Business Express Airlines

Business Express Airlines, often referred to simply as Business Express or BizEX was an American regional airline founded as Atlantic Air in 1982. In an effort to appeal with its predominantly business commuter clientele, the airline assumed the Business Express name in 1985. In 1986, Pilgrim Airlines (Groton/New London) and NewAir (New Haven) were acquired by the airline, opening up valuable New York and Washington, D.C. markets. Shortly thereafter, Business Express become one of Delta Airlines' first Delta Connection carriers, along with ASA, Comair and SkyWest Airlines. The airline was originally headquartered in Westport, CT, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Marketing Corporation of America, and later transferred its corporate and maintenance operations to Dover, New Hampshire and Portsmouth Airport respectively.

Business Express utilized the FAA designator of "GAA", and the airline code of "HQ". The radio callsign was BizEx.

History

In the mid-1990's, the airline negotiated an unconventional second marketing agreement with Northwest Airlines, becoming the Northwest Airlink regional affliate in New England and Eastern Canada. In September 1997, the branding scheme expanded to include a third partner, American Airlines, affliated first as American Connection, and later as an integral carrier under the American Eagle program. These new affiliations were part of a broader expansion scheme that included longer-range flying beyond the Northeast, enhanced mainline flight bank integration, as well as operation of jet aircraft.

'Fly BEX Jets!'

The jet age arrived at Business Express through acquisition of Pilgrim Airlines in 1986. Through this transaction, the growing airline acquired a single Fokker F-28 aircraft, however chose not to operate the airliner due to profitability concerns. In the mid-1990s, Business Express was the first Delta Connection regional airline to operate jet aircraft, predating deliveries of Canadair and Embraer jets to ASA, Comair, and Skywest. In 1994, the airline obtained five BAe146-200, 69-passenger regional jets from Discovery Airways, and placed an order for twenty new AVRO RJ-70s in the same year. Jet routes included international feeder service to Delta's Trans-Atlantic hub at JFK, with service to Cleveland and Detroit. Boston jet service included service along the Eastern Seaboard to Baltimore, Norfolk, and Richmond. Although long coveted, Business Express was unable to operate the BAe-146 on the lucrative Boston-Washington National sector due to landing slot restrictions on four-jet aircraft. Perhaps this was the primary reason jet aircraft did not succeed as a signficant revenue generator for the airline. In an effort to establish a larger identity, Business Express launched the 'Fly BEX Jets' program in 1994 on the BOS-BWI sector. The aggressive marketing scheme offered free round-trip flight vouchers for every round-trip flown on BAe-146 aircraft. The program was popular and heightened awareness, however failed to generate significant revenue.

In the traditional radial approach to route development, Business Express launched service to Milwaukee in 1994, competing directly with Midwest Express. The carrier operated two daily nonstop flights in the marketplace with 70 passenger Avro RJ-70 aircraft, though generated lower than anticipated passenger traffic and suspended the service in January 1995. Apart from its indepdendent Northwest codeshare Minneapolis-Aspen/Snowmass service, Milwaukee was the furthest 'west' the fully-integrated BEX system grew. Its severely weather-affected market in the Northeast, Canada, and Upper Midwest made Southern routes both attractive and potentially lucrative. Nevertheless, Busines Express was unable to penetrate Southern holiday travel markets due to systems overlap with other Delta Connection carriers. Likewise, the airline lacked true 'feed' into one of Delta's largest mainline hubs. Constricted by a fierce operating culture in the Northeast and lack of viable markets, Business Express was unable to identify a consistently profitable market for its jet aircraft. Ultimately, the airline did not take full delivery of the AVRO RJ-70. The BAe146-200s were replaced by five AVRO RJ70s that operated primarily in the JFK-DTW and JFK-CLE markets, as well as BOS-BWI, BOS-ORF, and BOS-RIC markets.

Hub Expansion

Business Express embarked a significant route and fleet expansion beginning in 1993, however its facilities at hub airports Boston Logan, New York LaGuardia, and New York/JFK airports were unable to effectively accommodate the influx in passenger boardings and aircraft movement. In May 1995, Business Express Airlines inaugurated a major expansion and renovation of its primary passenger hub at Boston Logan International Airport. Negotiated as a direct lease with Massport, this long awaited facilities upgrade substantially increased gate and ramp space in the "C" concourse. Enhancements included improved ADA compliance, new airside elevators, upgraded signage, and refurbishment of all passenger lounge areas. Gatehouse expansion allowed the airline to reduce remote bus boardings, whereby 80 percent of the airline's daily departures were serviced directly from the terminal. Service was increased to both Bangor and Portland, Maine utilizing Avro RJ-70 jets and Saab 340 aircraft. Additional round-trip service was added between Boston Logan and Washington National Airport, bringing the total number of roundtrips to five daily, in addition to Delta's three mainline flights. In May 1995, Business Express was Boston's largest airline, operating 158 daily departures.

