Pinnacle Airlines Corp.

Last updated
Pinnacle Airlines Corporation
Company type Public
OTC Pink: PNCLQ
Industry Transportation
Founded1985
Defunct2013
Headquarters
Memphis, Tennessee
,
United States
Area served
 United States
Key people
  • Donald J. Breeding
  • Sean Menke
  • John Spanjers
  • Peter D. Hunt
Revenue US$845 million (2009)
US$80.7 million (2009)
US$41.9 million (2009)
Number of employees
7,700
Subsidiaries

Pinnacle Airlines Corporation was an airline holding company in the United States, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, and was the parent company of Pinnacle Airlines and Colgan Air until Colgan was closed down in 2012. The company contracted its airlines to fly in the aircraft livery of other airlines such as Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. [1] The company filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 in 2012 [2] and emerged from Chapter 11 in 2013 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. [3] The company's only surviving airline, Pinnacle, became Endeavor Air. [4]

Contents

History

In the late 1990s, Northwest Airlines owned a subsidiary, Express Airlines I, Inc., that it wanted to break off as a separate entity. Pinnacle Airlines Corporation was created in January 2002 to hold the airline, which would be renamed Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. The changes took place on May 8, 2002. In November 2003, Pinnacle Airlines Corporation became a publicly traded company, using the ticker symbol PNCL on NASDAQ. [5]

In 2007, Pinnacle acquired Colgan Air, which continued to operate independently of Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. [6] The acquisition of Colgan Air was a $20 million strategic move in order to gain access to Colgan’s partners, Continental Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways. [7]

On July 1, 2010, Delta Air Lines sold Mesaba Airlines to Pinnacle in a $62 million transaction. Mesaba's fleet consisted of 41 CRJ-900s, 18 CRJ-200s, and several Saab 340 aircraft. After acquisition, Pinnacle merged all three subsidiary airlines into one. All pilots flying for Mesaba and Colgan eventually became pilots for Pinnacle Airlines, Inc.

On 1 April 2012, Pinnacle Airlines Corporation and subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. [8] The airline subsidiaries discontinued all operations of Saab 340 and Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft by the end of November 2012. [8] On May 1, 2013, Pinnacle Airlines Corporation emerged from chapter 11 reorganization as a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. [3] The company's main airline, Pinnacle Airlines, Inc., was renamed to Endeavor Air on August 1, 2013 [4] and the holding company ceased to exist.

On September 27, 2018, former Pinnacle Airlines CEO Philip Trenary was shot dead in Memphis. [9] [10]

Headquarters

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. had their headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, near the airport, inking a 13-year lease to become the anchor tenant in the 29-story office tower. [11]

In 2010 Pinnacle Airlines Corp. considered moving its headquarters to Downtown Memphis and to Olive Branch, Mississippi in Greater Memphis. Pinnacle selected One Commerce Square in Downtown Memphis. The Center City Commission, the City of Memphis, and Shelby County gave out $10 million in incentives, including free parking, to convince Pinnacle to move to Downtown Memphis. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endeavor Air</span> Regional airline of the United States

Endeavor Air is an regional airline in the United States headquartered at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, and staffs, operates and maintains aircraft used on Delta Connection flights that are scheduled, marketed and sold by Delta Air Lines.

Mesaba Aviation, Inc. was a regional airline in the United States that operated from 1944 until it merged with Pinnacle Airlines in 2012 to form Endeavor Air. It was based in Eagan, Minnesota From 2010 to 2012, the airline was a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. with code sharing flights operated as Delta Connection for Delta Air Lines and US Airways Express for US Airways. Previously, the airline operated code sharing service as Northwest Airlink and Northwest Jetlink on behalf of Northwest Airlines which subsequently merged with Delta. Mesaba also previously operated connecting flight services in association with Republic Airlines before this air carrier was subsequently merged into Northwest. Mesaba Airlines effectively ceased operations on January 4, 2012, when all aircraft and personnel were transitioned to the Pinnacle Airlines operating certificate. Mesaba's operating certificate was surrendered on July 31, 2012.

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.

Republic Airways Inc. is a regional airline in the United States headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Republic operates and maintains aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed and sold by a partner mainline airline. The company is contracted by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AMR Corporation</span> Defunct airline holding company

AMR Corporation was an airline holding company based in Fort Worth, Texas, which was the parent company of American Airlines, American Eagle Airlines, AmericanConnection and Executive Airlines. AMR filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2011. The company emerged from bankruptcy on December 9, 2013, and at the same time announced that it would merge with US Airways Group to form a new company, American Airlines Group.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesa Air Group</span> Commercial aviation holding company

Mesa Air Group, Inc. is a Nevada Corporation commercial aviation holding company with headquarters in Suite 700 at 410 North 44th Street in the Camelback East area of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The company operates one regional airline subsidiary: Mesa Airlines which operates as United Express and as American Eagle under contractual agreements with United Airlines and American Airlines respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">US Airways Group</span> Airline holding company

US Airways Group Inc. was an airline holding company based in Tempe, Arizona. US Airways Group operated US Airways, along with its subsidiaries PSA Airlines, Inc. and Piedmont Airlines, Inc., which are wholly owned but marketed under the branding of US Airways Express. It merged with America West Holdings Corporation, parent of America West Airlines, in 2005, and the combined company adopted the better-known US Airways name; the two airlines' operating certificates merged in 2007. It also operates additional companies that provide associated services. ACE Aviation Holdings, the Canadian parent of Air Canada retained a roughly 6.1% investment stake in US Airways Group. The route network covered destinations in 47 states, as well as international destinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia Regional Airport</span> Airport in Missouri, United States of America

