ExpressJet planning relaunch as independent airline
Shuttered regional airline ExpressJet is plotting a comeback.
ExpressJet closed down last year after United Airlines ended its contract as a preferred United Express regional partner.
Now it plans to relaunch as an independent airline operating routes to underserved cities.
It currently has one Embraer ERJ-145 and plans to expand it to a fleet of 10 within one year.
It filed with the Department of Transportation last week to resume services.
"ExpressJet intends to resume operations… as an independent carrier at small and mid-size communities, initially on routes with an average stage length of approximately 540 miles using EMB145 aircraft in a single-class configuration," it said.
It hasn’t yet disclosed what routes it will fly.
ExpressJet had previously flown exclusively for the United Express brand and when that contract ended it was left with no other airline customers or routes of its own.
ExpressJet is 100% owned by ManaAir, which itself is 49% owned by United Airlines
ExpressJet said it expects to spend about $60 million in its first year of operations and is targeting flying about 200 flights a day within 12 months.
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