Local service carriers , or local service airlines , originally known as feeder carriers or feeder airlines , were a category of US domestic airline created/regulated by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now-defunct federal agency that tightly regulated the US airline industry 1938–1978. Initially 23 such airlines were certificated from 1943 to 1949 to serve smaller US domestic markets unserved/poorly served by existing domestic carriers, the trunk carriers , which flew the main, or trunk, routes. However, not all of these started operation and some that did later had their certificates withdrawn. One other carrier was certificated in 1950 as a replacement. "Feeder airline" alludes to another purpose, that such airlines would feed passengers to trunk carriers. It was expected that a significant number of passenger itineraries would involve a connection between a local service carrier and a trunk carrier.
81-554: Allegheny Airlines was a local service carrier that operated out of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, from 1952 to 1979, with routes primarily located in the eastern U.S. It was the forerunner of USAir that was subsequently renamed US Airways , which itself merged with American Airlines . Its headquarters were at Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia . Allegheny Airlines began as All American Aviation Company providing mail delivery starting on March 7, 1939. It
162-609: A -102, was built in 2005. In April 2008, Bombardier announced that production of the remaining classic versions (Series Q200 and Q300) would be ended, leaving the Series Q400 as the only Dash 8 still in production. Production of the Q200 and Q300 was to cease in May 2009. A total of 672 Dash 8 classics were produced; the last one was delivered to Japan Coast Guard in August 2008. Continuing on with
243-428: A C-check. By August 2018, the 90-seat variant was certified before delivery to launch customer SpiceJet later in the same year. In March 2021, EASA certified the 90-seat variant for European operations; DHC believed that there were opportunities with prospective European customers as of 2021 . On November 8, 2018, Canadian company Longview Aviation Capital Corporation, through its subsidiary Viking Air , acquired
324-492: A device to hook mailbags in flight. This certification was de-novo, rather than grandfathered, but valid only for mail and freight. Some applicants failed to launch service at all. In the case of three applicants with unusual business plans, certification eventually expired or was revoked due to failure to operate: Arizona Airways failed to launch as a feeder carrier but avoided certificate revocation. The airline flew (1946–1948) as an Arizona intrastate airline before winning
405-653: A dispatch reliability over 99.5%. By July 2018, 844 Dash 8s were in airline service: 143 Series 100 with 35 operators, 42 Series 200 with 16 operators, 151 Series 300 with 32 operators and 508 Q400s. By then, 56 orders were in backlog. The DHC-8 has been involved in 80 aviation accidents and incidents including 31 hull losses . Those resulted in 180 fatalities. In September 2007, two separate accidents of similar landing gear failures occurred within four days of each other on Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) Dash 8-Q400 aircraft. A third accident occurred in October 2007, leading to
486-667: A feeder cargo carrier for UPS Airlines and Fedex Express since the 1980s. In 1952, early in the development of feeder airlines, the CAB chose to deregulate airlines flying "small aircraft". This was formalized in Part 298 of the Board's economic regulations, which gave blanket authorization for airlines operating an aircraft with a maximum gross takeoff weight of 12,500 lbs or less. Such airlines were originally known as scheduled air taxis, later as commuter airlines or Part 298 carriers. This effectively created
567-490: A feeder certificate for routes in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. But intrastate service exhausted its capital. The airline ceased operating while preparing for feeder service, was unable to raise funding, and the CAB threatened to revoke its certificate. At the last minute, the carrier, still grounded, agreed to a takeover by Monarch Air Lines. This turned into a three-way merger with the addition of Challenger Airlines , resulting in
648-481: A few hours later, Bombardier recommended that all Q400s with more than 10,000 flights be grounded until further notice. This affected about 60 aircraft, out of 140 Q400s then in service. On October 27, 2007, Scandinavian Airlines Flight 2867 en route from Bergen to Copenhagen had severe problems with the landing gear during landing in Kastrup Airport. The right wing gear did not deploy properly (or partially), and
