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| Founded | August 1993 | ||||||
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| Ceased operations | April 3, 2008 | ||||||
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| Frequent-flyer program | ATA Travel Awards | ||||||
C8 and ATA Connection were the IATA code designator and DBA name of Chicago Express Airlines, which in its later years was doing business as ATA Connection, and was the trademark codeshare name and brand used by the renamed parent company of ATA Holdings Inc. for ATA Airlines (formerly known as American Trans Air), the principal operating unit for flights to smaller Midwestern cities.
C8 - the ATA Connection, as a branded regional feeder operation, ceased being used when the remaining assets of Chicago Express were completely divested from AMTRAN, INC.'s successor company early in 2006, and some months before that when the fleet was withdrawn from service, owned aircraft parked, and leased airplanes returned to their lease owners. Chicago Express, operating as the ATA Connection, flew British Aerospace Jetstream 31 turboprops which were then replaced with Saab 340 turboprops. C8 was also the IATA code used when travel agencies were writing tickets upon Chicago Express routes, and booking travel between airlines not affiliated or owned by ATA.
When the remains of Chicago Express (C8) were liquidated, the company was sold as Chicago Express, just as it read on the company's original airline operating certificate. ATA Connection's imagery and logos do not live on, unlike BMI Regional's logos and trademarks after the buyout of parent airline BMI.
The type of arrangement the C8 code and ATA Connection's form of logo and branding separating the two, has in the past at other companies, led to many public and corporate perception problems. Examples of such would be Ransome Airlines, who much of the informed among the aviation industry, was under the impression had completely exited the business of aviation, when its parent company had collapsed in bankruptcy. However, Ransome Airlines as Trans World Express continued to operate for years to come, unbeknownst to many.
Similarly, for many lay individuals, when one sees the Pan Am emblem and logo emblazoned upon railways and airplanes at airports in literally identical Pan Am Clipper Connection or Pan Am Railways form, this tends to leave the impression to all, that the original business is still in place. As in the case of Pan Am Systems also unbeknownst to many, no business connection to the original Pan American World Airways exists, although Pan Am's distinctive logo who Pan Am System owns, has been through four generations of different corporate usage.
C8 the IATA code of ATA Connection, C8 the certificated airline and former subsidiary of ATA Airlines parent company, and C8 the brand identified with ATA Connection are once and for all defunct. Amtran, and ATA Holdings continue to exist but in the renamed form of Global Aero Logistics.
ATA Airlines, a fully certificated airline carrier, IATA code TZ, ended operations in April 2008 as a result of the controlling interests of the MatlinPatterson hedge fund's reallocation of Amtran/ATA Holdings/ATA Airlines capital resources into the continued leveraged investments of DC-10 equipment, and World Airways / North American Airlines causing and resulting in the financial insolvency of ATA Airlines through these collateralized transactions.
(C8) The ATA Connection brand no longer exists.
ATA Airlines, Inc., formerly known as American Trans Air and commonly referred to as ATA, was an American low-cost and charter airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana. ATA operated scheduled passenger flights throughout the U.S. mainland and Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Portugal as well as military and commercial charter flights around the world.
United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which five individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights.
Air Wisconsin Airlines is a regional airline based at Appleton International Airport in the town of Greenville, Wisconsin near Appleton, Wisconsin. Air Wisconsin originally operated as one of the original United Express partners in 1985, and subsequently operated as US Airways Express on behalf of US Airways prior to becoming an American Eagle regional air carrier. Between March 2018 and April 2023, Air Wisconsin operated exclusively as a United Express regional air carrier once again with primary hubs located at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). This came to an end in April 2023 as the carrier switched to conducting solely American Eagle branded flights, under a new contract with American Airlines.
Continental Express was the brand name used by a number of independently owned regional airlines providing commuter airliner and regional jet feeder service under agreement with Continental Airlines. In 2010 at the time of Continental's merger with United Airlines, two carriers were operating using the Continental Express brand name:
British Midland Airways Limited was an airline in the United Kingdom with its head office in Donington Hall in Castle Donington, close to East Midlands Airport, England. The airline flew to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America and Central Asia from its main hub at London Heathrow Airport, where at its peak it held about 13% of all takeoff and landing slots and operated over 2,000 flights a week. BMI was a member of Star Alliance from 1 July 2000 until 20 April 2012.
