ST. LOUIS, June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Compass Airlines, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, Inc., today
announced it will operate 20 new 76-seat Embraer E175 aircraft
owned by American Airlines, Inc. Compass expects to begin taking
delivery of the aircraft and start scheduled service under the
American Eagle brand and livery in the first quarter of 2015. The
agreement also provides American the option to place additional
E175 aircraft it owns with Compass in the future.
"We're thrilled to begin our partnership with American with
these 20 new state-of-the-art aircraft that will allow us to
provide a top-tier experience to customers of American," said
Compass Airlines President and CEO Richard
Leach. "The opportunity to grow our operation for American
beyond the 20 initial E175s we have been awarded also points to a
bright future for Compass and our employees."
American Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines Group Inc.
(NASDAQ: AAL), announced in December
2013 it had signed agreements with Embraer S.A. to purchase
60 new 76-seat E175 regional jets, with options for up to 90
additional aircraft. With continued new aircraft deliveries over
the next several years, American will have one of the most modern
and efficient fleets in the industry.
The addition of these 20 American aircraft will increase the
fleet size of Compass Airlines to 62 aircraft, all of which are
either Embraer E175 or E170 aircraft.
"Compass Airlines has a proven history of providing safe,
reliable, customer-friendly and cost-effective service on the E175
aircraft and this made Compass a great choice for our business and
our customers," said Kenji
Hashimoto, senior vice president of regional carriers for
American Airlines. "This is the first time Compass will provide
regional flight service for American. We are looking forward to
Compass operating these new aircraft to provide an exceptional
travel experience to American's customers connecting to our
extensive global network."
The new E175s will offer American Airlines customers a more
seamless transition from mainline to regional flights with 12 First
Class seats, 20 Main Cabin Extra seats offering additional legroom
and 44 seats in the Main Cabin. The aircraft will also feature
modern cabin elements including in-flight Wi-Fi, full-size overhead
bins, more spacious lavatories, leather seats and adjustable
headrests. Powered by General Electric CF34 engines, the E175 also
is one of the most fuel efficient 76-seat aircraft in the market
today.
About Compass Airlines
Compass Airlines, LLC is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, Inc. Compass
Airlines began commercial service in May
2007 with a mission to provide safe, reliable,
cost-effective and customer-friendly service to the passengers it
serves. Compass currently has more than 1,200 employees operating
36 Embraer E175 and six Embraer E170 aircraft from its Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) and Detroit (DTW) hubs, as well as a maintenance
facility in Louisville, Kentucky.
Compass currently serves 57 cities, operates approximately 200
daily flights, and carries approximately 4 million passengers
annually.
About Trans States Holdings
Trans States Holdings,
Inc. is a privately owned holding company for three regional
airlines, including Compass Airlines, GoJet Airlines and Trans
States Airlines. The Trans States Holdings family of airlines
provides scheduled passenger service under the US Airways Express,
United Express and Delta Connection regional service brands. The
company is headquartered in Bridgeton,
Missouri near Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
(STL).
SOURCE Compass Airlines