729-562: A high-density, 90-seat layout of the Q400, which would enter service in 2018; keeping the 28 in (71 cm) seat pitch of the Nok Air 86-seats, an extra row of seats is allowed by changing the configuration of the front right door and moving back the aft pressure bulkhead . The payload is increased by 2,000 pounds (910 kg) and the aircraft maintenance check intervals are increased: 800 hours from 600 for an A-check and 8,000 hours from 6,000 for
810-506: A local service carrier went head-to-head with a trunk was in 1957, when the CAB allowed Mohawk to compete with American Airlines on the Syracuse-New York City route. Further, some local service carrier routes were assigned to trunks. As previously noted, in 1950, some of the routes originally awarded to Parks Air Lines, a local service carrier, were handed to Mid-Continent Airlines, a trunk, after Parks failed to start operation in
891-453: A maximum capacity of 39, the Series 200 has the same capacity but offers more powerful engines, the Series 300 is a stretched, 50-seat version, and the Series 400 is further stretched to a maximum of 90 passengers. Models delivered after 1997 have cabin noise suppression and are designated with the prefix "Q". Production of the Series 100 ceased in 2005, followed by the 200 and 300 in 2009, leaving
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#1733086046305972-515: A new category of airline underneath the local service carriers. In 1972 the CAB expanded the aircraft size limit to include those of 30 passengers or fewer, with a payload of less than 7,500 lbs. Such carriers did have to obtain Federal Aviation Administration operational/safety certification but were otherwise able to fly wherever they pleased. The CAB would, on occasion, also exempt commuter operators to operate aircraft larger than
1053-556: A retro Allegheny Airlines paint scheme. This is a list of cities served by Allegheny Airlines until October 1979. It does not include destinations served before that year. Allegheny flew to dozens more cities at some point, including Erie , Providence and the Wyoming Valley . Allegheny also briefly operated Douglas DC-9-10 aircraft. Local service carrier Local service carriers ultimately became substantial carriers in their own right, all such carriers flew jet aircraft by
1134-508: A route from Houston to Amarillo, Texas via many intermediate points. The CAB regarded this as an experiment so Essair's certification was temporary. The airline would need to renew its certificate in three years. In the meantime, prompted by the Essair certification, the CAB initiated a case, published July 1944, to consider local air service nationally. Politicians, business groups, would-be airlines and others pushed for such airlines, although
1215-470: A single route. After litigation failed to stop the CAB from moving forward, Parks sold itself to Ozark. Since Ozark had no airline operation at the time, Parks essentially became Ozark. In 1949, Purdue Aeronautics Corporation (PAC), a Purdue University subsidiary, was awarded stopgap certification for a single route, Chicago - Lafayette, Indiana . The route authority was held by feeder airline Turner Airlines , shortly to become Lake Central Airlines , which
1296-408: A small trunk carrier that Delta Air Lines bought in 1972. ANE was initially nationally reported as the first new local service carrier since Ozark in 1950. Initially the CAB regulated ANE as such, but in 1976 ANE was relabeled as something new in the CAB taxonomy, a "regional carrier". The clear intent of the CAB when it certificated ANE was to keep it focused on small New England routes. Oddly, when
1377-556: A tag-line “did you know Allegheny is that big?” Ads noted Allegheny: However, as Table 2 shows, the distinction between trunk airline and local service airline remained obvious all the way to 1978, the last year of the regulated era. Relative to local service carriers, even the smallest trunk airlines flew substantially greater seat-miles and distances and with substantially larger aircraft. These events left eight local service carriers in 1978 as shown in Table 2. As of 2024, American Airlines
1458-452: A ticket connecting to another airline. The CAB saw the trunks as a special category of airline to be particularly protected: Over time, local service carriers did come to compete with trunk carriers to a degree. In permitting local service carriers to enter some trunk routes, the CAB was motivated in significant part by a desire reduce government subsidy paid to local service carriers, a process known as “route strengthening.” The first time
1539-626: A timely manner. And in 1955, the CAB permitted a trunk airline to buy a local service carrier, when Continental Air Lines bought Pioneer. So the division between local service carriers and trunks was far from absolute. In 1974, the CAB certificated a new domestic carrier, Air New England (ANE), to placate New England politicians, business groups and citizens who felt they deserved to have a certificated carrier fly small routes in New England (as opposed to relying on unregulated commuter operators). These routes were previously flown by Northeast Airlines ,
