Business Express Airlines, often referred to as Business Express or BizEX, was an American regional airline founded as Atlantic Air in 1982. In an effort to appeal to its predominantly business commuter clientele, the airline assumed the Business Express name in 1985. In 1986 Pilgrim Airlines (Groton/New London), which itself had acquired NewAir (New Haven) about a year prior, was acquired by the airline. This opened the valuable New York and Washington, D.C. markets. Shortly thereafter, Business Express became one of

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, operating nine hubs, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being its ...

' first

Delta Connection Delta Connection is a brand name under which Delta Air Lines has air service agreements with domestic regional air carriers that feed traffic to their network by serving passengers primarily in small and medium-sized cities in the domestic mark ...

carriers, along with Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA), Comair and

SkyWest Airlines SkyWest Airlines is an American regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah. SkyWest operates and maintains aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed and sold by four partner Mainline (air travel), mainline airlines. The comp ...

. The company slogan was ''Fly BizEx Jets!''. Business Express's ICAO Three-Letter Designator was "GAA" and its IATA two-letter designator was "HQ". The radio call-sign was "BizEx". At one point, it was headquartered in

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located in the Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast along the Long Island Sound, it is northeast of New York City and is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connec ...

. In 1995, BizEx was headquartered in

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on ...

. Later in its life, BizEX was headquartered in

Dover, New Hampshire Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 32,741 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the most populous city in the New Hampshire Seacoast Region (New Hampshire), Seacoast region and ...

. In 1998, the airline tried to relocate its headquarters and maintenance facility to the south side of

Portland International Jetport Portland International Jetport , locally known as the Jetport, is a public airport two miles (3 km) west of downtown Portland, Maine, Portland, Maine, United States. It is owned and operated by the City of Portland. A portion of the Jetpo ...

. The airline ultimately did not move its headquarters and maintenance facility.

History

Business Express expanded its existing route structure into Canada in 1989 through the acquisition of Mall Airways, a commuter airline based in Albany, New York, with routes to Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. In the mid-1990s, the airline negotiated an unconventional second codeshare agreement with Northwest Airlines, becoming the

Northwest Airlink Northwest Airlink was the brand name of Northwest Airlines' regional airline service, which flew turboprop and regional jet aircraft from Northwest's domestic hubs in Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis. Service was primarily to small-to-medium- ...

regional affiliate in New England and Eastern Canada. In September 1997, the branding scheme expanded to include a third partner, American Airlines, affiliated 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 and operation of jet aircraft.

'Fly BEX Jets!'

The jet age began, albeit hesitantly, at Business Express through the acquisition of Pilgrim Airlines in 1986; through this transaction, the growing airline acquired a single

Fokker F28 Fellowship The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a twin-engined, short-range jet airliner designed and built by Netherlands, Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. Following the Fokker F27 Friendship, an early and commercially successful turboprop-powered regional air ...

twin-jet aircraft but Bix-Ex chose not to operate it due to concerns of profitability. In 1992, the airline obtained five

British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft manufacturer, aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer that was formed in 1977. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. ...

BAe 146-200 69-passenger regional jets from Discovery Airways and placed an order for twenty new Avro RJ70s in the same year which then began to be added to the fleet in 1993. The Avro RJ70 was an improved version of the BAe 146. In the mid-1990s, Business Express became the first

regional carrier to operate jet aircraft, predating deliveries of

Canadair Canadair Ltd. was a Canadian civil and military aircraft manufacturer that operated from 1944 to 1986. In 1986, its assets were acquired by Bombardier Aerospace, the aviation division of Canadian transport conglomerate Bombardier Inc. Canadai ...

and Embraer Regional Jets to Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Comair, and

. Jet routes included international feeder service to Delta's transatlantic hub at JFK, with service to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

-based jet service included service along the Eastern Seaboard to

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

, and Richmond. Although long-coveted, Business Express was unable to operate the BAe 146 on the lucrative Boston Logan- Washington National sector due to landing slot restrictions on four-engine aircraft, and a primary reason these units did not succeed as significant revenue generators for the airline. In an effort to establish a larger regional identity, Business Express launched the 'Fly BEX Jets' program in 1994 on the Boston- Baltimore-Washington 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. Using its radial approach to route development, Business Express launched service to

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

's General Mitchell International Airport in 1994, competing directly with Midwest Express. The carrier operated two daily nonstop flights in the marketplace with 70-passenger Avro RJ70 aircraft, but generated lower-than-anticipated passenger traffic, and suspended the service in January 1995. Apart from its independent

codeshare on

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species in the Populus sect. Populus, of the ''Populus'' (poplar) genus. Species These species are called aspens: * ''Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China, south of ''P. tremula'') * ''Populus da ...

