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Chautauqua Airlines, Inc. was an American regional
airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines for ...
and a subsidiary of
Republic Airways Holdings Republic Airways Holdings, Inc. is an American airline holding corporation based in Indianapolis, Indiana, that owns Republic Airways, an American regional airline operating in the United States, and LIFT Academy, the only flight training acade ...
based in
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Prior to the shut down of operations, it operated scheduled passenger services to 52 airports in the United States and
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
via
code sharing In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communication ...
agreements as the Delta Connection for
Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
,
AmericanConnection AmericanConnection was an American flight connection service brand name for the spoke-hub of U.S. mainline carrier American Airlines, under which regional airline operator Chautauqua Airlines operated feeder flights for American Airlines at ...
for
American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
, and
United Express United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which six individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights. On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines merged t ...
for
United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
. Chautauqua previously flew feeder services for other airlines via code sharing agreements including Allegheny, USAir, TWA, Continental, Frontier, and America West. Its last day in operation was December 31, 2014, at which time all flying was absorbed by the
Shuttle America Shuttle America Corporation was an American regional airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. It fed United Airlines flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) under the United Express bran ...
certificate. Chautauqua had crew bases at LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Louisville International Airport, and Port Columbus International Airport.


History

:''Republic Airways Holdings traces it roots to Chautauqua. See also: History of Republic Airways Holdings'' The airline was established on May 3, 1973, in Jamestown, Chautauqua County,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
,
USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, and started operations on August 1, 1974, using two 15-passenger Beechcraft 99 turboprop commuter aircraft. Chautauqua operated the Beechcraft 99 in
Allegheny Commuter Allegheny, Alleghany or Allegany may refer to: Places Geologic and geographic features * Allegheny River, in Pennsylvania and New York * Allegheny Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountain Range in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Vir ...
service and later as USAir Express. In 1984, the airline grew by adding five 19-passenger
Fairchild Metro III The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner (previously the Swearingen Metro and later Fairchild Aerospace Metro) is a 19-seat, pressurized, twin-turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild Aircraft at a plant in San ...
aircraft to its fleet. In 1986, Chautauqua Airlines was purchased by GAC, an affiliate of
Guarantee Security Life Insurance Company Guarantee Security Life Insurance Company, or GSLIC, represented one of the most severe cases of insurance fraud in Florida history. According to the Florida Insurance Commissioner: SLICwas, almost from the beginning, a massive fraud, aided and ...
, and added twelve 30-passenger Saab 340 aircraft to replace slower Shorts 3-30s in the fleet. Chautauqua was historically significant for it was one of the last remaining companies still in business that once flew as a part of
Allegheny Commuter Allegheny, Alleghany or Allegany may refer to: Places Geologic and geographic features * Allegheny River, in Pennsylvania and New York * Allegheny Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountain Range in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Vir ...
, one of the first regional franchisee systems combining independent regional and
commuter airline A regional airline is a general classification of airline which typically operates scheduled passenger air service, using regional aircraft, between communities lacking sufficient demand or infrastructure to attract mainline flights. In North ...
s, under one seemingly contiguous and seamless brand. It no longer services the
Chautauqua County-Jamestown Airport Chautauqua County/Jamestown Airport at Robert H. Jackson Field is a county-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (6  km) north of the central business district of Jamestown, in Chautauqua County, New York, United S ...
from which it began. Chautauqua was acquired by Wexford Management in January 1998 and was subsequently realigned under a holding company,
Republic Airways Holdings Republic Airways Holdings, Inc. is an American airline holding corporation based in Indianapolis, Indiana, that owns Republic Airways, an American regional airline operating in the United States, and LIFT Academy, the only flight training acade ...
.


