Contour Airlines

Contour Airlines
Company type	Standalone regional airline
Industry	Aviation
Founded	2016
Founder	Contour Aviation
Headquarters	Smyrna, Tennessee, United States
Area served	United States (regional destinations)
Key people	Matt Chaifetz (President and CEO), Ben Munson (President, from January 2025), Greg Engel (Chief Pilot)
Products	Regional airline passenger services
Number of employees	800 (2024)
Parent	Contour Aviation (majority), SkyWest Airlines (25% ownership stake as of early 2024)
Website	contourairlines.com

Contour Airlines is a standalone regional airline based at Smyrna Airport in Smyrna, Tennessee, United States.

Operating under a public charter framework, Contour leases 30-seat regional jets from its parent company, Contour Aviation, and offers individual seats to passengers. This approach allows the employment of pilots certified for charter operations who might not fulfill the standard commercial flight experience or age criteria.

History

Established by Contour Aviation in 2016, Contour commenced flights on April 5, 2016, initiating service between Nashville and Tupelo, Mississippi. By April 2019, the airline phased out its Jetstream 31/32 aircraft to concentrate solely on the ERJ-135/145 series.

In February 2020, Contour revealed intentions to designate Indianapolis as a focus city and to expand its ERJ fleet to connect underserved regional destinations. Planned routes from Indianapolis to Nashville, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis were set for June 2020 but were postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Operations from Indianapolis resumed in October 2021 with initial routes to Milwaukee and Pittsburgh; however, these were discontinued within three months owing to diminished demand worsened by the omicron variant. CEO Matt Chaifetz reaffirmed the airline's ongoing dedication to the Indianapolis market despite these challenges.

Early 2024 saw regional operator SkyWest Airlines acquire a 25% ownership stake in Contour Airlines to utilize its operational infrastructure and expertise for launching SkyWest Charter under Part 135 regulations. Additionally, SkyWest plans to provide Contour with CRJ200 aircraft and collaborate on pilot hiring and retention efforts.

On October 1, 2024, Contour modified its route network linking smaller markets to new American Airlines hubs: Altoona's connection shifted from Philadelphia to Charlotte; Fort Leonard Wood and Cape Girardeau routes transitioned from Nashville to Chicago.

In January 2025, Ben Munson was named President of Contour Airlines, reporting directly to CEO Matt Chaifetz.

Corporate affairs

As of 2024, Contour Airlines' workforce numbers approximately 800 employees, including close to 200 pilots under the leadership of Chief Pilot Greg Engel. Since founding the company in 2016, Matt Chaifetz has served as president and CEO, guiding strategic initiatives aimed at growth and operational efficiency.

Corporate headquarters

Contour Airlines maintains its main office at 808 Blue Angel Way on the grounds of Smyrna Airport in Smyrna, Tennessee, near Nashville. This site functions as the operational headquarters housing the Systems Operations Control Center (SOC), Inflight Services Training Center (IFS), Reservations Call Center (RES), along with administrative departments. Centralizing these functions enhances coordination throughout the airline’s network and global activities.

Destinations

As of , Contour Airlines connects numerous locations across the United States with an emphasis on Essential Air Service (EAS) communities to broaden market reach and sustain competitive positioning. Principal hubs include Nashville (BNA), Charlotte (CLT), Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), and Denver (DEN). The carrier operates both seasonal and year-round flights linking smaller regional airports with major metropolitan areas, catering to business travelers and regional passengers alike.

> Kirksville > Kirksville Regional Airport > IRK > Chicago/O'Hare | EAS community

Beckley

Clarksburg

Lewisburg

Muscle Shoals

Paducah

Shenandoah

Fort Leonard Wood

Tupelo

Phoenix

Plattsburgh

Parkersburg

- Clarksburg
- North Central West Virginia Airport
- CKB
- Charlotte

- Lewisburg
- Greenbrier Valley Airport
- LWB
- Charlotte

Chicago/O'Hare (Seasonal)

- Parkersburg
- Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport
- PKB
- Beckley

City	Airport	IATA Code	Destinations
Template:Country data Alabama Template:Namespace detect showall Alabama
Muscle Shoals	Northwest Alabama Regional Airport	MSL	Charlotte Pensacola \| Seasonal; EAS community
Template:Country data Arizona Template:Namespace detect showall Arizona
Page	Page Municipal Airport	PGA	Seasonal; EAS community
Phoenix	Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport	PHX	Moab Page Show Low Vernal \|
Show Low	Show Low Regional Airport	SOW	EAS community
Template:Country data Colorado Template:Namespace detect showall Colorado
Denver	Denver International Airport	DEN	Moab Page \| Seasonal Taos Vernal \|
Template:Country data Florida Template:Namespace detect showall Florida
Pensacola	Pensacola International Airport	PNS	Seasonal; EAS community
Template:Country data Georgia Template:Namespace detect showall Georgia
Macon	Middle Georgia Regional Airport	MCN	EAS community
Template:Country data Illinois Template:Namespace detect showall Illinois
Chicago	O'Hare International Airport	ORD	Burlington Kirksville Lewisburg \| Seasonal routes expanding market presence Manistee Marion Owensboro Cape Girardeau Fort Leonard Wood \|
Marion	Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois	MWA	EAS community
Template:Country data Iowa Template:Namespace detect showall Iowa
Burlington	Southeast Iowa Regional Airport	BRL	EAS community
Template:Country data Kentucky Template:Namespace detect showall Kentucky
Paducah	Barkley Regional Airport	PAH	EAS community
Owensboro	Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport	OWB	EAS community
Template:Country data Michigan Template:Namespace detect showall Michigan
Manistee	Manistee County Blacker Airport	MBL	EAS community
Template:Country data Mississippi Template:Namespace detect showall Mississippi
Greenville	Greenville Mid-Delta Airport	GLH	EAS community
Tupelo	Tupelo Regional Airport	TUP	Nashville Dallas/Fort Worth \| EAS community
Template:Country data Missouri Template:Namespace detect showall Missouri
Cape Girardeau	Cape Girardeau Regional Airport	CGI	EAS community
Fort Leonard Wood	Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport	TBN	Chicago/O'Hare Dallas/Fort Worth \| EAS community

Routes No Longer Served

City	Airport	IATA Code	Former Destinations	Remarks
Template:Country data California Template:Namespace detect showall California
Crescent City	Del Norte County Airport	CEC	Oakland	AEAS community route; service transferred to Advanced Air as of March 17, 2024.
Oakland	Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport	OAK	Crescent City	Operations handed over to Advanced Air on March 17, 2024.
Palm Springs	Palm Springs International Airport	PSP	Sacramento (Seasonal)	Discontinued due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sacramento	Sacramento International Airport	SMF	Palm Springs (Seasonal) Santa Barbara	Service terminated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport	SBP	Las Vegas	Ceased operations owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara Municipal Airport	SBA	Las Vegas Oakland Sacramento	Service ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Template:Country data Florida Template:Namespace detect showall Florida
Destin	Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport	VPS	Bowling Green	Discontinued because of insufficient demand.
Tampa	Tampa International Airport	TPA	Charlotte Macon	Terminated due to low passenger interest.
Template:Country data Georgia (U.S. state)Template:Namespace detect showall Georgia
Atlanta	Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport	ATL	Bowling Green	Route discontinued because of weak demand.
Template:Country data Indiana Template:Namespace detect showall Indiana
Indianpolis	Indianapolis International Airport	IND	Milwaukee Nashville Pittsburgh	Operations halted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Template:Country data Kentucky Template:Namespace detect showall Kentucky
Bowling Green	Bowling Green–Warren County Regional Airport	BWG	Atlanta Destin-Fort Walton	Discontinued due to low market demand.
Template:Country data Maryland Template:Namespace detect showall Maryland
Baltimore	Baltimore/Washington International Airport	BWI	Macon	Service concluded April 30, 2025; replaced by Washington/Dulles route.

City !Airport !IATA Code !Former Destinations !Remarks

|- ! colspan="5" style="text-align: left;" | Missouri |- |St. Louis

|St. Louis Lambert International Airport 
|STL 
|Fort Leonard Wood 
|

|- ! colspan="5" style="text-align: left;" | Nevada |- |Las Vegas

|Harry Reid International Airport 
|LAS 
|Page 
----San Luis Obispo 
----Santa Barbara 
| Services ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

|- ! colspan="5" style="text-align: left;" | New York |- |Ogdensburg

|Ogdensburg International Airport 
|OGS 
|Philadelphia 
| Operations taken over by Breeze Airways starting October 1, 2024.

|- ! colspan="5" style="text-align: left;" | Pennsylvania |- | Philadelphia

| Philadelphia International Airport 
| PHL 
| Plattsburgh 
| Service ended April 30, 2025; succeeded by Washington/Dulles route.

|- |Pittsburgh

|Pittsburgh International Airport 
|PIT 
|Indianapolis 
----Milwaukee 
| Route discontinued due to insufficient demand.

|- ! colspan="5" style="text-align: left;" | Wisconsin |- |Milwaukee

|Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport 
|MKE 
|Indianapolis 
----Pittsburgh 
| Ceased operations owing to low demand.

|}

Fleet

As of February 2025, Contour manages a fleet comprising 40 regional jets configured with 30 seats each, operating under the Corporate Flight Management certificate.

Contour Airlines fleet (February 2025)
Aircraft	Active Aircraft	Pending Orders	Remarks
Bombardier CRJ100	2	-	Allocated for VIP charter services
Bombardier CRJ200	15	-
Embraer ERJ-145	4	-
Embraer ERJ-140	9	-
Embraer ERJ-135	10	-
Total	40	0

Interline agreements

To broaden its market presence, Contour has established interline partnerships with prominent airlines. Beginning in October 2019, it collaborated with American Airlines, facilitating integrated booking and unified itinerary management. In April 2024, Contour entered into an agreement with Alaska Airlines, enabling passengers to accrue Mileage Plan rewards on flights operated by Contour. The most recent addition to its partnerships came in October 2024, when Contour formed an interline agreement with United Airlines, further strengthening its route connectivity.

In-flight experience

Contour delivers a strong in-flight offering that includes complimentary seat selection and a free first checked bag for all fare categories. The aircraft cabins are equipped with leather seats providing 36 inches of legroom, complemented by free snacks and beverages, enhancing passenger comfort and distinguishing the brand within regional markets.

External links

Official website