1620-429: Is 80,000 flight cycles. Under an extended service program launched in 2017, the service life of Dash 8-300 is extended by 50 percent, or approximately 15 years, to 120,000 flight cycles. The Series 400 introduced an even longer airframe that was stretched 6.83 metres (22.4 ft) over the Series 300 (10.26 metres (33.7 ft) over the Series 100/200), had slightly more wing span due to a larger wing section inboard of
1701-441: Is offered, which increases maximum operating altitude to 27,000 ft (8,200 m). Between its service entry in 2000 and the 2018 sale to Longview/Viking, 585 had been delivered at a rate of 30-35 per year, leaving a backlog of 65 at the time of the 2018 sale. In 2017, its unit cost was US$ 32.2 million. By 2017, the Q400 aircraft had logged 7 million flight hours with 60 operators and transported over 400 million passengers with
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#17330860463051782-549: Is planning to restart Dash 8 production in Wheatland County, Alberta , by 2033. At the July 2024 Farnborough International Air Show , DHC announced orders for seven Series 400 aircraft, an order for a newly introduced quick-change combi aircraft conversion kit, and a new factory refurbishment programme. In the 1970s, de Havilland Canada had invested heavily in its Dash 7 project, concentrating on STOL and short-field performance,
1863-405: Is the corporate successor to the following original local service certificates: As of 2024, Delta Air Lines is the corporate successor to the following original local service certificates: As of 2024, United Airlines is the corporate successor to the following original local service certificates: De Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 The De Havilland Canada DHC-8 , commonly known as
1944-582: The Dash 8 , is a series of turboprop -powered regional airliners , introduced by de Havilland Canada (DHC) in 1984. DHC was bought by Boeing in 1986, then by Bombardier in 1992, then by Longview Aviation Capital in 2019; Longview revived the De Havilland Canada brand. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150s , it was developed from the Dash 7 with improved cruise performance and lower operational costs, but without STOL performance. The Dash 8
2025-722: The Mohawk Airlines merger in April 1972 added Montreal, Minneapolis and many New York cities. Houston in 1978, then Florida at the end of 1978 (TPA-MCO-PBI) and Phoenix in 1979. In 1959, Allegheny debuted its first turbine airliner, a Convair 540 , a Convair 340 with the piston engines replaced by Napier Elands . When Rolls-Royce bought Napier it dropped the Eland, so 540s in the United States reverted to piston; Allegheny's last 540 flights were in 1962. The airline bought new Fairchild F-27 Js that
2106-563: The Tanzania Government Flight Agency . The company also announced the launch of a factory refurbishment programme, for which 28 aircraft had been purchased, along with new freighter and combi aircraft conversion kits; one of the latter had been ordered by Advantage Air, DHC said. In December 2021, DHC entered into a partnership with ZeroAvia with a view to offering the ZA-2000 hydrogen-electric propulsion as an option for
2187-697: The 2,200 ft (670 m) required by a fully laden Dash 7. The introduction of the regional jet altered the sales picture. Although more expensive than turboprops, regional jets allow airlines to operate passenger services on routes not suitable for turboprops. Turboprop aircraft have lower fuel consumption and can operate from shorter runways than regional jets, but have higher engine maintenance costs, shorter ranges, and slower cruising speeds. When world oil prices drove up short-haul airfares in 2006, an increasing number of airlines that had bought regional jets began to reassess turboprop regional airliners, which use about 30–60% less fuel than regional jets. Although
2268-482: The 2019 sale to DHC, DHC decommissioned its Downsview , Toronto, manufacturing facility in August 2022, and in 2023 confirmed its plans to restart Dash 8 production in Wheatland County, Alberta , outside of Calgary, by 2033. At the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2024, DHC announced orders for seven Series 400 aircraft, including one for Skyward Express , two for Widerøe , and one for
2349-689: The Allegheny name continued to be used by the parent company, keeping the trademark under US Airways' control. Suburban Airlines was originally headquartered at the Reading Airport in Reading, Pennsylvania , and flew a large fleet of Short 330s and Short 360s , being the launch customer for the Short 360. It had three Fokker F27s , and was the last US operator of passenger F27s. After replacing much of its Short fleet with de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8s and retiring
