 2020, it closed crew bases at Phoenix and Seattle-Tacoma due to declining demand. In March 2020, facing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air travel demand, Compass announced it would halt all operations effective April 7. The airline’s final flight was American Eagle Flight 6047 from Tulsa to Los Angeles on April 5.

A planned acquisition of Compass by Breeze Airways was announced but ultimately did not proceed.

Labor relations

Compass Airlines' pilots and flight attendants were both represented by unions, with the Air Line Pilots Association advocating for the pilots and the Association of Flight Attendants representing the flight attendants.

In May 2013, after overcoming previous negotiation difficulties, flight attendants ratified a five-year agreement that provided salary increases, enhanced 401(k) contributions, signing bonuses, and better working conditions.

In 2010, the airline encountered public scrutiny when it terminated a flight attendant who revealed that she qualified for food stamp assistance despite being employed full-time.

Fleet

Prior to halting operations, Compass Airlines' fleet mainly consisted of Embraer 175 jets:

Aircraft	Quantity	Orders	F	E+	Y	Total Seating	Remarks
Embraer 175	36	—	12	20	44	76	Flown as Northwest Airlink and subsequently Delta Connection. These aircraft were leased from Delta Air Lines and later reassigned to SkyWest Airlines (10 units) and Republic Airways (26 units).
Embraer 175	20	—	12	20	44	76	Operated under the American Eagle banner, leased from American Airlines Group. All were stored following the airline's closure and subsequently transferred to Envoy Air.
Total	56	—

All Embraer 170 and 175 aircraft were equipped with GoGo Inflight Internet WiFi and streaming entertainment services. The Embraer 175s owned by Northwest featured structural enhancements for Advanced Range (AR) capabilities and were certified with an increased maximum takeoff weight of 89,000 pounds in accordance with pilot scope clauses. These planes also had specialized cabin configurations including expanded galley storage and jumpseats designed to facilitate employee commuting and training activities.

Historic fleet

Throughout its history, Compass Airlines operated the following types of aircraft:

Aircraft	Quantity	Orders	Seating Configuration				Remarks
			F	E+	Y	Total
Embraer 170
	6	0	9	12	48	69	Acquired from Virgin Blue, these jets operated as Delta Connection under lease from Delta Air Lines before being transferred to Republic Airways.
	Bombardier CRJ200	1	0	0	0	50	50	Served as part of the Northwest Airlink fleet, leased from Mesaba Airlines.
Total	7	0

Incidents

• On May 8, 2008, Compass Airlines Flight 2040 made an emergency landing in Fargo, North Dakota due to a fire originating in the restroom. The flight carried 74 passengers and four crew members, with no injuries reported. Subsequently, a flight attendant was convicted and received a seven-year prison sentence for igniting the blaze.
• On November 15, 2010, Flight 5887 was forced to return to Minneapolis after encountering a bird strike shortly after takeoff. The aircraft suffered significant damage, but none of the 80 individuals aboard were harmed.

See also

• List of defunct airlines of the United States