 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Commenced operations | 1967; 58 years ago (1967) (Allegheny Commuter) 1969; 56 years ago (1969) (Crown Airways) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 1989; 36 years ago (1989) (Allegheny Commuter) 1994; 31 years ago (1994) (Crown Airways) | ||||||
| Operating bases | |||||||
| Alliance | USAir Express | ||||||
| Fleet size | 15 (Crown Airways) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Washington Township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania,United States (Crown Airways) | ||||||
Crown Airways was a regional airline operating forUSAir Express (ThenUS Airways Express) with its headquarters on the grounds ofDuBois Regional Airport inWashington Township,Jefferson County,Pennsylvania, nearFalls Creek.[1][2]Allegheny Commuter was thebrand name for the regional affiliate of Allegheny Airlines, under which a number of individually owned commuter air carriers operate short and medium haul routes. The airline is often credited as the first code-share agreement between a major airline and smaller commuters.
Crown Airways started as feeder airline for Allegheny Commuter in March 1969.[2] Allegheny Commuter was started in March 1967,[2] whenHenson Airlines began operating as a feeder carrier forAllegheny Airlines, predecessor toUS Airways. The initial route was fromBaltimore toHagerstown.[3] This is generally credited as the airline industry's firstcode-share agreement and the first major airline to use another airline as its commuter partner,[4] At the time the idea was considered nothing short of revolutionary in the industry.[5] Within the code-share agreement the smaller commuter airlines would take on routes that proved unprofitable for the larger airlines and paint their aircraft in the Allegheny Airlines livery,[5] In turn Allegheny Airlines included the commuter airlines routes in their timetable and flight reservations systems as if they were mainline Allegheny flights, giving passengers the impression of completely integrated operations.[5]
With this agreement Allegheny had a larger passenger base to fill their aircraft with while the feeder airlines saw huge growth in passenger numbers and revenue. Through the 1970's many other commuter airlines would join the Allegheny Commuter system providing feeder service from small communities for Allegheny Airlines. By the 1980s Allegheny Commuter was operating twelve FrenchNord 262 turboprops and threede Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 turboprops as well as a myriad of other aircraft.[6] Allegheny Airlines changed its name toUSAir in 1979 however the feeder network still carried the name of Allegheny Commuter until 1989 when it was changed toUSAir Express.[7]
After Allegheny Commuter became USAir Express, Crown Airways was taken over in a leveraged buyout in 1990 by two of its executives, Albert Beiga and Philip Burnaman. The carrier remained operating as USAir Express.[8] Crown Airways ceased to exist in 1994 when it was purchased byMesa Air Group.[9]
Main Article:Allegheny Airlines § Allegheny Commuter
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Allegheny Commuter was operated by a myriad of smaller commuter airlines, these included:
