The Air Current

Unraveling the dynamics behind Delta’s regional airline consolidation

The strategic factors and forces behind Delta's move to shrink its regional carriers from five to three. And where all those airplanes will end up.

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In convoluted series of transactions announced earlier this week that will transform its regional operations, Delta Air Lines is ending its long-standing flying pact with Trans States Holdings, parent to GoJet Airlines and Compass Airlines. The carrier is consolidating across three airlines; Delta’s wholly-owned all-Bombardier Endeavor Air, the all-Embraer Republic Airways and 525-airplane4As of June 30, 2019.5SkyWest Airlines.

Trans States has been a ping pong ball in the dynamics of the big three airlines and their regional operations. Last summer, the carrier was rapidly approaching a merger with Republic, only to be blocked by United Airlines weeks later. Now, a year on, Delta is letting its contracts expire with Trans States’ subsidiaries Go Jet and Compass Airlines that fly for Delta Connection. Delta is getting its airplanes back by summer 2020, a mix of CRJs at GoJet and E175s flying for Compass.

Once an afterthought, regional operations have become increasingly important with a consolidated hub structure that flows traffic from smaller cities onto larger airplanes and a sharper focus on a consistent passenger experience across the carrier.

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Jon Ostrower is Editor-in-chief of The Air Current. Prior to launching TAC in June 2018, Ostrower served as Aviation Editor for CNN Worldwide, guiding the network's global coverage of the business and operations of flying. Ostrower joined CNN in 2016 following four and half years at the Wall Street Journal. Based first in Chicago and then in Washington, D.C. he covered Boeing, aviation safety and the business of global aerospace. Before that, Ostrower was editor of the award-winning FlightBlogger for Flightglobal and Flight International Magazine covering the development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and other new aircraft programs from 2007 to 2012. Ostrower, a Boston native, graduated from The George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs with a bachelor's degree in Political Communication. He is based in Seattle.

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