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101-513: Air Wisconsin Airlines is a regional airline based at Appleton International Airport in the town of Greenville, Wisconsin near Appleton, Wisconsin . Air Wisconsin originally operated as one of the original United Express partners in 1985, and subsequently operated as US Airways Express on behalf of US Airways prior to becoming an American Eagle regional air carrier. Between March 2018 and April 2023, Air Wisconsin operated exclusively as

202-514: A United Express regional air carrier once again with primary hubs located at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). This came to an end in April 2023 as the carrier switched to conducting solely American Eagle branded flights, under a new contract with American Airlines . In 1963 investors from the Fox Cities raised $ 110,000 to start

303-499: A code sharing agreement with American until March 2018. On November 20, 2014, it was reported that Air Wisconsin was nearing an agreement with Delta Air Lines to fly as a Delta Connection carrier beginning in January 2015. Under the terms of the deal, 26 CRJ200 aircraft were to be transferred to Air Wisconsin from Endeavor Air . In January 2015, Air Wisconsin said that negotiations had ended and that it did not want to fly under

404-556: A $ 230 million federal fund was announced that will bring Amtrak service to the Quad Cities, with a new line running from Moline to Chicago. They hoped to have the line completed in 2015, and offer two round trips daily to Chicago. In December 2011, the federal government awarded $ 177 million in funding for the Amtrak connection. Budgetary and logistical issues have delayed the completion of all necessary track improvements, but

505-456: A 1983 article about PBA, Provincetown-Boston Airlines , both Air New England and Air Florida are described as regional airlines. At the time, Air New England was a recently-failed turboprop operator in the northeast USA, while Air Florida was a jet carrier flying from Florida to the northeast, to Latin America and Europe. The two airlines had little in common. As flag carriers grew to fill

606-590: A 7-digit number. This helps the bi-state area promote itself as a single community, "joined by a river". The Quad Cities Metropolitan Area consists of three counties: Scott County in Iowa , and Rock Island County and Henry County in Illinois . The Quad City metro population is 382,268. The Quad Cities Metropolitan Area is also considered part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis . According to

707-474: A community dating back to the 1830s when Iowa was a free territory . Many of the city's African-American residents have roots in the Southern/Border states of the U.S., including Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Missouri. The most significant Asian-American populations are South Asian and Vietnamese American . According to resources, Christianity is the largest religion to be practiced in

808-552: A feeder for AirTran Airways under the name AirTran JetConnect , but this relationship was discontinued in July 2004. Towards the end of the contract with United Airlines Air Wisconsin was unable to secure a long-term deal or extension to continue providing regional service for UAL. United failed to renew its contract with AWAC, allowing it to expire in April 2005, and the last flight under the United flag operated on April 16, 2006, using

909-424: A form of a virtual airline , with the regional airline paid to staff, operate and maintain aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed and sold by a partner mainline airline. This practice allows the mainline carrier to use outsourced labor at smaller stations, to reduce costs. In 2011, 61% of all advertised flights for American, Delta, United and US Airways were operated by their regional brands. This figure

1010-597: A large connecting hub located at Chicago's O'Hare Airport (ORD). By early 1986, the airline was serving sixteen airports with its British-manufactured jets with flights to Appleton, Bridgeport, Cedar Rapids, Iowa , Chicago–O'Hare, Flint, Michigan , Fort Wayne, Indiana , Grand Island, Green Bay, Wisconsin , Kalamazoo, Michigan , Lincoln, Nebraska , Moline, Illinois / Quad Cities , New Haven, South Bend, Indiana , Toledo, Ohio , Waterloo, Iowa , and Wausau / Stevens Point, Wisconsin , Oshkosh, Wisconsin , with other flights and destinations in its route system being served with

1111-531: A larger carrier, similar to their American counterparts. Some of these airlines and brands include: The trend of branding regional airlines to match the mainline airlines, has led to just three major sub-brands in the United States: American Eagle , Delta Connection and United Express . They are the post-deregulation survivors of the multiple bankruptcies and mergers of the major, legacy, mainline airlines. These regional brands are

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1212-521: A mainline or flagship airline's aircraft, while in actuality they are far from it. Sub-branding is pretty consistent throughout the airline industry of the United States, with all the regional airlines, mainline airlines, and the regional airline holding companies, as well as the mainline airlines holding companies participating. On Feb 12th, 2010, a year after the crash of Colgan flight 3407 , Frontline premiered its WGA Award-winning exposé on

1313-692: A merger. The Quad Cities is located at the confluence of the Rock and Mississippi rivers, approximately 140 miles (230 km) west of Chicago, and forms the largest metropolitan area along the Mississippi River between Minneapolis–Saint Paul and the St. Louis metropolitan area . Interstate 80 crosses the Mississippi River here. The Quad Cities area is distinctive because the Mississippi River flows from east to west as it passes through

1414-480: A new agreement with United Airlines to once again operate under the United Express banner upon the expiration of the airline's current agreement with American Eagle in 2018. Additionally, the new agreement with United would provide for the creation of a career pathway program whereby Air Wisconsin pilots would be offered the opportunity to move up to United upon meeting its hiring standards. In September 2021,

1515-426: A new airline. The airline was established as an independent commuter air carrier in 1965 and started operations on August 23, 1965, just one day after the brand new Outagamie County Regional Airport was opened using de Havilland Dove commuter aircraft configured with nine passenger seats. It was founded to connect Appleton with Chicago and initially had 17 employees and two de Havilland Dove aircraft. According to

1616-527: A new vision for regional mobility, based on services built out of small general aviation aircraft and VLJs (very light jets) with advanced automation. This vision failed to materialize due to its primary focus on rural mobility and a lack of clear and viable business case. With the introduction of air taxi services and very light jets , city pair links to smaller communities lacking regional connections could become more common. This opportunities could become commercially viable with advanced air mobility and

1717-413: A population estimate of 467,817 and a Combined Statistical Area (CSA) population of 474,019, making it the 90th-largest CSA in the nation. Before European settlers came to inhabit the Quad Cities, the confluence of rivers had attracted many varying cultures of indigenous peoples , who used the waterways and riverbanks for their settlements for thousands of years. At the time of European encounter, it

1818-495: A professional dinner theater in downtown Rock Island's historic Fort Theatre. Ballet is performed at Ballet Quad Cities . ComedySportz provides improv comedy . Bluebox Limited is a Bettendorf-based film production company, and many outside productions companies have filmed movies in the Quad Cities in recent years. Historic buildings and sites listed on state and the National Register of Historic Places interpret

1919-437: A series of finger-like rock projections protruding from either bank. These rapids were difficult for steamboats to traverse. As demand for river-based transportation increased along the upper Mississippi, the navigability of the river throughout the "Rock Island Rapids" became a greater concern. Over time, a minor industry grew up in the area to meet the steamboats' needs. Boat crews needed rest areas to stop before encountering

2020-408: A strong entrepreneurial sector of independents. They are based on business models ranging from the traditional full service airline to low cost carriers . Innovations include one where the passenger is required to join a membership club before being allowed to fly. Some examples of European regional airlines include: India has many regional carriers operating currently. Some of these operate under

2121-666: Is about 500–600, which is down from about 1,800–2,000 in the 1950s and 1960s. The Quad Cities metropolitan area , more formally known as the Davenport–Moline–Rock Island Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ), is the metropolitan area associated with the Quad Cities in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois . The Davenport–Moline–Rock Island MSA consists of four counties – Scott County in Iowa and Henry , Mercer , and Rock Island counties in Illinois – and had an estimated population of 384,324 as of 2020. The Quad Cities metropolitan area

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2222-561: Is also considered part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis , and is the largest metropolitan area along the Mississippi River in Iowa and between Minneapolis–Saint Paul and the St. Louis metropolitan area . According to Quad Cities website, the top employers in the Quad Cities area are: Since 1916, the region has supported the Quad City Symphony Orchestra , which presents a year-round schedule of concerts at

2323-673: Is common in the U.S. to incorrectly associate aircraft size with the Department of Transportation's designation of major, national, and regional airline. The only corollary is the Regional Airline Association, an industry trade group, defines "regional airlines" generally as "...operat(ing) short and medium haul scheduled airline service connecting smaller communities with larger cities and connecting hubs. The airlines' fleet primarily consists of 19 to 68 seat turboprops and 30 to 100 seat regional jets." To be clear there