Build up

In 1998, Chautauqua entered into an agreement with Embraer for the purchase of ten 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 regional jet aircraft. In 1999, Chautauqua entered into a 10-year code-share agreement with
Trans World Airlines Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with F ...
to operate at least 15 ERJ-145s for the airline. In June 2001,
American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
, who had purchased TWA, renewed the existing regional jet service with Chautauqua for feeder service at St. Louis using 44-seat ERJ-140 aircraft. In March 2001, Chautauqua entered into a partnership with
America West America West Airlines was a major American airline, founded in 1981, with service commencing in 1983, and having reached US$1 billion in annual revenue in 1989, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. At the time of its acquisition of US Airways, Americ ...
to operate as an America West Express affiliate using 12 ERJ-145 jets in the Eastern United States, but ended this service in February 2003. In November 2002, Chautauqua began flying regional jet service to
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
for
Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
. In March 2004,
United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
announced that Chautauqua Airlines would operate 16 50-seat regional jets for
United Express United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which six individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights. On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines merged t ...
. In 2004, Republic Airways Holdings announced a new jet-service agreement with US Airways for the operation of
Embraer E170 The Embraer E-Jet family is a series of four-abreast narrow-body short- to medium-range twin-engine jet airliners designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer. The E-Jet was designed as a complement to the preceding E ...
and
Embraer E190 The Embraer E-Jet family is a series of four-abreast narrow-body short- to medium-range twin-engine jet airliners designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer. The E-Jet was designed as a complement to the preceding ...
aircraft. Chautauqua was one of the first U.S. operators of the E170, but was forced to transfer these aircraft to sister company
Shuttle America Shuttle America Corporation was an American regional airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. It fed United Airlines flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) under the United Express bran ...
in 2005, after the pilots’ union at
American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
claimed the aircraft violated a “
scope clause A scope clause is part of a contract between a major airline and the trade union of its pilots that limit the number and size of aircraft that may be flown by the airline's regional airline affiliate. The goal is to protect the union pilots' job ...
” regulating the size of regional aircraft operated under American brands. In the first half of 2007, Chautauqua took delivery of 24 Bombardier CRJs and flew them under a code-share agreement with
Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started o ...
. Some of these aircraft were previously owned by
Atlantic Coast Airlines Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) was an airline based in the United States owned by Atlantic Coast Holdings, Inc. It operated as United Express for United Airlines and Delta Connection for Delta Air Lines. It was headquartered in the Dulles area o ...
( Independence Air), and some were owned by Comair. Chautauqua eventually phased out all of its CRJ aircraft. In early 2006, Chautauqua opened its new aircraft maintenance complex, capable of holding nine aircraft, at Louisville International Airport in Louisville,
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
. Maintenance was performed in
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
,
Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...
, Louisville, and St. Louis. The ERJ-135/140/145 heavy ("C-check") maintenance was performed in Columbus. In April 2010, the
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
proposed a
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
348,000 fine against Chautauqua Airlines for allegedly not performing required inspections for three years. The FAA alleged that the airline flew an Embraer 145 jet for 43 days past the time one of its inertial navigation units should have been replaced.


Wind down

In October 2012, Republic Airways Holdings reworked a deal with partner Delta Air Lines, part of the company's broader effort to trim costs and boost revenue amid a decline in demand for regional airline service, to operate seven additional 50-seat Embraer 145 planes under the Delta Connection brand. In the spring of 2014, Republic Airways Holdings announced that it would begin to pull down much of Chautauqua's flying. Specifically, it would not renew its contract with United Airlines to fly ERJ-145s out of Cleveland and that it would ground all 14 ERJ-145s on April 1, in response to a shortage of qualified pilots. This was shortly followed by an announcement that it would also not seek renewal of its
AmericanConnection AmericanConnection was an American flight connection service brand name for the spoke-hub of U.S. mainline carrier American Airlines, under which regional airline operator Chautauqua Airlines operated feeder flights for American Airlines at ...
contract. Chautauqua's operation as AmericanConnection ended on August 18, 2014. On July 28, 2014, Republic Airways Holdings announced that Chautauqua Airlines would be absorbed into Shuttle America "by year-end" to reduce costs. Chautauqua's only remaining aircraft, 41 ERJ-145s, were transferred to the Shuttle America operating certificate, effectively abandoning Chautauqua's operating certificate. On December 31, 2014, Chautauqua operated its last flight for Delta Connection. All crew and maintenance bases were absorbed by the Shuttle America certificate.


Awards


See also

*
List of defunct airlines of the United States A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...


References


External links


Official website
(Archive)
Republic Airways Holdings


{{Navboxes , list= {{Airlines of the United States {{Republic Airways Holdings {{American Eagle Carriers {{Continental Express Carriers {{Delta Connection Carriers {{Midwest Connection Carriers {{US Airways Express Carriers Regional Airline Association members Defunct regional airlines of the United States Defunct airlines of the United States Airlines established in 1973 Companies based in Indianapolis Republic Airways American companies established in 1973 Airlines disestablished in 2014 Airlines based in Indiana