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American Eagle (airline brand)

American Eagle is the brand for regional airline flights operated for American Airlines, encompassing flights by wholly owned affiliates Envoy Air, PSA Airlines, and Piedmont Airlines, as well as third-party carriers Republic Airways and SkyWest Airlines. These regional carriers serve smaller markets, facilitating connections to American Airlines hubs, and supporting operations in mainline markets. All American Eagle carriers share similar logos, uniforms, and aircraft paint schemes as American Airlines’ mainline operations. In 2023, 46 million passengers flew on American Eagle regional flights, with about 45% connecting to or from mainline flights. These flights operate under capacity purchase agreements with both third-party and wholly owned regional carriers, controlling all aspects of marketing, scheduling, ticketing, pricing, and seat inventories. American Airlines pays fixed fees for operating specified aircraft and covering certain variable costs, such as fuel, landing fees, and insurance.

Airlines and fleet

, the combined American Eagle-branded fleet consists of the following regional jet aircraft:

In addition to the orders listed above, American Airlines also placed an order for 90 Embraer 175 aircraft back in 2024. Envoy announced it was to receive 33 of those shortly after. In June of 2025, it was announced that Piedmont Airlines was to take half of that order and acquire 45 units of the type. This is a new aircraft to operate for the airline.

History

Before the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, most major US air carriers maintained close relationships with independent regional carriers to feed passengers from smaller markets into larger cities, and, in turn, onto larger legacy carriers. In the post-regulation era, the hub-and-spoke system gained prominence, and to feed traffic from smaller markets to these newly established hubs, the major carriers outsourced regional operations to these smaller carriers. These relationships included the use of code sharing, shared branding, and listing regional partners in the computer reservations systems of the mainline carrier.

American Eagle commenced service on November 1, 1984, when Metroflight Airlines (a wholly owned subsidiary of Metro Airlines) became the first operator to join the network. The first American Eagle-branded flight was operated by Metro that day from Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), using a Convair 580 turboprop aircraft. Metroflight also operated de Havilland Canada DHC-6 commuter turboprop aircraft on American Eagle flights serving DFW. Chaparral Airlines was the second operator to join the network, beginning American Eagle flights on December 1, 1984. Other operators later contracted by American Airlines to fly the American Eagle banner during this time included Air Midwest, Air Virginia (later AVAir), Command Airways, Simmons Airlines, and Wings West.

On September 15, 1986, Executive Airlines joined the American Eagle system. With hub operations at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the addition of Executive Airways to the American Eagle family opened an extensive inter-island network throughout the Caribbean.

Between 1987 and 1989, AMR Corp. (parent corporation of American Airlines) gradually acquired most of its regional carriers, starting with Simmons Airlines. By 1991, AMR had consolidated its wholly owned regional carriers into four entities: Executive Airlines, Flagship Airlines, Simmons Airlines, and Wings West. AMR would later purchase the assets of bankrupt Metro Airlines in 1993. At this point, AMR owned all of the airlines that were operating for American Eagle.

On May 15, 1998, Flagship Airlines and Wings West merged into Simmons Airlines, with the new entity named American Eagle Airlines. Along with Executive Airlines, these would be the only operators using the American Eagle brand name for the next fourteen years.

After American Airlines acquired Trans World Airlines (TWA) in 2001, it retained contracts with the carriers that operated under the Trans World Express banner, which included Chautauqua Airlines, Corporate Airlines, and Trans States Airlines. However, instead of being integrated into the American Eagle brand, these carriers operated under a separate regional brand known as AmericanConnection. This brand name was used for thirteen years before being discontinued in 2014.

2010s developments

As part of its restructuring and emergence from chapter 11 bankruptcy, AMR announced it would contract American Eagle flying to carriers outside its wholly owned subsidiaries. On November 15, 2012, SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines, both subsidiaries of SkyWest, Inc. began operations for American Eagle. On August 1, 2013, Republic Airways, a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, commenced flying operations under the American Eagle branding as part of a 12-year capacity purchase agreement to operate Embraer 175 aircraft for American Eagle.

On September 12, 2012, AMR announced the discontinuation of the AmericanConnection brand, and the integration of all operations into the American Eagle brand. However, Chautauqua Airlines, a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, and the only operator of AmericanConnection flights at the time of the announcement, opted not to renew its contract. All AmericanConnection flights ended on August 19, 2014.

American Eagle service operated by Executive Airlines ceased operations on March 31, 2013. At the same time, its base at San Juan was dehubbed.

Because an increasing number of other carriers were contracting to fly under the American Eagle brand, it was announced on January 15, 2014, that American Eagle Airlines would change its name to Envoy Air effective on April 15, 2014.

Compass Airlines, a subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, began American Eagle operations on March 27, 2015, as part of a deal to operate 20 new Embraer 175 aircraft on behalf of American. These aircraft are based at American's Los Angeles hub.

Air Wisconsin had announced it would exclusively fly as United Express which commenced in March 2018, ending its involvement in operating flights under the American Eagle brand.

In May 2018, American Airlines announced the termination of its partnerships with ExpressJet and Trans States Airlines as of 2019, meaning the end of those operators conducting American Eagle flights.

In March 2020, due to the reduction in flying in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Compass Airlines announced it would cease operations on April 5, 2020, ending its operations as American Eagle.