2424-500: Is fully owned by American Airlines Group and does business as American Eagle . Many of these large regional airlines have joined the lobbying group Regional Airline Association . This association lobbies purely for the financial interest of the corporate bodies it constitutes, not the employees of those airlines. In Canada there are a number of regional airlines. Some of them focus on Canadian Arctic and First Nations communities, while others operate regional flights on behalf of

2525-845: Is marketed as a regional alternative to the larger airports in Chicago, nearly 200 miles (320 km) away. The smaller Davenport Municipal Airport is the home of the Quad City Air Show. From 1907 to 1926, Rock Island was home to the NFL's Rock Island Independents . The franchise was a charter member on the National Football League (NFL) in 1920. The first NFL Game ever was played by the Independents at Douglas Park in September 1920. Football legend Jim Thorpe

2626-428: Is no distinction in the Department of Transportation definition of major, national and regional airlines by aircraft size. The definition is based on revenue. The clash of definitions has led to confusion in the media and the public. Beginning around 1985, a number of trends have become apparent. Regional aircraft are getting larger, faster, and are flying longer ranges. Additionally, the vast majority of regionals within

2727-543: Is the largest employer today in the Quad Cities. The first railroad bridge built across the Mississippi River connected Davenport and Rock Island in 1856. It was built by the Rock Island Railroad Company , and replaced the slow seasonal ferry service and winter ice bridges as the primary modes of transportation across the river. Steamboaters saw the nationwide railroads as a threat to their business. On May 6, 1856, just weeks after completion of

2828-422: The 2010 United States Census Count, the metropolitan area grew to 471,551. As of the 2000 census, a total of 96,495 households and 60,535 families resided in the area. The racial makeup of the area is 90.6% White (410,861), 3.7% Black or African American (27,757), 0.6% American Indian and Alaskan Native (1,255), 1.0% Asian (6,624), 0.03% Pacific Islander (156), and 2.0% from two or more races (11,929). 7.1% of

2929-687: The Civil Aeronautics Board from 1943 to 1950 include: A history and study of regional airlines was published by the Smithsonian Institution Press in 1994 under the title Commuter Airlines of the United States , by R.E.G. Davies and I. E. Quastler . Since the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, the US federal government has continued support of the regional airline sector to ensure many of

3030-483: The Civil War , the region began to gain a common identity. The river towns that were thoughtfully planned and competently led flourished, while other settlements, usually get-rich-quick schemes for speculators, failed to pan out. By World War I , the towns of Davenport, Rock Island, and Moline had begun to style themselves as the "Tri-Cities", a cluster of three more-or-less equally-sized river communities growing around

3131-506: The Envoy Air ERJ 145s that will be transferred over to Piedmont Airlines . The airline also plans to utilize some CRJ700s. This ended their partnership with United Airlines . Air Wisconsin operates as American Eagle and serves 53 destinations with nearly 350 flights per day, transporting nearly six million passengers on an annual basis. Operating as American Eagle, Air Wisconsin pilots and flight attendants have crew domiciles at

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3232-466: The Mississippi River , while Illinois Route 84 runs along the east side of Rock Island County . Illinois Route 192 connects Highway 92 with Illinois Route 94 near Taylor Ridge . The Chicago – Kansas City Expressway also serves the area along Interstates 74, 80, and 88. There are three transit operators in the Quad Cities with limited interconnection between them. Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District ( Quad Cities MetroLINK ) serves

3333-680: The Quad Cities River Bandits are High Class A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals The PGA Tour makes an annual stop in the Quad Cities. The golf tournament is currently known as the John Deere Classic . It has drawn dozens of top PGA players over the years, including Tiger Woods , Vijay Singh , and Payne Stewart . The Quad Cities Marathon has run annually in late September since 1998. Roughly 400-500 participants race through

3434-410: The aircraft livery for the company they are operating flights for. These airlines can be subsidiaries of the major airline or fly under a code sharing agreement or operating through capacity purchase agreements, with the mainline parent company financing the aircraft for the regional airline, and then placing the aircraft with the regional for very little cost. An example would be Envoy Air , which

3535-425: The 19 passenger Embraer/FMA CBA 123 Vector and the 34 seat Dornier 328 were undertaken, but met little financial success, partly due to economic downturn in the airline industry resulting from the outbreak of hostilities when Iraq invaded Kuwait . Many of the regional airlines operating turboprop equipment such as Delta 's regional sister Comair airlines in the United States set the course for bypassing entirely

