Pinnacle to fly for CO from EWR
 

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art.../70205013/1003

The flights by Pinnacle's Colgan Air Inc. will begin in early 2008, Houston-based Continental said today in a statement. Continental and Memphis, Tenn.-based Pinnacle reached a 10- year contract for flying the 74-seat Bombardier Inc. Q400s.

Interesting. I wonder if this is in response to NWA's Compass.

Another tidbit:
With the agreement, Pinnacle "has accomplished the important goal of diversifying its customer base away from Northwest Airlines, and these new planes should bolster revenue growth somewhat,'' James Corridore, a Standard & Poor's analyst in New York, said in a report.

Someone refresh my memory please. Doesn't NWA own/provide the planes that Pinnacle uses?

I am sure Pinnacle saw the hand writing on the wall with NW moving to acquire Mesaba and starting Compass. Probably a good move on their part.

You may be thinking of Mesaba.

Pinnacle is a stand-alone airline free to contract with whomever they like to provide regional service. This move doesn't undermine Pinnacle's contract with NW, but it does diversify their flying a bit, which is probably good for their employees and shareholders.

There are two seperate things here:

Pinnacle Holdings - the parent company that has two subsidiaries

1) Pinnacle Airlines - Operates as Northwest Airlink, operating 141 CRJ-200's that are subleased from Northwest Airlines. NW maintains the leases on these aircraft. NW more or less, in one shape or form, controls this subsidary.

2) Colgan Airlines - recently purchased this privately owned company, primarily used to diversify their portfolio. Operates as Continental Connection out of IAH with Saab 340's, United Express from IAD with Saab 340's, and USAirways Express in the Northeast with Saab 340's & B-1900's. Now they will also operate Q400's for Continental out of EWR. Colgan maintains the leases on these aircraft.

Up until a few weeks ago, Pinnacle Holdings had nothing other than Pinnacle Airlines (NW Airlink). The media is confusing this none the less, its not the same subsidary of Pinnacle Holdings that is flying for NW & the others.

Northwest used to own Pinnacle Airlines, but they spun it off a couple years back. Thus the confusion about ownership. And now Pinnacle bought Colgan Air, which will be doing the flying for Continental.

Oh corporations...

According to Colgain Air's web site they already fly for CO Express out of IAH, as well as UA Express out of IAD and US Express out of ... *rubs eyes at tangled-mess map* BOS, LGA, PIT, IAD and DCA?

Using Beech 1900s and Saab 340's, no less. Wooo!