Operating as Northwest Airlink, Business Express Airlines initiated service to the Aspen/Snowmass from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport during the 1995-1996 ski season. The airline offered two daily nonstops utilizing 69-passenger Avro RJ-70 jet aircraft. These flights required seasonal repositioning of dedicated equipment, and were scheduled to coordinate with Northwest Airlines flight banks from their Minneapolis/St. Paul hub.

In November 1998, Business Express Airlines announced service between Presque Isle, Maine's Northern Maine Regional Airport, and Boston Logan commencing with four daily round trip flights.

Purchase by AMR

In December 1998, Business Express Airlines announced that AMR Eagle Holding Corp., parent of American Eagle and an affiliated company of American Airlines, would purchase the airline. Business Express had been operating as the American Connection at Boston Logan International Airport for only sixteen months prior to this announcement. All privately held Business Express stock was acquired by AMR Eagle Holding from several shareholders including the Philadelphia-based investment firm Dimeling, Schreiber & Park. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The agreement was a lucrative move for American, offering prime gate opportunities and landing slots at Boston Logan, New York LaGuardia, and Washington National airports, plus acquisition of an outstanding order of Embraer ERJ 135 jets. The airline held twenty firm orders and forty options for Embraer equipment with first deliveries scheduled in August 1999. By late 1999, Business Express began returning their forty-three Saab 340 aircraft, including (twenty-three A models, twenty B models) to their lessor. In late 2000, the airline ceased independent existence when operations were transferred to American Eagle. One of the final flights was a run from the Boston Logan hub to the maintenance base in Bangor, Maine.

* Founded as Atlantic Air in 1982.
* Acquired Pilgrim Airlines in February 1986. (Pilgrim Airlines had previously acquired New Haven Airways (dba NewAir).
* Acquired Mall Airways in September 1989.
* Acquired B1900 and Saab340 Fleet of Brockway Air in December 1989.
* Acquired five BAe-146 jet aircraft in 1993. These distinctive four-jet aircraft operated in the following city pairs: New York JFK-Cleveland, New York JFK-Detroit, Boston-Milwaukee, Boston-Norfolk, Boston-Richmond, Boston-Baltimore, Boston-Bangor, Boston-Portland, Boston-Nantucket (seasonal), Baltimore-Nantucket (seasonal)

Former Destinations Served

* Connecticut
** Bridgeport (Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport)
** Groton/New London (Groton-New London Airport)
** Hartford (Bradley International Airport)
** New Haven (Tweed-New Haven Airport)
* Maine
** Augusta (Augusta State Airport)
** Bangor (Bangor International Airport)
** Portland (Portland International Jetport)
** Presque Isle (Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle)
* Maryland
**Baltimore (Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport)
*Massachusetts
**Boston (Logan International Airport)
**Hyannis (Barnstable Municipal Airport)
**Martha's Vineyard (Martha's Vineyard Airport)
**Nantucket (Nantucket Memorial Airport)
*Michigan
**Detroit (Metropolitan Airport)
*New Hampshire
**Lebanon (Lebanon Municipal Airport)
**Manchester (Manchester-Boston Regional Airport)
*New Jersey
**Newark (Newark Liberty International Airport)
*New York
**Albany (Albany International Airport)
**Buffalo (Buffalo Niagara International Airport)
**Islip (Long Island MacArthur Airport)
**New York (John F. Kennedy International Airport)
**New York (LaGuardia Airport)
**Rochester (Greater Rochester International Airport)
**Syracuse (Syracuse Hancock International Airport)
**White Plains (Westchester County Airport)
*Nova Scotia, Canada
**Halifax (Halifax International Airport)
*Ohio
**Cleveland (Hopkins International Airport)
*Ontario, Canada
**Ottawa (Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
**Toronto (Toronto Pearson International Airport)
*Quebec, Canada
**Montreal (Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport)
**Quebec City (Québec/Jean Lesage International Airport)
*Pennsylvania
**Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia International Airport)
*Rhode Island
**Providence (T. F. Green Airport)
*Vermont
**Burlington (Burlington International Airport)
*Virginia
**Richmond, VA (Richmond International Airport)
**Norfolk, VA {Norfolk International Airport)
**Washington, DC (suburbs) Dulles International Airport)
**Washington, DC (suburbs) (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport)
*Wisconsin
**Milwaukee (General Mitchell Field)"Those airports marked with a (*) no longer have scheduled airline service."

Former Fleet

* BAe 146
* Avro RJ70
* Beechcraft 1900 - Some acquired in buy-out of Mall Airways in September 1989.
* Fokker F-27 - Acquired with the purchase of Pilgrim Airlines.
* Fokker F-28 - Acquired with the purchase of Pilgrim Airlines but never operated.
* Saab 340 - Some acquired from Brockway Air
* Shorts 360
* Beech 99 - Retired in 1986 shortly after Beech 1900 deliveries began.
* Twin Otter - Acquired with purchase of Pilgrim Airlines, but never operated.