3636-461: The 1970s. In 1987, Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Milan, Carbon Cliff, Hampton, Coal Valley and Silvis considered a super-city merger which would have seen the Illinois cities become the second-largest city in the state, but the proposal ultimately failed. Moline and East Moline considered a merger in 1997. That same year, Green Rock and Colona did merge. Bettendorf and Riverdale also considered

3737-704: The 1992–93 season, the Thunder played at Wharton Field House in Moline. Starting with the 1993–94 season, the team played at The MARK of the Quad Cities (now the Vibrant Arena at The MARK ). After the CBA folded in 2001, the Thunder franchise ceased operations permanently. Vibrant Arena at The MARK occasionally hosts NCAA Division I college basketball conference tournaments as well as NBA and NHL exhibitions. The Quad Cities has hosted minor league baseball teams since

3838-622: The Adler Theatre in Davenport and Centennial Hall in Rock Island. The Handel Oratorio Society, dating to 1880, is the second-oldest organization of its kind in the nation and presents annual performances of "Messiah" along with another major work for choir and orchestra. The Augustana Choir, founded at Rock Island's Augustana College in 1934, is one of the nation's leading collegiate choruses. Major outdoor summer music festivals include

3939-545: The August 23, 1965, Air Wisconsin timetable, the airline was flying one route between Appleton and Chicago–O'Hare with four round trips on weekdays and two round trips on Saturdays and Sundays operated with the British-manufactured Dove twin prop aircraft. By the mid 1970s, Air Wisconsin was flying two small commuter turboprop airliner types, the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 and Fairchild Metroliner , and

4040-639: The BAe 146. During 2005 AWAC invested $ 175 million U.S. into US Airways for their bankruptcy exit financing in exchange for a long-term contract operating as US Airways Express . In 2005 AWAC began operating all of its CRJ200 regional jets as a US Airways Express carrier with flight crew bases located in Philadelphia, New York LaGuardia, Washington Reagan National, and Norfolk, Virginia. US Airways has since merged with American Airlines , and Air Wisconsin operated as an American Eagle regional air carrier via

4141-543: The BAe 146–300, which is the largest member of the BAe 146 family of jet aircraft. United Airlines sold Air Wisconsin and the BAe 146 fleet to CJT Holdings in 1993. Air Wisconsin was then renamed Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation (AWAC) as UAL retained the rights to the Air Wisconsin name and logo. During the ski seasons, Air Wisconsin was operating BAe 146 jet shuttle service as United Express on

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4242-526: The Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, and River Roots Live. The Quad Cities' three traditional community theaters – Playcrafters Barn Theatre (founded in 1920, comedies and dramas) and Quad City Music Guild (1948, musicals) in Moline, and Genesius guild (1957, outdoor Shakespeare and Greek comedies and tragedies) in Rock Island – were joined in 1976 by Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse,

4343-876: The Blackhawks during their first NBA season. After the 1950–51 basketball season, the team moved to Milwaukee , where they were named the Hawks. After a second move to St. Louis , the team is now the Atlanta Hawks . Professional basketball returned to the Quad Cities during the 1980s and 1990s with the Quad City Thunder of the Continental Basketball Association . The CBA served as the NBA's premier developmental league and produced many highly regarded NBA stars. From 1987 through

4444-632: The Canadian-manufactured four engine Dash 7 turboprop. Air Wisconsin pioneered the concept of code sharing on behalf of United Airlines when the carrier began operating as United Express on May 1, 1985. As an independent air carrier prior to its business agreement with United to provide passenger feed, Air Wisconsin rapidly became the nation's largest regional airline in the 1980s. On May 17, 1985, it merged with Mississippi Valley Airlines (MVA) and continued to fly as United Express, operated by Air Wisconsin. By late 1989 Air Wisconsin

4545-562: The Davenport Brown Stockings first played in 1878. The Rock Island Islanders and Moline Plowboys each fielded teams for many seasons. The Islanders began play in 1901 and played primarily at Douglas Park . The Plowboys were founded in 1914. Their home was Browning Field . The Davenport franchise has been a member of the Midwest League since 1960. They have played at Modern Woodmen Park since 1931. Today,

