Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
Trans States Airlines (TSA) will stop operating as a Delta Connection carrier from early next year in the latest in a series of US regional airline realignments.
The airline claims it decided to end its partnership with Delta "in order to pursue other opportunities which it is now evaluating". According to Flight International sister online service Air Transport Intelligence, TSA will launch a Pittsburgh-based feeder operation with US Airways Express from the end of the year.
TSA still operates as a TWA Express carrier out of St Louis, but earlier this year lost its United Airlines feeder service to Chicago O'Hare and shut its California operation. The latter included flying for US Airways Express as well as Northwest Airlink and Alaska Commuter.
TSA deploys six of its Embraer ERJs and 12 BAe Jetstream 41s on behalf of its New York JFK-based Delta Connection service. The two-year-old operation flies to 14 destinations in the US Northeast, including jet services to Cleveland and Detroit and point-to-point between Boston and Philadelphia.
Delta says the decision to end the TSA feed "was mutual". It will be replaced by Delta's wholly-owned regional carriers Comair and Atlantic Southeast Airlines, as well as AC Jet, which recently made its debut flying from New York La Guardia to seven destinations including Portland and Rochester.
Former US Airways partner Commutair will team with Continental Airlines from December, flying to New England, New York state and Washington DC. The New York-based carrier is re-equipping with 26 new Raytheon Beech 1900Ds.
Source: Flight International
