AirTran JetConnect

AirTran JetConnect was a regional airline service brand used by AirTran Airways in the United States. It was created to extend AirTran’s network into shorter-haul markets where the carrier considered its Boeing 717 mainline aircraft, and in some cases Airbus A320 service operated under contract, less economical or appropriately sized than regional jets. The operation was not a separate major airline with its own independent consumer network; instead, it connected smaller and mid-sized cities to AirTran’s system under the AirTran brand. AirTran and regional carrier Air Wisconsin announced the arrangement on September 26, 2002, and service began on November 15, 2002. Air Wisconsin operated ten Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets for the service. The aircraft carried AirTran’s full livery, with the JetConnect designation placed alongside the AirTran branding, making the operation visibly part of the parent airline’s network rather than a conventional separately marketed regional carrier. The service began from AirTran’s Atlanta hub with routes to Greensboro, Pensacola, and Savannah. It later expanded to 18 destinations across the eastern United States. The published network included cities in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. Destinations included Jacksonville, Miami, Pensacola, Tallahassee, Tampa, Atlanta, Savannah, Bloomington/Normal, the Quad Cities, Wichita, Baltimore, Kansas City, Rochester, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham, Dayton, Myrtle Beach, Appleton, and Milwaukee. AirTran reassessed the economics of the service and announced on March 5, 2004, that it would end JetConnect. The company concluded that it could operate Boeing 717 aircraft more efficiently than the Canadair regional jets on the relevant short-haul routes. The final regional jet flight operated in August 2004. During the phase-out, Air Wisconsin returned the aircraft to its United Express operation and later operated under the US Airways Express banner. These subsequent Air Wisconsin arrangements were separate from the AirTran JetConnect brand. AirTran later reintroduced regional flying from Milwaukee in December 2009 through SkyWest Airlines, but that operation was not marketed as the earlier JetConnect service and used generic SkyWest aircraft livery. That later regional operation ended in September 2011. AirTran JetConnect therefore remains a discontinued example of a U.S. network airline using a branded regional-jet platform to test or serve markets that it believed could not initially support larger mainline aircraft economically.

AirTran JetConnect was established as AirTran Airways’ branded regional airline service in response to the economics of serving shorter routes with smaller aircraft. AirTran’s principal fleet included Boeing 717 aircraft, while Airbus A320 service was also available through a contracted operation. For some short-haul markets, however, the airline sought a smaller regional jet platform that could provide network connectivity without requiring the capacity of a mainline aircraft. On September 26, 2002, AirTran announced an agreement with Air Wisconsin. The regional carrier would operate ten Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft in AirTran’s livery. The aircraft were presented as part of the AirTran system, with the JetConnect name added discreetly beside the main AirTran logo. This branding arrangement distinguished the flights from ordinary Air Wisconsin operations while retaining the parent airline’s customer-facing identity. Scheduled JetConnect service began on November 15, 2002, from AirTran’s Atlanta hub. The initial destinations were Greensboro, Pensacola, and Savannah. The network subsequently expanded to 18 cities in the eastern United States. The destinations covered a broad group of secondary and regional markets, including Jacksonville, Miami, Tallahassee, and Tampa in Florida; Savannah and Atlanta in Georgia; Bloomington/Normal and the Quad Cities; Wichita; Baltimore; Kansas City; Rochester; Raleigh-Durham; Dayton; Myrtle Beach; Appleton; and Milwaukee. The service was short-lived. On March 5, 2004, AirTran announced that it would terminate JetConnect following an economic review. The airline concluded that Boeing 717 operations were more efficient than Canadair regional-jet service on the relevant short-haul routes. This decision reflected the operational trade-off between regional aircraft designed for lower-demand markets and a mainline fleet that could offer lower unit costs or simpler operations on routes that had sufficient demand. The final JetConnect regional jet flight took place in August 2004. As the arrangement ended, Air Wisconsin returned the aircraft to its United Express fleet and later operated under the US Airways Express banner. Those later changes concerned Air Wisconsin’s broader regional-airline affiliations and did not continue the AirTran JetConnect brand. AirTran subsequently resumed regional flying from Milwaukee in December 2009 using SkyWest Airlines. The later operation was not presented as JetConnect: aircraft retained a generic SkyWest livery, and the service ended in September 2011. Accordingly, the earlier AirTran JetConnect identity refers specifically to the Air Wisconsin-operated regional service launched in 2002 and discontinued in 2004, rather than to all regional flying later associated with AirTran.

• 2004

  AirTran announces discontinuation

  [1]AirTran JetConnecten.wikipedia.org

  AirTran announced on March 5 that it would end JetConnect after reviewing the comparative economics of regional jets and Boeing 717 aircraft.

• 2004

  Final JetConnect flight

  [1]AirTran JetConnecten.wikipedia.org

  The last AirTran JetConnect regional jet flight operated in August, ending the branded service.

• 2002

  AirTran announces the Air Wisconsin agreement

  [1]AirTran JetConnecten.wikipedia.org

  AirTran Airways officially announced its agreement with Air Wisconsin to provide branded regional service on September 26.

• 2002

  JetConnect service launches

  [1]AirTran JetConnecten.wikipedia.org

  AirTran JetConnect began operating on November 15 from AirTran’s Atlanta hub, initially serving Greensboro, Pensacola, and Savannah.

A branded regional-airline service designed to connect smaller eastern U.S. markets to AirTran Airways’ network with regional jets.

• Passenger airline service · 2002

  AirTran JetConnect regional passenger services

  AirTran JetConnect was AirTran Airways’ branded regional passenger operation. Air Wisconsin flew ten Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft in AirTran livery, with the JetConnect designation placed next to the AirTran logo. The service connected AirTran’s Atlanta hub with smaller and mid-sized destinations across the eastern United States, allowing the airline to offer short-haul connectivity with regional jets rather than relying exclusively on larger Boeing 717 aircraft. It was discontinued in 2004 after AirTran determined that Boeing 717 operations were more economical on the relevant routes.

• 2004

  Replace JetConnect regional flying with Boeing 717 economicsStrategy

  Background

  AirTran reviewed the economics of operating regional Canadair jets on short-haul routes and compared them with the performance of its Boeing 717 mainline aircraft.

  Action taken

  The airline announced on March 5 that it would end AirTran JetConnect and phase out the Air Wisconsin-operated regional service.

  Aftermath

  The last JetConnect regional flight operated in August 2004. Air Wisconsin’s aircraft moved back into other regional-airline affiliations, while AirTran continued its network strategy without the original JetConnect brand.

  Source

1. 1AirTran JetConnecten.wikipedia.org