4646-488: The Delta Connection brand. In 2016, it was announced that Air Wisconsin would close all of its ground handling operations in all cities served by the air carrier primarily due to the formation of a wholly-owned subsidiary of United called United Ground Express. This would leave only three American Eagle ground handling cities served, which the airline deemed uneconomical. On March 1, 2017, Air Wisconsin announced

4747-404: The Illinois cities of Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Milan, Silvis, Carbon Cliff, Hampton and Colona. It has 12 routes and a fleet of about 52 buses. It operates a river craft during summer months. In Iowa, Davenport Citibus has 10 fixed routes and operates 20 buses, seven days a week and Bettendorf Transit operates three routes, Monday–Saturday, and has eight buses. Intercity bus service to

4848-939: The Mississippi Valley Fair that is held in Davenport served as the film location for Rodney Atkins ' music video " Just Wanna Rock N' Roll ". Also in 2012, the PBS Frontline documentary Poor Kids was filmed in and around the Quad Cities showing poverty from a child's perspective. Four interstate highways serve the Quad Cities: Interstate 80 , Interstate 280 , Interstate 74 serve both states while Interstate 88 serves just Illinois. United States highways include U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 67 which run through both Iowa and Illinois, while U.S. Route 61 serves just Iowa and U.S. Route 150 serves just Illinois. A total of five bridges accessible by automobiles connect Iowa with Illinois in

4949-674: The Quad Cities across the Mississippi River . The Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge carries Interstate 80 and connects Le Claire, Iowa , with Rapids City, Illinois . Continuing downstream, the I-74 Bridge connects Bettendorf, Iowa , with Moline, Illinois , and is the busiest bridge with an average of 70,400 cars a day. The Government Bridge connects Downtown Davenport with the Rock Island Arsenal . Three bridges connect Davenport with Rock Island, Illinois ; The Rock Island Centennial Bridge , The Crescent Rail Bridge , and

5050-478: The Quad Cities is provided by Burlington Trailways and Greyhound Lines . Amtrak currently does not serve the Quad Cities. The closest station is about 50 miles (80 km) away in Galesburg, Illinois . In 2008, United States Senators Tom Harkin , Chuck Grassley , Dick Durbin , and Barack Obama sent a letter to Amtrak asking them to begin plans to bring rail service to the Quad Cities. In October 2010,

5151-459: The Quad Cities. Factories which closed included International Harvester ( Navistar ) in Rock Island and Case IH in Bettendorf. Moline-based John Deere cut its labor headcount by one half. Later in the 1980s, Caterpillar Inc. closed its factories at Mount Joy and Bettendorf. Since the 1990s, the Quad Cities governments, businesses, non-profits and residents have worked hard to redevelop

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5252-415: The United States in exchange for a much smaller reservation elsewhere. Black Hawk State Historic Site in Rock Island preserves part of historic Saukenuk and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The history of urban settlements in the Quad Cities was stimulated by riverboat traffic. For 14 miles (23 km) between LeClaire, Iowa , and Rock Island, the Mississippi River flowed across

5353-606: The United States with more than ten aircraft within their fleet, have lost their individual identities and now serve only as feeders, to Alaska Airlines , American Airlines , Delta Air Lines , or United Airlines major hubs. Regional aircraft in the US have been getting slightly more comfortable with the addition of better ergonomically designed aircraft cabins , and the addition of varying travel classes aboard these aircraft. From small, less than 50-seat "single-class cabin" turboprop , to turbofan regional jet equipment, present day regional airlines provide aircraft such as

5454-429: The United States, are: Mainline carrier-owned Independent contractors The evolution and chronological history of the commuter side of the regional airline industry can be defined by a number of dates prior to the end of the era of airline regulation by the Civil Aeronautics Board of the United States. Among these significant dates are: List of Commuter Airlines in 1977 Prior to Airline Deregulation: Some of

5555-410: The United States, many enterprising industrialists looked to the Mississippi River as a promising source of water power. The combination of energy and easy access to river transportation attracted entrepreneurs and industrialists to the Quad Cities for development. In 1848, John Deere moved his plough business to Moline. His business was incorporated as Deere & Company in 1868. Deere & Company

5656-404: The airline hub. Initially these tie ups tended to use small 15 -19 seat aircraft, which did not have a reputation of passenger comfort, or safe reliable operations, by small often under capitalized tiny airline operators. To create a common tie and what appeared to be seamless to the air traveler, major carriers marketed in advertising and soon had much smaller airlines paint their small and what

