Connect Airlines is a proposed American airline that intends to operate flights between

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is a regional airport located on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is often referred to as Toronto Island Airport and was previously known as ''Port George VI Island Airport'' and ''Toronto ...

and Midwest and Northeast US cities. Proposed service will fly between Toronto to/from Chicago and Philadelphia. The airline would be backed by Waltzing Matilda Aviation, a Massachusetts-based charter operator. The company intends to lease

De Havilland Canada Dash 8 The De Havilland Canada DHC-8, commonly known as the Dash 8, is a series of turboprop-powered regional airliners, introduced by de Havilland Canada (DHC) in 1984. DHC was later bought by Boeing in 1988, then by Bombardier in 1992; then by ...

turboprop aircraft formerly operated by

Flybe Flybe (pronounced ), styled as flybe, is a British airline based at Birmingham Airport, England. History The airline traces its history back to Jersey European Airways, which was set up in 1979 following the merger of Intra Airways and Expres ...

and will target primarily business travel. In June 2022, Connect Airlines announced an order for 75 converted ATR 72-600 turboprops, with an option for an additional 25, to be converted by

Universal Hydrogen Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

to use hydrogen powertrains. Connect Airlines received a certificate of convenience and necessity for domestic air transportation from the

US Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...

(DOT) in July 2022 and a certificate for foreign transport in September 2022. The airline had acquired two Dash-8s as of September 2022, with further aircraft expected to arrive monthly until February 2023. The aircraft have had one row of seats removed and will feature 26 premium seats with increased legroom, as well as 48 economy seats. Service was due to be launched in November 2022; an interline agreement with an as-yet unnamed major carrier had been signed. As of December 2022, the airline was running proving flights to complete its application requirements for its air operator's certificate, and was looking to hire direct-entry captains to run its initial flights. In June 2023, it asked the DOT to extend until October 2023 its deadline to begin flying, amid difficulties in meeting FAA requirements. In November 2023, the DOT revoked its certificate of public convenience and necessity, though the airline noted its intent to appeal the revocation and pursue its plans.

References

Airlines of Canada Airlines established in 2021 2021 establishments in Canada {{Canada-airline-stub