/ Snowmass service, Milwaukee was the westernmost destination of the fully integrated BEX system. Its severely weather-affected market in the Northeast,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, and

Upper Midwest The Upper Midwest is a northern subregion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed upon, the region is usually defined to include the states of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wi ...

made Southern routes both attractive and potentially feasible. Nevertheless, Business Express was unable to penetrate Southern vacation travel markets due to overlap with other Delta Connection carriers in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

and

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. The airline lacked true 'feed' into one of Delta's largest mainline hubs. Constricted by a fierce operating culture in the Northeast and a lack of viable markets, Business Express was unable to identify a consistently profitable market for its jet aircraft. The airline never took full delivery of the Avro RJ70 order. BAe146-200s were replaced by five Avro RJ70s that operated primarily in the New York to Cleveland and Detroit markets, as well as between Boston and Baltimore, Norfolk, and Richmond. With the jet program launch, a new and fully integrated interior overhaul was undertaken beginning in 1993. Aircraft seating featured a distinctive gray-on-gray horizontal stripe and red accented fabric. Eventually, all Saab 340 airframes were outfitted with standard upholstery featured in the BAe 146-200 jets. Although distinctive, the fabric program was replaced by all-leather seating beginning in 1997. Saab 340 aircraft were redeployed with blue leather seats featuring a slimmer profile and ergonomically advanced design. These aircraft joined the American Eagle fleet providing passenger feed for

American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...

with comparable interiors to its existing equipment.

Hub expansion

Business Express embarked a significant route and fleet expansion beginning in 1993, although its facilities at hub airports

Boston Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport — also known as Boston Logan International Airport — is an international airport located mostly in East Boston and partially in Winthrop, Massachusetts, United States. Covering , it has ...

, and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

's LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports were unable to effectively accommodate the influx in passenger boardings and aircraft movements. In May 1995, the carrier inaugurated a major expansion and renovation of its primary passenger hub at Boston Logan. Negotiated as a direct lease with Massport, these long-awaited facilities upgrades substantially increased gate and ramp space in the "C" concourse. Enhancements included improved

Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ...

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 in

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

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. At this time, Business Express was Boston's largest airline, operating 158 daily departures. Operating as Northwest Jetlink, Business Express Airlines initiated service to Aspen/Snowmass from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport during the 1995-1996 ski season on behalf of

Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines (often abbreviated as NWA) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 until it Delta Air Lines–Northwest Airlines merger, merged with Delta Air Lines in 2010. The merger made Delta the largest airline ...

via a

code sharing A codeshare agreement, also known simply as codeshare, is a business arrangement, common in the aviation industry, in which two or more airlines publish and market the same flight under their own airline designator and flight number (the "airli ...

agreement. The airline offered two daily nonstops utilizing 69-passenger Avro RJ70 jet aircraft. These flights required seasonal repositioning of dedicated equipment and were scheduled to coordinate with Northwest Airline's 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 from Boston Logan commencing with four daily round trip flights.

Purchase by AMR

In December 1998, Business Express Airlines announced that AMR Eagle Holding Corp., a unit of AMR Corporation and parent of American Eagle Airlines and Executive Airlines would purchase the airline. Business Express had been operating as an American affiliate under the branding of 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

which like AMR Eagle Holdings was also a subsidiary of AMR Corporation, by offering the mainline carrier 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 its forty-three Saab 340 aircraft, including (twenty-three A models, twenty B models) to their lessor. On December 1, 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 Bangor ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's List of municipalities in Maine, third-most populous city, behind Portland, Maine, Portland ...

