Colgan Air
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Founded | 1965 (as Colgan Airways) | ||||||
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Commenced operations | December 1, 1991 | ||||||
Ceased operations | September 5, 2012 | ||||||
Parent company | Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (2007–2012) | ||||||
Headquarters | |||||||
Key people | John Spanjers (senior vice-president) | ||||||
Founder | Charles J. Colgan (former CEO) |
Colgan Air was a regional airline in the United States that operated from 1965 until 2012. It became a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. in 2012. The initial headquarters of Colgan Air was located in Manassas, Virginia until 2010, and then Memphis, Tennessee until closure in 2012.
Colgan Air operated for Continental Express/United Express, and US Airways Express. Pinnacle Airlines Corporation phased out the Colgan Air name on September 5, 2012, and transferred personnel and logistics to Pinnacle Airlines.
History
After Presidential went defunct, Colgan and his son, Michael J., restarted service under the name National Capital on a
On December 11, 1999, Colgan left the Continental system and became exclusively a US Airways Express carrier, focusing its routes around major US Airways stations such as LaGuardia, Pittsburgh, and Boston. However, in 2005 Colgan acquired additional Saab 340 aircraft and resumed service as Continental Connection out of Houston.
Early on the morning of September 11, 2001, the day of the
On October 4, 2005, Colgan Air started providing flights for
Colgan Air was acquired by
Colgan Air began providing service out of Newark Liberty International Airport (as Continental Connection) starting in early 2008.
Colgan's headquarters moved from Manassas, VA, to Pinnacle's headquarters in
In July 2010, Pinnacle Airlines Corporation announced that the Colgan Air name would be phased out and all Pinnacle Airlines Corporation propeller flights would be operated by Mesaba Airlines. Colgan operated for two more years before winding down operations in 2012.
On May 15, 2012, Colgan Air ceased flying for US Airways Express. On June 5, 2012, flying in and out of the Houston (IAH) hub for United Express ceased. Colgan had previously operated as Continental Connection from IAH with Saab 340 aircraft prior to Continental-United merger. On July 31, Colgan Air phased out operations to Saab 340 fleet.
The last revenue flight, Colgan Air doing business as United Express Flight 3923 from Washington-Dulles to Albany, NY, was on September 5, 2012.
The remaining
On January 3, 2017, the airline’s founder, Charles J. Colgan, died at the age of 90.
Destinations
As United Express
Domestic
- Maine
- Maryland
- Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport)
- Massachusetts
- Boston Logan International Airport)
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport)
- Ohio
- Cleveland (Cleveland Hopkins International Airport)
- Port Columbus International Airport)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- T. F. Green Airport)
- South Carolina
- Vermont
- Burlington International Airport)
- New Hampshire
- Virginia
- Norfolk – Norfolk International Airport
- Richmond (Richmond International Airport)
- Washington Dulles International Airport) Hub
Canada
- Nova Scotia
- )
- Ontario
- Quebec
- Montreal-Trudeau International Airport)
Fleet
Aircraft | Total | Passengers | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Bombardier Q400 | 14 | 74 all economy 71 in first class configuration |
All operated as Continental Connection from 2008 until 2012, then as United Express. |
Saab 340 | 5 | 35 all economy | |
Total | 19 |
All aircraft were operated under Colgan Air's operating certificate.
Q400 Aircraft were scheduled for interior configuration changes to install first class. Saab 340 aircraft are also operated.
Headquarters
The headquarters of Colgan Air were, at the end of the airline's life, located in Memphis, Tennessee.[4] The headquarters were formerly on the grounds of the Manassas Regional Airport in Manassas, Virginia.[5][6][7] On Tuesday June 28, 2005, the Prince William County, Virginia, Board of County Supervisors voted to sell 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land in the Innovation@Prince William business park in Prince William County to Colgan. Colgan Air planned to build a 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) corporate headquarters and training facility in the business park for $1.7 million (including equipment costs) and move its headquarters from its airport site. Colgan planned to move its administrative and training employees from the headquarters site and other sites in Manassas and Prince William County to the new complex. The company also planned to hire around 90 additional employees as part of the process.[7]
After
In 2010, Pinnacle Airlines Corp. considered moving its headquarters to
Accidents and incidents
- August 26, 2003 – Barnstable Municipal Airport in Hyannis, MA. Both pilots died in the crash.[11]
- February 12, 2009 – Bombardier Q400 operated for Continental Connection crashed into a house located at 6038 Long Street in Clarence Center, New York, while on approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, resulting in 50 deaths.[12] The NTSB report states that pilot error, in particular a non-standard response to stick-shaker system, was the cause of the crash. Secondary causes included pilot fatigue.[13]
- September 7, 2011 – Colgan Air Flight 3222, with 23 passengers en route from Houston, TX, to Lake Charles, LA, landed at Southland Field, which was a similarly oriented airport located southwest of the intended destination.[14]
See also
References
- ^ Streng, Aileen (February 13, 2009). "Colgan rushes to Manassas after N.Y. plane crash". InsideNoVa.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2012.
- ^ Flight International, 23–29 January 2007
- ^ "Colgan Air fleet at ch-aviation.ch. Retrieved 2010-11-17". Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2009-10-30.
- ^ "Contact Archived 2009-02-21 at the Wayback Machine." Colgan Air. Retrieved on February 28, 2010.
- ^ "Employment." Colgan Air. July 3, 2001. Retrieved on February 28, 2010.
- ^ Washington Business Journal. Wednesday September 30, 2009. Retrieved on February 28, 2010.
- ^ a b "Business Notes Archived 2013-03-14 at the Wayback Machine." The Washington Post. June 30, 2005. Prince William Extra, Start Page T:10. Retrieved on February 27, 2010. "The Board of County Supervisors voted Tuesday to sell the Manassas-based regional airline 10 acres (40,000 m2) at the business park for $1.7 million. Company officials plan to build a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) corporate headquarters and training facility, valued at $1.7 million, including equipment, inside Innovation@Prince William. Colgan Air's administrative and training employees will relocate from the company's airport office and other sites cross Manassas and Prince William County and about 90 more employees will be hired, said Michael J. Colgan, president of Colgan Air."
- ^ a b "In Brief: Colgan Air to Move Headquarters Out of Manassas, Costing 100 Jobs." The Washington Post. Sunday October 4, 2009. Retrieved on February 29, 2010.
- Memphis Business Journal. Friday October 9, 2009. Retrieved on February 28, 2010. 1.
- ^ Risher, Wayne. "Pinnacle's decision to move Downtown lifts hopes for other development." The Commercial Appeal. October 8, 2010. Retrieved on October 8, 2010.
- ^ "UPDATE ON NTSB INVESTIGATIONS INTO RECENT BEECH 1900D ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS." National Transportation Safety Board. November 21, 2003. Retrieved on February 13, 2009.
- ^ FOXnews, "Commuter Plane Crashes Into Buffalo-Area Home; 50 Killed", Friday, February 13, 2009 (accessed 18 Feb 2009)
- ^ NTSB report, "Full pdf of National Transportation Safety Board report", Retrieved on April 18, 2012.
- ^ "Flight Crew Relieved From Duty Following Landing at Wrong Airport". Fox News. September 15, 2011.