Columbia Regional Airport is a commercial passenger airport serving Columbia, Missouri. Located about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Columbia in Boone County, Missouri, it is the only commercial airport in Mid-Missouri and also serves the state capital of Jefferson City. As of 2022, commercial passenger service is provided by American Airlines subsidiary American Eagle. The airport opened in 1968, replacing the Columbia Municipal Airport off of Interstate 70. It is frequently used for charter flights by college athletic teams visiting the University of Missouri and for MU team flights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barkley Regional Airport</span> Airport

Barkley Regional Airport is an American domestic airport in West Paducah, Kentucky, 14 miles west of Paducah in McCracken County. It is used for general aviation and sees one airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenville Mid-Delta Airport</span> Airport

Greenville Mid-Delta Airport, operating as Mid Delta Regional Airport until 2011, is a public use airport in unincorporated Washington County, Mississippi, United States. It is located five nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Greenville, the city that owns the airport. It is served by one commercial airline, Contour Airlines, which is subsidized by the Essential Air Service program. Formerly, the facility was known as Greenville Air Force Base.

ExpressJet Airlines was a regional airline in the United States that operated from 1987 until 2022. It was headquartered in College Park, Georgia. The company began as Britt Airways and flew exclusively as Continental Express, the contracted codeshare partner for Continental Airlines. The name was changed to ExpressJet at the beginning of 1995 as the company began acquiring regional jets, replacing its fleet of turboprop aircraft. Along with flying as Continental Express, ExpressJet expanded flying under the Delta Connection brand from 2007 through 2008 and again from 2012 through 2018. Service as American Eagle was flown between 2012 and 2019 and service under the United Express brand began in 2009. ExpressJet also flew an independent operation under their own brand in 2007 through 2008. When Continental Airlines merged into United Airlines in 2012, the Continental Express operations were added to the United Express service. In September 2020, it exited the fee-for-departure airline market and temporarily ceased flights after the conclusion of its contract with its sole remaining mainline partner, United Airlines. In September 2021, ExpressJet resumed operations as both an air charter provider and a regional airline under its own brand aha!—short for "Air-Hotel-Adventure." The brand's route structure focused on the West Coast of the United States with a hub at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, and scheduled flights began on October 24, 2021. The airline, including its brand aha!, filed for bankruptcy on August 23, 2022, having ceased all operations the previous day. In July 2023, the airline announced plans to relaunch as an air charter service using a single leased Boeing 777.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tupelo Regional Airport</span> Airport

Tupelo Regional Airport is a public use airport located 3.7 miles; 3.2 nautical miles (6 km) west of the central business district of Tupelo, a city in Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is owned by the Tupelo Airport Authority. The airport is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline with scheduled passenger service subsidized by the federal Essential Air Service (EAS) program. Many college football teams visiting the University of Mississippi, 49 miles west in Oxford, fly into Tupelo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport</span> Airport in U.S., Moselle postal address

Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport, nicknamed Airport City, is a public airport located in unincorporated Jones County, Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pellston Regional Airport</span> Airport

Pellston Regional Airport, also known as Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County, is a public airport located one mile (1.6 km) northwest of the central business district of Pellston, a village in Emmet County, Michigan, United States. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.

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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans States Holdings</span> Airline holding company of the United States

Trans States Holdings, Inc. is a privately owned airline holding company in the United States, which owns and operates GoJet Airlines. The holding company is headquartered in Bridgeton, Missouri near St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The holding company formerly owned and operated Trans States Airlines and Compass Airlines until their cessation of operations on April 1, 2020, and April 5, 2020, respectively.

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.

References

  1. ↑ "Delta to sell Mesaba and Compass for $82.5 million". Flightglobal.com. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  2. ↑ "Pinnacle Airlines, Operator of Delta Connection, United Express, and US Airways Express Flights, Files Chapter 11". Frequent Business Traveler. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Pinnacle Airlines emerges from bankruptcy as a Delta subsidiary". Star Tribune . May 1, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Phelps, David (January 25, 2013). "Pinnacle Airlines to move HQ, hundreds of employees to MSP". Star Tribune. Minneapolis Star Tribune . Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Pinnacle Airlines Corp" . Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Pinnacle Airlines Corp. Announces Purchase of Colgan Air, Inc" (Press release). Pinnacle Airlines. 2007-01-18. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  7. ↑ Flight International, 23–29 January 2007
  8. 1 2 "Pinnacle Airlines, Operator of Delta Connection, United Express, and US Airways Express Flights, Files Chapter 11". Frequent Business Traveler. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  9. ↑ "Former Pinnacle Airlines CEO shot dead in Memphis". 28 September 2018.
  10. ↑ "Phil Trenary, head of Greater Memphis Chamber, killed in downtown shooting".
  11. ↑ "One Commerce Square Office Tower up for Sale".
  12. ↑ Risher, Wayne. "Pinnacle's decision to move Downtown lifts hopes for other development." The Commercial Appeal . October 8, 2010. Retrieved on October 8, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.