. * Founded as Atlantic Air in 1982. * Acquired Pilgrim Airlines in February 1986. The acquisition included

Fokker F27 The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner developed and manufactured by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. It is the most numerous post-war aircraft manufactured in the Netherlands; the F27 was also one of the most successful Europe ...

turboprop and

Fokker F28 The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a twin-engined, short-range jet airliner designed and built by Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. Following the Fokker F27 Friendship, an early and commercially successful turboprop-powered regional airliner, Fokk ...

jet aircraft (Pilgrim Airlines had previously acquired New Haven Airways (dba NewAir). * Acquired Mall Airways in September 1989. * Acquired

Beechcraft 1900 The Beechcraft 1900 is a U.S made twin-engine turboprop regional airliner manufactured by Beechcraft. It is also used as a freight aircraft and corporate transport, and by several governmental and military organizations. With customers favoring ...

and Saab 340 turboprop feet of Brockway Air in December 1989. * Acquired five BAe-146 jet aircraft in 1992 (former Discovery Airways aircraft). These distinctive four-engine 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)

Destinations served

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

( Pitkin County Airport) - ''Northwest Jetlink service'' *

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...

( Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport)* ** Groton/New London ( Groton-New London Airport)* **

Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

(

Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport – historically known as Bradley Field – is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, Con ...

) **

( Hartford-Brainard Airport) **

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

( Tweed-New Haven Airport) *

** Augusta (

Augusta State Airport Augusta State Airport is a public use airport located one nautical mile (2 km) west of the central business district of the state capital of Augusta, a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The airport is owned by the state ...

) ** Bangor ( Bangor International Airport) ** Portland (

) ** Presque Isle ( Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle) *

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

( Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport) *

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

(

) ** Hyannis ( Barnstable Municipal Airport) **

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...

( Martha's Vineyard Airport) **

Nantucket Nantucket () is an island in the state of Massachusetts in the United States, about south of the Cape Cod peninsula. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck Island, Tuckernuck and Muskeget Island, Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and Co ...

( Nantucket Memorial Airport) *

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

( Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport) *

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

/ Saint Paul ( Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport) - ''Northwest Jetlink service'' *

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

( Lebanon Municipal Airport) **

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

( Manchester-Boston Regional Airport) *

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

** Newark (

Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport is a major international airport serving the New York metropolitan area. The airport straddles the boundary between the cities of Newark, New Jersey, Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and E ...

) * New York ** Albany ( Albany International Airport) ** Buffalo (

Buffalo Niagara International Airport Buffalo Niagara International Airport is in Cheektowaga (town), New York, Cheektowaga, New York (state), New York, United States. The airport serves Buffalo, New York and Niagara Falls, New York in the United States, and the southern Golden H ...

) ** Islip ( Long Island MacArthur Airport) ** Newburgh ( Stewart International Airport) **

***(

John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...

) ***(

LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport ( ) – colloquially known as LaGuardia or simply LGA – is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, situated on the North Shore (Long Island), northwestern shore of Long Island, bord ...

) ** Rochester ( Greater Rochester International Airport) ** Syracuse (

Syracuse Hancock International Airport Syracuse Hancock International Airport is a joint civil–military airport northeast of downtown Syracuse, New York. Operated by the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, it is located off Interstate 81, near Mattydale. The main terminal comp ...

) ** White Plains (

Westchester County Airport Westchester County Airport is a county-owned airport in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States, northeast of downtown White Plains, New York, White Plains, with territory in the Town (New Y ...

) *

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, Canada **

Moncton Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. Th ...

( Moncton International Airport) ** Saint John ( Saint John Airport) *

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

, Canada ** Halifax ( Halifax Stanfield International Airport) *

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

( Cleveland Hopkins International Airport) *

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada **

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

(

Toronto Pearson International Airport Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its metropolitan area, and the surrounding region known as the Golden Horseshoe. Pearson is the ...

) *

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, Canada **

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

( Montréal–Trudeau International Airport) **

( Montréal–Mirabel International Airport)* **

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

( Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport) *

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

( Philadelphia International Airport) *

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

** Providence ( Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport) *

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

** Burlington ( Burlington International Airport) *

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

( Richmond International Airport) **

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

(

Norfolk International Airport Norfolk International Airport is northeast of downtown Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk, within the boundaries of the independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is owned and operated by the Norfolk Airport Au ...

) **

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

(suburbs) ***( Washington Dulles International Airport) ***(

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport in Arlington County, Virginia, United States, from Washington, D.C. The closest airport to the nation's capital, it is one of two airports owned by the federal government and ope ...

) *

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

(

Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is a civil–military airport south of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States., effective April 17, 2025. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated ...

