Contour Airlines is a

regional airline A regional airline is a general classification of airline which typically operates scheduled passenger air service, using regional aircraft, between communities lacking sufficient demand or infrastructure to attract mainline flights. In North ...

headquartered at Smyrna Airport in

Smyrna, Tennessee Smyrna is a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Smyrna's population was 53,070 at the 2020 census. In 2007, '' U.S. News & World Report'' listed Smyrna as one of the best places in the United States to retire. Smyrna is part of the Nashville ...

, United States. All Contour Airlines flights are public charters sold and operated by parent company Contour Aviation as a direct carrier.

History

Contour Airlines was established by its parent company Contour Aviation in 2016. Contour began service on March 22, 2016, completing its inaugural flight from Nashville to Tupelo, Mississippi. Since then, Contour has expanded to 20 destinations nationwide, focusing on providing key business and leisure markets previously underserved with nonstop short-haul routes. On April 1, 2019, Contour retired its Jetstream 31/32 fleet and focused solely on ERJ-135/145 aircraft. On February 5, 2020, Contour Airlines announced that it would add

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

as a focus city and purchase additional ERJ-135/145 aircraft. The goal was to provide efficient service to markets that are within driving distance but do not have direct flights in order to capture travelers who would rather drive than fly with a layover.Indianapolis airport loses direct flights to Milwaukee, Pittsburgh after just 3 months
/ref> The airline planned to serve

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

and

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

from Indianapolis beginning June 10, 2020, however, the service had been suspended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 28, 2021, Contour announced its relaunch in Indianapolis, beginning on October 12 and flying to

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

, and

. However, Contour quietly dropped Milwaukee and Pittsburgh less than three months later. According to Contour CEO Matt Chaifetz, the Indianapolis to Milwaukee route averaged 40% full and was climbing, but stalled in the winter due to fears over the omicron variant. He said "the timing was just poor" for the new routes, but said, "We're still committed to Indianapolis."

Destinations

Contour Airlines operates flights serving the following destinations:

Former destinations

Airline agreements

In November 2019, Contour launched an interline agreement with

American Airlines American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...

allowing passengers to travel via Contour and American under a single itinerary. Bookings can be made through third-party travel agencies, through the American Airlines website, or directly through the Contour Airlines website.

In-flight experience

Passengers traveling with Contour receive free seat selection and their first piece of checked baggage without charge on all fare classes. All Contour flights feature leather seating, 36 inches of legroom, and complimentary in-flight snack and beverage service.

References

External links

Official website
{{Airlines of the United States, state=collapsed Regional airlines of the United States Companies based in Tennessee Airlines established in 1982 1982 establishments in Tennessee Airlines based in Tennessee American companies established in 1982 Smyrna, Tennessee Transportation in Rutherford County, Tennessee