2430-412: The CAB and the post office (which at the time subsidized air transport through airmail contracts) were "not enthusiastic." By January 1944, the CAB had received 435 applications by would-be feeder airlines. The Board saw itself obligated by the 1938 Act to expand air service to smaller markets. The Board was not confident feeder service could be provided on a cost-efficient basis by the trunks, therefore
2511-412: The CAB came to create a specific regional certificate for ANE, it found the existing form of ANE's certificate was that of a trunk, not a local service carrier. Local service carriers aspired to be seen as “big” airlines. For instance, in the mid-1970s, Allegheny, the largest of the local service carriers, ran an advertising campaign “It takes a big airline”, comparing itself to the trunks, and it adopted
Allegheny Airlines - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-424: The CAB decided to certificate new carriers, with the idea they would become specialists in serving small routes efficiently. By giving them temporary certificates, the increased subsidies for providing local service was also theoretically temporary. The CAB may also not have wanted to risk the progress trunk carriers made in evolving towards subsidy-free operation. Even before it published its local service findings,
2673-542: The CAB launched a series of cases to certificate new feeder carriers across the contiguous United States . The CAB separately certificated "territorial" airlines for Hawaii and Alaska which, at the time, were territories not states. 14 feeder cases completed during the timeframe 1946–1949, awarding an additional 22 new entities (beyond Pioneer) feeder service certificates covering most of the contiguous United States . These certificates were temporary and conditional. Successful local service applicants had to demonstrate access to
2754-423: The CAB revoking the company’s certification in 1950. The CAB awarded most of Parks's routes to a new feeder carrier, Ozark Air Lines, making Ozark the last feeder to be certificated. The CAB awarded the remaining Parks routes to Mid-Continent Airlines , a trunk carrier, a controversial decision since feeder and trunk airlines were supposed to be separate. Shortly before the CAB's revocation, Parks started service on
2835-497: The CAB; it had made "elaborate promises" to the trunks that local service carriers would never be able to "come into full competitive status". (see "Trunks, the protected class" below). Prior to permanent certificates, the uncertainty of their regulatory status made it impossible for local service carriers to borrow on a long-term basis. Consequently, the carriers were largely equity funded prior to permanent certificates. CAB-regulated airlines interlined with every other carrier (which
2916-509: The DHC-8, as a line-fit option for new aircraft and as an approved retrofit for existing aircraft. In May 2023, ZeroAvia unveiled a DHC-8 Q400 donated by Alaska Airlines for use as a testbed aircraft. Distinguishing features of the Dash 8 design are the large T-tail intended to keep the tail free of prop wash during takeoff, a very high aspect ratio wing, the elongated engine nacelles also holding
2997-632: The F27s, Suburban merged with another wholly owned USAir subsidiary, Pennsylvania Airlines, which was headquartered at Harrisburg International Airport near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania . The combined airline retained the historic Allegheny Airlines name until it was merged with another wholly owned subsidiary, Piedmont Airlines. The subsequent airline retained the Piedmont Airlines name. After retiring earlier aircraft, Allegheny, before and after its mergers, mainly flew De Havilland Canada Dash 8s to 35 airports in
3078-553: The Q400 as the only series still in production. The Series 100 was the original 37-39 passenger version of the Dash 8 that entered service in 1984. The original engine was the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120 and later units used the PW121. Rated engine power is 1,800 shp (1,340 kW). The Series 200 aircraft maintained the same 37–39 passenger airframe as the original Series 100, but was re-engined for improved performance. The Series 200 used
3159-517: The Q400's centre fuselage. The Q400 components are chemically milled while older variants are assembled from bonded panels and skins. The production of the Dash 8 Series 100 stopped in 2005, and that of the Series 200 and 300 in 2009. Bombardier proposed the development of a Q400 stretch with two plug-in segments, called the Q400X project, in 2007. It would compete in the 90-seat market range. In response to this project, as of November 2007 , ATR
