Freedom Airlines

Infobox_Airline
airline=Freedom Airlines
logo=FreedomsLogo.pnglogo_size=100
fleet_size=28
destinations=24
IATA=F8
ICAO=FRL
callsign=FREEDOM AIR
parent=Mesa Air Group, Inc.
founded=2002
headquarters=Irving, Texas, USA
key_people=Ryan Gumm (COO)
hubs=John F. Kennedy International Airport
website= http://www.mesa-air.com

Freedom Airlines, Inc. is an American FAA Part 121 certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number FDKA087K [ [http://av-info.faa.gov/detail.asp?DSGN_CODE=FDKA&OPER_FAR=121&OPER_NAME=FREEDOM+AIRLINES+INC Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View ] ] issued on April 1, 2002. The Nevada Corporationcite web | url= http://secfilings.nasdaq.com/filingFrameset.asp?FileName=0000950153%2D06%2D003018%2Etxt&FilePath=%5C2006%5C12%5C14%5C&CoName=MESA+AIR+GROUP+INC&FormType=10%2DK&RcvdDate=12%2F14%2F2006&pdf=
title = Form 10-K (2006) |accessdate=2007-09-05] is headquartered in Irving, Texas and is a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group. It operates flights as Delta Connection for Delta Air Lines serving Delta's hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City using CRJ900 and EMB 145 aircraft. As of June 2008, 7 Next Generation CRJ900's are currently in operation.

History

The airline was established in March 2002 and started operations in October 2002. It was the launch customer for the Bombardier CRJ-900. The airline was started so that Mesa Air Group could fulfill its contractual obligations to operate the CRJ-900 as America West Express for America West Airlines. Establishing Freedom was necessary as Mesa Airlines was also operating as US Airways Express under a code share agreement for US Airways. US Airways' collective bargaining agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association prohibited contract carrier code share arrangements with regional jet carriers, if that carrier operated aircraft with more than 70 seats. Mesa Airlines, therefore, could not operate as US Airways Express and operate the CRJ-900.

Initially Freedom operated the Bombardier CRJ-700 and CRJ-900 on behalf of America West Airlines. Once US Airways' pilot scope limitation was relaxed, Mesa transferred the operation of all of Freedom's regional jets to Mesa Airlines. Once this transfer was complete Freedom placed 1 Beech 1900D turboprop on its certificate in order to keep the certificate active. No scheduled flights occurred during this period with the Beech 1900, but it was used as a spare aircraft for Air Midwest aircraft flying out of Phoenix under an America West Express codeshare as well as a spare aircraft for Mesa Airlines' Dash-8-200 aircraft operating under a contract for America West. In October 2005, Freedom Airlines began operations as Delta Connection.

On April 7, 2008, Mesa Air Group, the parent company of Freedom Airlines, entered litigation about contractual obligations with Delta Airlines. [cite news | url=http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/03/31/daily38.html | title=Delta, Mesa in connection flight clash | work=Cincinnati Business Courier | date=2008-04-02 | accessdate=2008-08-07] Delta attempted to terminate the ERJ-145 contract due to supposed failures to meet completion in 3 of the last 6 months. No matter the ultimate resolution of the issue, the airline will continue to operate the CRJ-900 for Delta Airlines as Delta Connection.

On May 29, 2008, a federal judge blocked Delta from terminating Freedom's regional flying contract which, according to parent company Mesa Air Group would have forced it to file for bankruptcy protection by July 20 and cut 700 jobs or 14 percent of its work force. [ [http://www.cnbc.com/id/24841922/for/cnbc/ Judge blocks Delta's termination of Mesa contract] ] In August 2008, Mesa announced that Delta was terminating Freedom's contract to operate CRJ-900 aircraft. As with the ERJ-145 contract, Mesa alleged that the cancellation was driven by Delta's intention to cut capacity rather than Freedom's failure to meet operational performance standards, as Delta claims. Mesa did indicate that the aircraft, leased to Mesa by Delta, would be returned to Delta with no further financial obligation to Mesa. [cite news | title=Delta terminates regional contract with Mesa Air | url=http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/08/04/daily20.html | work=Phoenix Business Journal | date=2008-08-05 | accessdate=2008-08-07]

Destinations

As of 2008, all Freedom Airlines flights are affiliated with Delta Connection.
* Georgia
** Atlanta (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport) Hub

* Illinois
** Chicago, Illinois (O'Hare International Airport)

* Maine
** Portland (Portland International Jetport)

* Maryland
** Baltimore (Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport)

* Minnesota
** Minneapolis, Minnesota (Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport)

* New York
** Buffalo (Buffalo International Airport)
** New York City (John F. Kennedy International Airport) Hub

* Texas
** Dallas (Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport)
** Houston (George Bush Intercontinental Airport)

* Vermont
** Burlington (Burlington International Airport)

* Virginia
** Norfolk (Norfolk International Airport)
** Richmond (Richmond International Airport)

* Washington, DC area
** Dulles International Airport

Airline operations

Freedom Airlines operates as:
*Delta Connection using Embraer ERJ-145 and Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft under a revenue-guarantee codesharing agreement. Its hub is located at New York, New York.

Crew Bases

*New York, NY (JFK)

Fleet

The Freedom Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of 12 September 2008) [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=FDO&al_op=1] :

Retired fleet

External links

* [http://www.mesa-air.com/ Mesa Air Group Website]

References