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 America, most regional airlines are classified as "fee-for-departure" carriers, operating their revenue flights as codeshare services contracted by one or more major airline partners. A number of regional airlines, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s, were classified as commuter airlines in the Official Airline Guide (OAG).
Chicago Express Airlines, Inc. was a regional airline headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with short take-off and landing (STOL) performance. Variants were built with 50–54 seats. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988 when the parent company, de Havilland Canada, was purchased by Boeing in 1986 and later sold to Bombardier. In 2006 Bombardier sold the type certificate for the aircraft design to Victoria-based manufacturer Viking Air.
Midwest Air Group, Inc. is an American airline holding company based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin which owned Midwest Airlines which previously operated as Midwest Express Airlines. It was ultimately controlled by parent company, TPG Capital Texas Pacific Group. Delta with the merger of Northwest Airlines Inc,. now owns 47% of the reformulated company's stock in a "silent partnership," which has now evolved into a full codeshare partnership between the two airlines.
Freedom Airlines, Inc. was an American FAA Part 121 certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number FDKA087K issued on April 1, 2002. A Nevada corporation, it was headquartered in Irving, Texas and a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group. It operated flights as Delta Connection for Delta Air Lines serving Delta's hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Hebron, KY, near Cincinnati, OH using EMB 145 aircraft. Freedom's base moved to Cincinnati from New York City in July 2009. Freedom previously operated the CRJ-900 aircraft for Delta Connection as well; however, this contract was canceled and all aircraft were transferred to Eagan, MN-based Mesaba Airlines, Atlanta, GA-based Atlantic Southeast Airlines, and Memphis, TN-based Pinnacle Airlines.
Presidential Airways was an airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Washington Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia. It was founded in 1985 by Harold J. (Hap) Pareti, formerly an officer at People Express Airlines, known as PEOPLExpress a low-cost carrier, with Boeing 737-200 service from Washington Dulles to Boston Logan in Massachusetts commencing October 10 of that year. A small fleet of B737-200 jetliners were initially operated by the airline.
Ransome Airlines was a regional airline in the United States, headquartered at Northeast Philadelphia Airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1967, it operated feeder flights on behalf of different mainline carriers via specific airline brands for most of its existence: as Allegheny Commuter (1970–1982), Delta Connection (1984–1987), Pan Am Express (1987–1991) and finally Trans World Express (1991–1995).
Aspen Airways was an airline carrier and regional affiliate of United Express and based in Hangar 5 in Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado. Aspen ceased operations on April 1, 1990, when separate portions of the airline were acquired by Mesa Airlines and Air Wisconsin Services, Inc.
Global Aviation Holdings Inc. (Global) was the parent company of World Airways, Inc. (World), and North American Airlines, Inc., headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia, US. Its airline holdings included World and North American along with ATA Airlines until the parent company renamed from Global Aero Logistics to Global Aviation Holdings. ATA, World, and North American all were Part 121 U.S.-certified air carriers providing customized air transportation services for major international passenger and cargo carriers, international freight forwarders, the U.S. military, international leisure tour operators, and international corporations.
A mainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares, regional subsidiaries, or wholly owned subsidiaries offering low-cost operations. Mainline carriers typically operate between hub airports within their network and on international or long-haul services, using narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. This is in contrast to regional airlines, providing feeder services to hub airports operating smaller turboprop or regional jet aircraft, or low-cost carrier subsidiaries serving leisure markets.
Pan Am Express was a brand name for a code sharing passenger feed service operated by other airlines on behalf of Pan American World Airways. It was founded in the early 1980s, and lasted until the demise of Pan Am in 1991.
Southern Airways Express is a commuter airline operating across the United States with headquarters in Palm Beach, Florida. Southern Airways Express, commonly referred to as 'Southern', acts as a local service airline for dozens of cities across all U.S. time zones. The majority of Southern's routes are subsidized through the Essential Air Service program by the United States Department of Transportation.
Delta Connection is a brand name for Delta Air Lines, under which a number of individually owned regional airlines primarily operate short- and medium-haul routes. Mainline major air carriers often use regional airlines to operate services via code sharing agreements in order to increase frequencies in addition to serving routes that would not sustain larger aircraft as well as for other competitive or operational reasons.
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