) ''Those airports marked with a (*) no longer have scheduled airline service.''

Fleet

Business Express Airlines Avro RJ70 JetPix

Piper PA-31 Navajo The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of twin-engined low-wing tricycle gear utility aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for small cargo and feeder airlines, and as a corporate aircraft. Production ran from 1967 to 1984. It was licen ...

- Original Business Express fleet when the company was founded from Atlantic Air * Beechcraft Model 99 - Retired in 1986 shortly after Beech 1900 deliveries began. *

- Two acquired in buy-out of Mall Airways in September 1989. (N15394 AND N15503) Numerous others operated, some acquired new, some used through the purchase of former Brockway aircraft *

Short 360 The Short 360 (also SD3-60; also Shorts 360)Mondey, David. ''Encyclopedia of the World's Commercial and Private Aircraft''. New York: Crescent Books, 1981. , p. 228. is a commuter aircraft that was built by UK manufacturer Short Brothers durin ...

- 4x 360-200 and 8x 360-300 * Saab 340 - Some acquired from Brockway Air *

- Acquired with the purchase of Pilgrim Airlines. *

- Acquired with the purchase of Pilgrim Airlines, but never operated. *

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada in the mid-1960s and still in production today. Built by De Havilland Canada from 1965 to 1988, Viking ...

- Acquired with purchase of Pilgrim Airlines, but never operated. * BAe 146-200 - Five aircraft from Discovery Air. Operated while awaiting delivery of RJ70 fleet. * Avro RJ70 - Replaced the BAe 146-200 fleet.

Accidents and incidents

* February 10, 1970: N124PM, a Turbo Prop De Havilland DHC-6, Twin Otter, went down in the

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...

near Waterford, Connecticut, about two hours after it had departed from Trumbull Airport en route to JFK Airport. After Pilgrim Airlines Flight 203 was held in the New York area for an extended period, it diverted to

Tweed New Haven Airport Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles southeast of downtown New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven, in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective Sep 15, 2016. The a ...

, where it attempted and missed an instrument landing approach. The aircraft was ditched in the Sound when it attempted to return to Trumbull Airport. All 5 people aboard the aircraft perished. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the accident was

fuel exhaustion In an internal combustion engine, fuel starvation is the failure of the fuel system to supply sufficient fuel to allow the engine to run properly, for example due to blockage, vapor lock, contamination by water, malfunction of the fuel pump or in ...

and

pilot error In aviation, pilot error generally refers to an action or decision made by a Aircraft pilot#Airline, pilot that is a substantial contributing factor leading to an Aviation accidents and incidents, aviation accident. It also includes a pilot ...

. * February 21, 1982 → Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458 * January 13, 1984: Pilgrim Airlines Flight 35, N148PM a Fokker F27. While raising the gear after a runway 04L takeoff, from JFK, the no. 1 prop autofeathered. Power was reduced on the no. 1 engine but then the no. 2 engine experienced a power loss. The gear was extended again, but the aircraft contacted the runway before the gear extended fully. The aircraft skidded 1200 feet before coming to rest near the intersection of taxiway G and runway 04L, 104 feet right of the side of the runway. * December 28, 1991: N811BE a

was lost near Block Island, RI during a nighttime training flight. The training officer (John E. Murphy) and two captain trainees (Michael "Mickey" Kane and Michael Lurie) were killed. While the NTSB Probable cause affixes the cause to errors on the part of the training officer, subsequent investigation by the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) opened the possibility of catastrophic airframe failure. ALPA petitioned the NTSB to reopen the investigation in 1997, but to this date, the Safety Board has failed to take action. * July 17, 1996: N832BE an AVRO 146-RJ70A touched down 2500 feet past the threshold and went off the end of the 7000-foot runway, coming to a halt 300 feet beyond. No injuries or fatalities.

References

{{Navboxes , list = {{Airlines of the United States, state=collapsed {{American Eagle Carriers {{Delta Connection Carriers Defunct airlines of the United States Airlines established in 1982 1982 establishments in the United States Airlines disestablished in 2000 Defunct companies based in New Hampshire Companies based in Strafford County, New Hampshire Companies based in Westport, Connecticut Airlines based in New Hampshire

History

'Fly BEX Jets!'

Hub expansion

Purchase by AMR

Destinations served

Fleet

Accidents and incidents

See also

References