FREEDOM AIRLINES

'Freedom Airlines' is an American FAA Part 121 certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number FDKA087K^[1] issued on April 1, 2002. The Nevada Corporation Form 10-K (2006) is headquartered in Irving, Texas and is a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group. It operates flights as Delta Connection for Delta Air Lines out of Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Florida using Embraer-145 aircraft and began serving Delta's hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City in July 2006 using De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft. The Dash 8's are being phased out and replaced by CRJ-900's.

Contents

History

Destinations

Airline operations

Crew bases

Fleet

External links

References

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 a few Beech 1900D turboprops on its certificate and operated these as America West Express under a pro rate code share agreement with America West. In October 2005, Freedom Airlines began operations as Delta Connection.

Destinations

★ Delta Connection

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★ Akron, Ohio (Akron-Canton Regional Airport)

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★ Albany, New York (Albany International Airport)

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★ Atlanta, Georgia (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport) 'Hub'

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★ Austin, Texas (Austin-Bergstrom International Airport)

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★ Baltimore, Maryland (Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport)

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★ Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport)

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★ Binghamton, New York (Greater Binghamton Airport) [ends September 6, 2007]

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★ Birmingham, Alabama (Birmingham International Airport)

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★ Bloomington, Illinois (Central Illinois Regional Airport)

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★ Burlington, Vermont (Burlington International Airport)

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★ Columbia, South Carolina (Columbia Metropolitan Airport)

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★ Dayton, Ohio (Dayton International Airport)

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★ Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers/Bentonville, Arkansas (Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport)

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★ Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport)

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★ Fort Walton Beach, Florida (Okaloosa Regional Airport)

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★ Greensboro, North Carolina (Piedmont Triad International Airport)

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★ Hartford, Connecticut (Bradley International Airport)

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★ Huntsville/Decatur, Alabama (Huntsville International Airport)

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★ Jackson, Mississippi (Jackson-Evers International Airport)

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★ Key West, Florida (Key West International Airport)

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★ Knoxville, Tennessee (McGhee Tyson Airport)

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★ Lexington, Kentucky (Blue Grass Airport)

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★ Little Rock, Arkansas (Little Rock National Airport)

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★ Louisville, Kentucky (Louisville International Airport)

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★ Manchester, New Hampshire (Manchester Boston Regional Airport)

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★ Miami, Florida (Miami International Airport)

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★ Nantucket, Massachusetts (Nantucket Memorial Airport) (seasonal)

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★ Nashville, Tennessee (Nashville International Airport)

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★ New Orleans, Louisiana (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport)

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★ Newport News, Virginia (Patrick Henry International Airport)

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★ Norfolk, Virginia (Norfolk International Airport)

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★ Orlando, Florida (Orlando International Airport) 'Hub'

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★ Panama City, Florida (Panama City-Bay County International Airport)

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★ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia International Airport)

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★ Portland, Maine (Portland International Jetport)

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★ Providence, Rhode Island (T. F. Green Airport)

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★ Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina (Raleigh-Durham International Airport)

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★ Richmond, Virginia (Richmond International Airport)

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★ Roanoke, Virginia (Roanoke Regional Airport)

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★ Syracuse, New York (Syracuse Hancock International Airport)

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★ Tri-Cities, Tennessee (Johnson City, Tennessee/Kingsport, Tennessee/Bristol, Tennessee and Virginia) (Tri-Cities Regional Airport)

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★ Washington, DC (Dulles International Airport)

Airline operations

Freedom Airlines operates as:

★ Delta Connection using Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft under a revenue-guarantee codesharing agreement. Its hubs are located at Orlando, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia and New York, New York.

Crew bases

★ Albany, New York

★ Atlanta, Georgia

★ New York, New York (JFK)

★ Orlando, Florida

★ Syracuse, New York

Fleet

As of June 30, 2006

'Freedom Airlines Fleet'

'Type'	'Number'	'Seats'	'Orders/ Options'
Embraer ERJ-145	36	50	0/64
Dash 8-100	01	37	0/0

¹''During 2006 Mesa Air Group acquired 12 used Dash-8-100's for Freedom Airlines' Delta Connection service at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. They have been retired from service. The airline plans on receiving 14 new Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jets.

External links

★ Mesa Air Group Website

★ Freedom Airlines Former Fleet Detail

References

1. http://av-info.faa.gov/detail.asp?DSGN_CODE=FDKA&OPER_FAR=121&OPER_NAME=FREEDOM+AIRLINES+INC