3240-599: The Q400, the 1,000th Dash 8 was delivered in November 2010. Bombardier aimed to produce the Q400 more economically. A deal with its machinists union in June 2017 allowed the assembly of the wings and cockpit section outside Canada and searches for potential partners commenced. Bombardier expected to produce the cockpit section in its plant in Queretaro, Mexico , outsourcing the wings to China's Shenyang Aircraft Corp , which already builds
3321-495: The aircraft skidded off the runway in a controlled emergency landing. The Q400 was carrying 38 passengers, two infants, and four crew members on board. No injuries were reported. The next day, SAS permanently removed its entire Dash 8 Q400 fleet from service. In a press release on October 28, 2007, the company's president said: "Confidence in the Q400 has diminished considerably and our customers are becoming increasingly doubtful about flying in this type of aircraft. Accordingly, with
Allegheny Airlines - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-416: The airline (e.g. moving from single-engined aircraft to Douglas DC-3s ). The CAB allowed Purdue to buy the airline, but then refused to renew its certificate the next year. Florida Airways and Mid-West went out of business as a result of losing their certificates. The scheduled passenger operations of E.W. Wiggins were part of a larger business and the company is still a going concern as of 2024, operating as
3483-659: The cabin, and the right engine caught fire. Of 69 passengers and four crew on board, 11 were sent to hospital, five with minor injuries. The accident was filmed by a local news channel (TV2-Nord) and broadcast live on national television. Three days later, on September 12, Scandinavian Airlines Flight 2748 from Copenhagen to Palanga had a similar problem with the landing gear, forcing the aircraft to land in Vilnius International Airport ( Lithuania ). No passengers or crew were injured. Immediately after this accident SAS grounded all 33 Q400 airliners in its fleet and,
3564-586: The company named "Vistaliner". The F-27J was a U.S.-built version of the Fokker F27 . The airline switched to General Motors/Allison turboprops in the Convair 580 which the carrier named the "Vistacruiser", the first CV580 flight was in June 1965. The last DC-3 flights were in 1962 and the last piston flights were in 1967. In 1960, Allegheny headquarters were in Washington, D.C. In 1965, Allegheny announced it would add
3645-435: The company's traditional area of expertise. Using four medium-power engines with large, four-bladed propellers resulted in comparatively lower noise levels, which combined with its excellent STOL characteristics, made the Dash 7 suitable for operating from small in-city airports, a market DHC felt would be compelling. However, only a handful of air carriers employed the Dash 7, as most regional airlines were more concerned about
3726-506: The contract. It was eventually won by Airbus, which received an order for 34 A320 aircraft. Allegations of secret commissions paid to Prime Minister of Canada Brian Mulroney are today known as the Airbus affair . Following its failure in the competition, Boeing immediately put de Havilland Canada up for sale. The company was eventually purchased by Bombardier in 1992. The market for new aircraft to replace existing turboprops once again grew in
3807-473: The creation of the original Frontier Airlines in 1950 as one of the largest local service carriers, flying small routes from the Mexican to Canadian borders in the mountain states. Parks Air Lines received routes in three CAB cases, leaving it with a feeder network deemed one of the richest. But it was unable to raise funds. The airline proposed a series of launch alternatives the CAB found unacceptable, leading to
3888-697: The decision of the full five-member Board. Each case usually certificated one or more new local service carriers and might also allocate longer routes in the same region to trunks. For instance, the March 1946 decision in the Service in the Rocky Mountain States Area case (which launched in the summer of 1944) certificated two new feeder lines (soon to adopt the names Monarch Air Lines and Challenger Airlines) splitting local routes across Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico, while awarding additional routes in
3969-474: The end of the regulated era (1978). Over time, local service carriers began to compete more directly with trunk carriers. But a clear distinction, visible in financial and operating data, continued to exist between the two types of domestic carriers through the end of the regulated era, reflecting a difference in how the CAB regulated the two types of carriers. In particular, in contrast to trunk carriers, local service airlines received government subsidies throughout
4050-431: The engines, a stouter T-tail and had a passenger capacity of 68–90. The Series 400 uses Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A engines rated at 4,850 shp (3,620 kW). The aircraft has a cruise speed of 360 knots (667 km/h), which is 60–90 knots (111–166 km/h) higher than its predecessors. The maximum operating altitude is 25,000 ft (7,600 m) for the standard version, although a version with drop-down oxygen masks