In September 2020, Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Eagle, announced a permanent closure at its two New York City bases at LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, due to a new codeshare agreement between American Airlines and JetBlue.

On January 10, 2025, Air Wisconsin announced it was terminating CRJ-200 operations for American Eagle to pursue its own Essential Air Service operations. It is anticipated that American and Air Wisconsin will continue an interline and codeshare relationship with American.

Former operators

• In January 1988, Nashville Eagle became AMR Corp.’s first and only start-up airline, using equipment acquired from Air Midwest.<br />• Business Express was acquired by AMR Eagle Holdings Corporation in March 1999, although it never flew under the American Eagle brand before being fully integrated into American Eagle Airlines, Inc. in December 2000.

Historical regional jet fleet

The American Eagle brand, through its various regional and commuter airline partners, operated a variety of twinjet aircraft over the years including the following types:

Historical turboprop fleet

The American Eagle brand, through its various regional and commuter airline partners, operated a variety of twin-turboprop aircraft over the years including the following types:

Destinations

Accidents and incidents

  • May 8, 1987: American Eagle Flight 5452, operated by regional airline Executive Airlines, a CASA 212-200, was on a domestic passenger flight between San Juan, Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Puerto Rico when it crashed short of Runway 09 while landing at Mayaguez. After impact, the plane continued through a chain-link fence and ditch. Two of six occupants (four passengers and two crew) were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be improper maintenance in setting the flight idle propeller and engine fuel flow.
  • February 19, 1988: American Eagle Flight 3378, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner operated by Air Virginia, was on a regularly scheduled flight between Raleigh-Richmond when it crashed into a reservoir about a mile from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, from where it had departed, in the vicinity of Cary, North Carolina. The aircraft departed during low-ceiling, low-visibility, and night conditions. Analysis of radar data indicated the aircraft was in a 45-degree descending turn. Both crew members and all 10 passengers were killed.
  • June 7, 1992: American Eagle Flight 5456, operated by regional airline Executive Airlines, was on a regular flight between San Juan, Puerto Rico and Mayaguez, Puerto Rico when it lost control and crashed nose-down about 3/4 mile from the Mayaguez, Puerto Rico airport. Both crew and all three passengers were killed. The aircraft involved was a CASA 212-200.
  • February 1, 1994: American Eagle Flight 3641, a Saab 340 operated by Simmons Airlines, crash landed at False River Air Park in New Roads, Louisiana; only one minor injury was reported.
  • October 31, 1994: American Eagle Flight 4184, an ATR 72 operated by AMR's regional airline Simmons Airlines, crashed near Roselawn, Indiana. The aircraft inverted, dived, and crashed from a holding pattern at 10,000 feet (3050 m) "after a ridge of ice accreted beyond the deice boots" resulting in an unexpected aileron hinge moment reversal that subsequently resulted in the loss of control. The four crew and 64 passengers were all killed. In the months following the accident, American Eagle redeployed its ATR fleet to Miami and the Caribbean where icing is not an issue. The aircraft manufacturer, ATR, has since improved the anti-ice boots. The American Eagle aircraft were modified with the updated deicing system. All ATR 72s were retired from American Eagle's fleet in 2013.
  • December 13, 1994: American Eagle Flight 3379, operated by AMR's regional airline Flagship Airlines, a Jetstream 31, was on a regularly scheduled Raleigh-Greensboro-Raleigh service when it crashed into a wooded area about four miles southwest of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in the vicinity of Morrisville, NC. Of the 20 onboard (18 passengers and two crewmembers) 15 were killed while the five survivors received serious injuries. The probable cause of the crash was the pilot not following proper procedure in an engine-failure situation.
  • July 9, 1995: American Eagle Flight 4127, an ATR 72 operated by Simmons Airlines, experienced loss of the rear cabin entry door during its climb after taking off from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The cabin door opened shortly after the first officer began to pressurize the cabin; therefore, only a slight pressure differential existed between the cabin and atmospheric pressures. Lack of damage indicates the door was unlocked/unlatched when it opened. The airplane was one of fifteen aircraft equipped with a new handrail and door handle design different from the majority of the ATR 72 fleet. The old handle was pulled down to latch/lock the door and pushed up to unlatch/unlock the door. The direction of motion was reversed, requiring the handle to be pushed up to latch/lock the door, and pulled down to unlatch/unlock it. On July 10, 1995, a private citizen discovered the separated door submerged in approximately two feet of water in the Des Plaines River. In response to this incident, ATR developed a new door handle design that reinstated the original motion, where pushing up unlatches/unlocks the door, and pulling down latches/locks it.
  • May 8, 1999: American Eagle Flight 4925, a Saab 340B, registered N232AE, crashed on approach to JFK airport after being held in a holding pattern due to the visibility on the ground being below minimums. The flight descended too rapidly; however, because the flight crew were sleep deprived, they believed they were descending normally, even though there were cockpit alarms going off telling that they were not, in fact radar data revealed that they were descending at 2,950&nbsp;ft/min. Later, when the flight was over the runway, the pilot descended and touched down 7,000 feet past the touch down point, and even though they used full brakes and reverse thrust, the plane departed the runway at 75 knots and traveled 248 feet past the threshold before stopping. As a result, there was only one serious injury; everyone else was unharmed. The NTSB determined that pilot fatigue was a culprit in the accident.

References

External links