Comair
Encyclopedia
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
headquartered on the grounds of Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Boone County
Boone County, Kentucky
Boone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1798. The population was 118,811 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Burlington. The county is named for frontiersman Daniel Boone...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, west of Erlanger
Erlanger, Kentucky
Erlanger is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,676 at the 2000 census.- Geography :Erlanger is located at ....
, and south of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Operating under the brand name Delta Connection
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
, Comair operates passenger services to a large number of destinations in the USA, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the Bahamas.
History
The airline was established in March 1977 and started operations in April 1977. It was founded by Patrick J. Sowers, Robert T. Tranter, David Mueller and his father Raymond in Cincinnati and began scheduled services with two Piper NavajoPiper PA-31 Navajo
The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
aircraft. Under its parent Comair Holdings, it became a public company in July 1981 to support the growth and capital requirements to upgrade their fleet. It became a Delta Connection carrier in 1984. In July 1986 Delta Air Lines acquired 20% of Comair stock. Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
acquired full ownership on October 22, 1999 at a cost of over 2 billion dollars.
Crew scheduling
Crew scheduling is the process of assigning crews to operate transportation systems, such as rail lines or aircraft.- Complex :Most transportation systems use software to manage the crew scheduling process. Crew scheduling becomes more and more complex as you add variables to the problem...
software flaw. On December 23 and 24, a record snowfall hit the Cincinnati area, forcing the airline to deplete its entire supply of deicing solution. With the area highways closed due to the blizzard, no additional deicing fluid could be delivered to the airport, and Comair was forced to cancel all flights beginning on Friday December 24. After receiving necessary supplies overnight, the airline began the process of startup when the computer system that handled flight crew assignments shut down. It had been designed with a hard coded limit of changes for a month, which were far exceeded due to the poor weather in the prior days. The software, ironically, had been in the process of being phased out at the airline in favor of a new system with more capabilities. However, as of May 2008 the original scheduling software has not been replaced.
Comair's parent company Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
on September 14, 2005, forcing Comair into bankruptcy along with it. Comair announced that would cut costs by million annually. These savings were achieved by aircraft, flight, and employee reductions.
In late 2006, Comair opened an additional crew base and hub city at New York's JFK Airport. Comair had the lowest percentage of on time flights of all major U.S. carriers during late 2006. This was the result of starting operations at JFK, congested airport with poor staffing and a poor terminal and aircraft ramp layout that severely dropped Comair's ratings in the DOT listings. In 2008, Comair tied with American for the lowest on-time performance, with 70% of its flights arriving on-time. During the course of 2007, Comair closed down its crew bases in Greensboro, North Carolina and Orlando, Florida (for the 2nd time). On May 25, 2007, Delta announced that Comair would operate 14 CRJ-900
Bombardier CRJ700
The Bombardier CRJ700, CRJ900, and CRJ1000 are regional airliners based on the Bombardier CRJ200. Final assembly of the aircraft is at Montréal-Mirabel International Airport in Mirabel, Quebec, outside Montreal, Canada.-Development:...
aircraft for the Delta Connection program. These aircraft will replace 14 CRJ-100 aircraft currently in Comair's fleet. Parent company Delta Air Lines replaced Comair's service in these destinations with Atlantic Southeast Airlines
Atlantic Southeast Airlines
Atlantic Southeast Airlines is an American airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia, flying to 144 destinations as a Delta Connection carrier and, as of February 2010, commenced service as a United Express carrier. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. ASA operates...
, a subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc.
SkyWest, Inc.
SkyWest, Inc. is the parent company of SkyWest Airlines , Atlantic Southeast Airlines, and ExpressJet Airlines. It is headquartered in St. George, Utah, United States.-History:...
, and Chautauqua Airlines
Chautauqua Airlines
Chautauqua Airlines, Inc. is a regional airline and a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Based on 2009 published flight schedules, it operates scheduled passenger services on more than 700 flights daily to 98 airports in 31 states, Washington, D.C...
, a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings
Republic Airways Holdings
Republic Airways Holdings, Inc. is an aviation holding corporation based in Indianapolis, Indiana, which owns six airlines operating in the United States: Chautauqua Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Republic Airlines, Shuttle America, and the former Lynx Aviation....
. In early 2008, Delta announced it was going to reduce its domestic capacity by 4-5%, in which Comair will reduce its 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet fleet by 8-14 aircraft. In March 2008, when oil reached over per barrel (see Oil price increases since 2003), Delta announced it would further reduce domestic capacity.
On February 10, 2009, Delta Connection announced that ground handling and gate service positions for Comair, Mesaba, and Compass Airlines would be transitioned to a new Delta Airlines subsidiary. The current name of the new company is Regional Handling Services
Regional Handling Services
Regional Elite Airline Services , which began operations on September 27, 2009, is wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines that combines all airport ticket counter, gate, tower coordination, and ramp handling duties for Comair, Compass Airlines, Mesaba Airlines, and Pinnacle Airlines Corp....
until a new name is confirmed between now and September. Each airline will still have individual flying operations. Everything from ticketing to baggage handling will now be handled by RHS beginning in the 3rd Quarter of 2009. There will be a reduction in the workforce. The largest cut will come from Comair which will reduce its staffing by nearly half. A voluntary program is in place and involuntary cuts may come along later in the year as Delta mainline
Mainline (flight)
A mainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares or regional subsidiaries...
ground employees, take over positions of Delta subsidiary ground employees formerly contracted to Comair and then Regional Elite Airline Services
Regional Handling Services
Regional Elite Airline Services , which began operations on September 27, 2009, is wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines that combines all airport ticket counter, gate, tower coordination, and ramp handling duties for Comair, Compass Airlines, Mesaba Airlines, and Pinnacle Airlines Corp....