4131-441: The entire Dash 8 program and the de Havilland brand from Bombardier, in a deal that would close by the second half of 2019. Viking had already acquired the discontinued de Havilland Canada aircraft model type certificates in 2006. By November 2018, the sales of the higher-performance Q400 were slower than the cheaper aircraft from ATR . Bombardier announced the sale was for $ 300 million and expected $ 250 million net. The sale
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#17330860463054212-454: The exception of intrastate airlines , only airlines certificated by the CAA/CAB could engage in scheduled air transport. Airlines that could show they were flying scheduled service before the passage of the 1938 Act were entitled to certification by grandfathering . 19 domestic passenger airlines were certificated in this way. The 16 of these that continued to operate after World War II were called
4293-495: The factory lease expired in 2023. On February 17, 2021, DHC announced a pause in production, planned for the second half of 2021, due to a lack of Dash 8 orders from airlines. The manufacturer planned to vacate its Downsview Toronto facility and lay off 500 employees in the process. The lay-off notice resulted in Unifor , the union representing the workers, demanding a government bail-out. The company planned to restart production after
4374-526: The first jet aircraft type to its fleet—the Douglas DC-9-10 —which the airline stated would be placed into service in 1966. Allegheny then added other jets, notably the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 which the company named the "Vistajet". Later jets included Boeing 727-100s , 727-200s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50s . The Mohawk merger added British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven jets to
4455-612: The fleet as well. Allegheny Airlines was also the first airline with a network of affiliated regional airlines, the Allegheny Commuter system, which began with Henson Airlines in 1967. As deregulation dawned, Allegheny, looking to shed its regional image, changed its name to USAir on October 28, 1979. After Allegheny Airlines rebranded itself as USAir , the company retained its earlier name for its Allegheny Commuter service until 1989 when it became US Airways Express . Under USAir, which eventually renamed itself US Airways,
4536-499: The funding they claimed to have, and that a sufficient number of airports had necessary infrastructure (e.g. sufficiently long runways, radios, etc) to handle commercial service. Cases could take well over a year, sometimes longer, to decide (note the gap between when the CAB launched the cases in 1944 and the publishing of the first case in spring 1946) typically had over a dozen applicants and other participants, public hearings, an initial finding by an examiner, followed by
4617-529: The limits. For instance, in 1971, it exempted Executive Airlines and Air New England (at that time a commuter carrier) to fly propeller aircraft up to 44 seats to expand service in New England. In 1955, the US Congress forced the CAB to make the certificates of these carriers permanent (Public Law 38, enacted May 19, 1955 amending the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938). This was done against the wishes of
4698-547: The market was not as robust as in the 1980s when the first Dash 8s were introduced, 2007 had increased sales of the only two 40+ seat regional turboprops still in western production, Bombardier's Q400 and its competitor, the ATR series of 50– to 70-seat turboprops. The Q400 has a cruising speed close to that of most regional jets, and its mature engines and systems require less frequent maintenance, reducing its disadvantage. The aircraft has been delivered in four series. The Series 100 has
4779-511: The mid-1990s, and DHC responded with the improved "Series 400" design. All Dash 8s delivered from the second quarter of 1996 (including all Series 400s) include the Active Noise and Vibration System designed to reduce cabin noise and vibration levels to nearly those of jet airliners. To emphasize their quietness, Bombardier renamed the go-forward production of Dash 8 models as the "Q"-Series turboprops (Q200, Q300, and Q400). The last Dash 8-100,
4860-520: The more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123 engines rated at 2,150 shp (1,600 kW). In 2000, its unit cost was US$ 12 million. The Series 300 introduced a longer airframe that was stretched 3.43 metres (11.3 ft) over the Series 100/200 and has a passenger capacity of 50–56. The Series 300 also used the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123 engines. Rated engine power is between 2,380 shp (1,774 kW) and 2,500 shp (1,864 kW). Design service life
