Eagle Picks Up UA Ground-Handling from Colgan


Updated: April 13, 2012 1301 MT



The fallout from Colgan Air's demise continues to benefit its rivals, with United Airlines' Express division passing ground-handling contracts at nine stations to a subsidiary of American Eagle Airlines, itself the subject of a Chapter 11 reorganization.



Pinnacle Airlines' Colgan Air unit is a major feeder carrier for United, although in recent years its two contracts with the Chicago-based legacy had started to produce substantial losses. Pinnacle's recently appointed CEO, Sean Menke, attempted to revise those contracts but eventually decided the best option was to file for Chapter 11 protection and close the Colgan division.



The last Colgan flight for United in scheduled for Nov. 30.



In the days since Pinnacle's April 1 Chapter 11 filing, United has been adapting its operation to replace the loss of Colgan, and as Aviation Week has reported, the beneficiaries include Republic Airways, Expressjet and Florida startup Silver Airways.



Now American Eagle will reap some financial gain from Colgan's departure with United Express's decision to award ground-handling operations to Eagle Ground Handling at nine domestic airports.



The new contracts include operations in Waco, College Station, Killeen/Fort Hood and Tyler, Texas, and Monroe, La.--airports that are already served by Eagle Ground Handling--as well as new operations for the American Eagle unit at Dallas Love Field, Del Rio and Beaumont/Port Arthur, Texas, and Binghamton, N.Y.



United Express will transition to Eagle at these stations in the coming months.



"We are excited about this opportunity to expand our relationship with United Express," says Pedro Fabregas, American Eagle's senior VP-customer service. "Our team at Eagle Ground Handling is the best in the industry, and we look forward to providing our excellent services at these nine locations."


Source: Aviation Week