.
On September 1, 2010 Comair announced that they would reduce their fleet by eliminating all of their aging Bombardier CRJ100/200 aircraft and expect to have them all retired sometime in 2012. Retirement will start in 2011. Also they expect to operate a 44 aircraft fleet and they will also reduce their workforce. Layoffs can begin as early as September 2010, specifically furloughing the pilot group to around 500 pilots, or down to a 1999 date of hire. Their fleet will consist of only CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft. http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2010/08/30/daily24.html?ana=yfcpc
Fleet
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
:
| Aircraft | In Service | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | Y | Total | |||
| Bombardier CRJ100ER | 44 | — | 50 | 50 | Exit from service: 2012 |
| Bombardier CRJ200ER Bombardier CRJ200 The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:... |
2 | ||||
| Bombardier CRJ700ER | 15 | 9 | 56 | 65 | |
| Bombardier CRJ900ER | 13 | 12 | 64 | 76 | |
| Total | 74 | ||||
Headquarters
Comair is headquartered in the Comair General Office Building, on the grounds of Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport in unincorporatedUnincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Boone County
Boone County, Kentucky
Boone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1798. The population was 118,811 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Burlington. The county is named for frontiersman Daniel Boone...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, west of Erlanger
Erlanger, Kentucky
Erlanger is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,676 at the 2000 census.- Geography :Erlanger is located at ....
, and south of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Current crew bases include DTW (Detroit Wayne County airport, and New york Kennedy Airport, along with the headquarters of Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky international.
The facility with the headquarters is a six story, glass-encased facility. Elissa Sonnenberg of the Cincinnati Magazine
Cincinnati Magazine
Cincinnati Magazine is a monthly lifestyle magazine concerning life in and about Cincinnati, Ohio.It was created by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce in 1967. It was then purchased by CM Media in 1981....
said that the "sleek new" building has "smooth curves and soft bends reminiscent of air flow over aircraft wings." In 2010 James Pilcher of the Cincinnati Enquirer said that the Comair headquarters was "relatively new." During that year Delta began to consider giving control of the building to the Kenton County airport board.
Incidents and accidents
- On October 8, 1979, Comair Flight 444, a Piper PA-31 NavajoPiper PA-31 NavajoThe Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
light aircraftLight aircraftA light aircraft is an aircraft that has a maximum gross take-off weight of or less.Many aircraft used commercially for freight, sightseeing, photography and scheduled flights are light aircraft.Examples of light aircraft include:...
, crashed shortly after takeoff from Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport. All eight people aboard were killed. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident was a partial loss of power immediately after liftoff. The pilot failed to take immediate corrective action, either rejecting the takeoff or raising landing gear and flaps. Contributing factors were the pilot's inexperience with multi-engine aircraft, a hurried departure, inadequate training, inexperienced company management, ineffective FAA certification and surveillance of the operator. - On January 9, 1997, Comair Flight 3272Comair Flight 3272Comair Flight 3272 was a Comair flight departing on January 9, 1997, from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport for the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. While on approach for landing, the aircraft, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, crashed nose-down 18 miles short of the airport...
operating an Embraer EMB 120 BrasiliaEmbraer EMB 120 Brasilia-Accidents:*Brazilian Air Force on July 8, 1988 an Embraer EMB 120RT Brasília registration FAB-2001 crashed during and engine-out landing at São José dos Campos. Five of the 9 occupants died....
aircraft, crashed while on approach into Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....
. All 29 aboard were killed. - On March 19, 2001, Comair Flight 5054Comair Flight 5054Comair Flight 5054 was an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia departing on March 19, 2001 from Nassau International Airport for the Orlando International Airport. While in route the plane experienced severe icing conditions resulting in a rapid loss of altitude. The crew was able to recover control of the...
operating an Embraer EMB 120 BrasiliaEmbraer EMB 120 Brasilia-Accidents:*Brazilian Air Force on July 8, 1988 an Embraer EMB 120RT Brasília registration FAB-2001 crashed during and engine-out landing at São José dos Campos. Five of the 9 occupants died....
aircraft, experienced an in air incident while in transit from Nassau International Airport to Orlando International AirportOrlando International AirportOrlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...
. The flight diverted to West Palm Beach Airport for an emergency landing. All 27 aboard survived. - On August 27, 2006, Comair Flight 5191Comair Flight 5191Comair Flight 191, marketed as Delta Connection Flight 5191, was a scheduled United States domestic passenger flight from Lexington, Kentucky, to Atlanta, Georgia, operated on behalf of Delta Connection by Comair...
operating a Bombardier CRJ-100ERBombardier Canadair Regional JetThe Bombardier CRJ is a family of regional airliners manufactured by Bombardier:* CRJ100 - 50 seats* CRJ200 - 50 seats* CRJ700 - 70 seats* CRJ705 - 75 seats* CRJ900 - 90 seats* CRJ1000 - 100 seats...
aircraft, crashed while taking off from Lexington'sLexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
Blue Grass AirportBlue Grass AirportBlue Grass Airport is a public airport located in Fayette County, Kentucky, United States, 4 miles west of the central business district of the city of Lexington. The main terminal building was opened in 1977. The airport covers an area of and has two runways. It is also home to the Aviation...
. 49 of the 50 on board, including all 47 passengers, were killed.