4941-576: The newly formed De Havilland Canada (DHC) taking control of the Dash 8 program, including servicing the previous -100, -200, and -300 series. Production of the Q400 was planned to continue at the Downsview, Toronto production facility, under DHC's management. De Havilland was considering a 50-seat shrink, as North American airlines operate 870 ageing 50-seaters, mostly CRJs and Embraer ERJs . There were 17 Dash 8s scheduled for delivery in 2021, and De Havilland planned to pause production after those, while
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#17330860463055022-494: The northeastern United States, and eventually Canada, from hubs at Boston and Philadelphia . Its activities and Activities Dash 8 fleet were incorporated into a regional airline, Piedmont Airlines , in 2004. As of October 2023, an American Airlines Airbus A321 , registered N579UW, is painted in Allegheny colors. It recently was on an Airbus A319 registered N745VJ, before being repainted into standard American livery in March 2023 and US Airways also operated this aircraft with
5103-411: The operational costs (fuel and maintenance) of four engines, rather than the benefits of short-field performance. In 1980, de Havilland responded by dropping the short-field performance requirement and adapting the basic Dash 7 layout to use only two, more powerful engines. Its favoured engine supplier, Pratt & Whitney Canada , developed the new PW100 series engines for the role, more than doubling
5184-630: The original case certificating Essair). The CAB did not distribute route authorities to feeders equally. The size of the Parks Air Lines network was over eight times the size of the Florida Airways network, for instance. Among successful applicants, All-American Aviation (later Allegheny Airlines, the predecessor to US Airways ) was unique because it already had CAB-certification. The CAB certificated All American for “pick-up” service in 1940 – All American picked up mail without landing through use of
5265-454: The pandemic at a new location. In July 2022, DHC announced that it would review the Dash 8 programme and supply chain later in the year, and could restart production in the middle of the decade if conditions allowed. The Calgary site, where the company produced DHC-6 Twin Otters , was originally envisioned as the venue for Dash 8 production. Per a property transaction made by Bombardier prior to
5346-557: The power from its PT6 . Originally designated the PT7A-2R engine, it later became the PW120. When the Dash 8 rolled out on April 19, 1983, more than 3,800 hours of testing had been accumulated over two years on five PW100 series test engines. The Dash 8 first flight was on June 20, 1983. Certification of the PW120 followed on December 16, 1983. The airliner entered service in 1984 with NorOntair , and Piedmont Airlines , formerly Henson Airlines,
5427-512: The rearward-folding landing gear , and the pointed nose profile. The Dash 8 design has better cruise performance than the Dash 7, is less expensive to operate, and is much less expensive to maintain, due largely to having only two engines. It is a little noisier than the Dash 7 and cannot match the STOL performance of its earlier DHC forebears, although it is still able to operate from small airports with runways 3,000 ft (910 m) long, compared to
5508-567: The regulated era. But after US airline deregulation in 1979, the distinction between trunk and local service carriers vanished. The passage of the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 put almost all US commercial air transport under the tight control of a newly formed Federal agency, the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA). In 1940, those regulatory functions passed to another Federal agency, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). With
5589-545: The same region to Western Air Lines and Inland Air Lines , two trunk carriers. Some airlines won routes in multiple cases. Parks Air Lines , for instance, won routes in three. One later case allocated routes only to feeders previously certificated in earlier cases. A cleanup case re-awarded routes to Southern Airways that the CAB was not confident had been properly awarded previously. CAB decisions could be challenged in Federal courts and some feeder certifications were (such as
5670-466: The trunk carriers or trunk airlines. In many respects, the CAB regulated the industry in the interests of the trunk carriers. In November 1943, the CAB certificated Houston -based Essair (later called Pioneer Air Lines ) to fly feeder routes in Texas, the first airline to be certificated to fly domestic passengers since the grandfathering of the trunk carriers. Essair started feeder service on 1 August 1945 on
5751-431: The withdrawal of the type from the airline's fleet. On September 9, 2007, the crew of SAS Flight 1209, en route from Copenhagen to Aalborg , reported problems with the locking mechanism of the right side landing gear, and Aalborg Airport was prepared for an emergency landing. Shortly after touchdown, the right main gear collapsed and the airliner skidded off the runway while fragments of the right propeller shot against
5832-521: Was done with CAB approval through a subsidiary of the Air Transport Association , at the time the club for all the CAB air carriers). It was normal for passenger itineraries to involve a ticket on more than one airline. No airline offered comprehensive service because the CAB intentionally limited competition. This can be seen in statistics for the local service carrier connections. In 1964, over 40% of passengers on local service carriers were on
5913-751: Was founded by du Pont family brothers Richard C. du Pont and Alexis Felix du Pont Jr. In 1949, the company was renamed All American Airways as it switched from air mail to passenger service. On 1 January 1953 it was again renamed, to Allegheny Airlines. Like other local service airlines , Allegheny was subsidized ; in 1962 its revenue of $ 23.5 million included $ 6.5 million in "public service revenue". In 1953, Allegheny's network blanketed Pennsylvania, reaching Newark NJ to Cleveland and Huntington WV. It added Detroit (YIP) in 1956, Boston in April 1960, La Guardia in 1964, Norfolk in 1966, Toronto in 1967, and Louisville-Nashville-Memphis in 1968. The Lake Central Airlines merger in July 1968 added Chicago and St Louis, and
5994-418: Was not just for show; the CAB declined to renew the certificates of three feeders, Florida Airways in 1949, Mid-West in 1952 and E.W. Wiggins Airways in 1953. The issue was economics; the CAB deemed unacceptable the amount of government subsidy required to keep the airlines operating. In the case of Mid-West, another subsidiary of Purdue University bought the carrier in 1951, with a plan to substantially upgrade
6075-549: Was offered in four sizes: the initial Series 100 (1984–2005), the more powerful Series 200 (1995–2009) with 37–40 seats, the Series 300 (1989–2009) with 50–56 seats, and Series 400 (1999–2022) with 68–90 seats. The QSeries (Q for quiet) are post-1997 variants fitted with active noise control systems. Per a property transaction made by Bombardier before the 2019 sale to DHC, DHC had to vacate its Downsview , Toronto, manufacturing facility in August 2022, and as of August 2023
6156-457: Was projected by Bombardier to result in $ 250 million annual savings. In January 2019, Longview announced that it would establish a new company in Ontario, reviving the de Havilland Aircraft Company of Canada name, to continue production of the Q400 and support the Dash 8 range. By February, the program sale was expected to close at the end of September. On June 3, 2019, the sale was closed with
6237-421: Was slow starting service. PAC flew the route for just over two months in late 1949 and early 1950 until Turner was ready to go. That was the end of Purdue University's brief time operating a Federally-certificated scheduled airline, but two years later, Purdue played a role in the fate of Mid-West Airlines , as detailed below. Feeder certificates were initially temporary, subject to renewal every three years. This
6318-468: Was still studying the issue, at least a three-year delay was envisioned. In October 2012, a joint development deal with a government-led South Korean consortium was revealed, to develop a 90-seater turboprop regional airliner, targeting a 2019 launch date. The consortium was to have included Korea Aerospace Industries and Korean Air Lines . At the February 2016 Singapore Airshow , Bombardier announced
6399-429: Was still studying the prospects of designing the Q400X and talking with potential customers. At the time, Bombardier was not as committed to the Q400X as it had been previously. In May 2011, Bombardier was still strongly committed to the stretch but envisioned it more likely as a 2015 or later launch. The launch date was complicated by new powerplants from GE and PWC to be introduced in 2016. In February 2012, Bombardier
6480-402: Was studying a 90-seat stretch. In June 2009, Bombardier commercial aircraft president Gary Scott indicated that the Q400X would be "definitely part of our future" for possible introduction in 2013–14, although he did not detail the size of the proposed version or commit to an introduction date. In July 2010, Bombardier's vice president, Phillipe Poutissou, made comments explaining the company
6561-567: Was the first US customer the same year. In 1986, Boeing bought the company in a bid to improve production at DHC's Downsview Airport plants, believing the shared production in Canada would further strengthen their bargaining position with the Canadian government for a new Air Canada order for large intercontinental airliners. Air Canada was a crown corporation at the time, and both Boeing and Airbus were competing heavily via political channels for
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