5757-598: The airline is the only reasonable link to a larger town. Examples of this are PenAir , which links the remote Aleutian Islands to Anchorage, Alaska , and Mokulele Airlines , which operates in the Hawaiian islands. As an affiliated airline , contracting with a major airline , operating under their brand name (for example, Endeavor Air operates flights under the Delta Connection brand name for Delta Air Lines ), and filling two roles: delivering passengers to

5858-510: The area. However, the two states have a different population of Christian groups. In Davenport and Bettendorf, Catholics make up an 18.5% plurality, but Protestants with 15.1% Mainline and 11.6% Evangelical make up large minorities as well. The Black Protestants on the Iowa side comes in at 1.2%. On the Illinois side, between Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline, Catholicism is less prevalent at 12.4%, and at 12.5% Evangelical and 11.0% Mainline have smaller declines. The Jewish population

5959-689: The bridge, an angry steamboater crashed the Effie Afton into it. John Hurd, the owner of the Effie Afton , filed a lawsuit against the Rock Island Railroad Company. The Rock Island Railroad Company selected Abraham Lincoln as their trial lawyer and won after he took the case to the US Supreme Court . Expert riverboat pilot Phillip Suiter was one of his witnesses. It was a pivotal trial in Lincoln's career. After

6060-437: The capability of "far and wide" air travel among the traveling public. "Regional airline" is a flexible term whose meaning has changed substantially over time. What it means today is different than how it has been used in the past. For instance, in the United States, around 1960, the term “regional carrier” denoted the smaller eight of the 12 largest carriers, then known as trunk carriers (or trunk airlines or simply trunks). At

6161-494: The company announced that they had signed a lease for at least 1 Bombardier CRJ200SF (converted cargo aircraft) set to enter service from December 2021. The aircraft was never delivered and the cargo program has most likely been canceled. On August 22, 2022, Air Wisconsin announced a five-year contract to operate up to 60 CRJ200s for American Eagle , starting in March of 2023. These aircraft are based at Chicago-O'Hare, to fill in for

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6262-534: The demand of long-range passenger traffic, new and small airlines found niches flying between short and under-served routes to-and-from major airports and more rural destinations. Through the 1960s and 1970s, war surplus designs (notably, the Douglas DC-3 ) were replaced by higher-performance turboprop or jet -powered designs like the Fokker F27 Friendship and BAC One-Eleven . This extended

6363-656: The following locations: Air Wisconsin also contracts aircraft maintenance-heavy checks at a facility in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (OKC). Past heavy check maintenance was conducted in Montreal, Canada, and Hot Springs, Arkansas (HOT). Air Wisconsin's primary aircraft painting is located in Fort Worth, Texas – Meacham International (FTW). Regional airline Decades before the advent of jet airliners and high-speed, long-range air service, commercial aviation

6464-458: The following locations: The Air Wisconsin fleet comprises the following aircraft (as of January 2024): In 2016, the airline retired four CRJ200 regional jets that had met their structural time limit and sent them to Tupelo Regional Airport (TUP) in Tupelo, Mississippi. The following aircraft types were formerly operated by Air Wisconsin: Air Wisconsin performs CRJ maintenance activities at

6565-484: The former Aspen Airways route between Aspen, Colorado , and Denver with at least fourteen daily nonstop flights in each direction. In February 1998 AWAC acquired the assets of Mountain Air Express including Dornier 328 turboprop aircraft which were used to expand United Express service in the west. In the fall of 2003 AWAC acquired ten Bombardier CRJ jet aircraft from bankrupt Midway Airlines and became

6666-497: The furthest downstream bridge, the Sergeant John F. Baker, Jr. Bridge which carries I-280. Several state highways also serve the area. Iowa Highway 22 is on Davenport's southwest side and runs west through the county, while Iowa Highway 130 runs along Northwest Boulevard on Davenport's north edge. Illinois Route 5 (John Deere Road) runs from Rock Island east till it runs into Interstate 88. Illinois Route 92 runs along

6767-553: The government's UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme) . Note:- Alliance Air is still a state-owned airline, whereas Air India is private. Australia has an association for regional airline, the Regional Aviation of Australia. More than 2 million passengers and 23 million kg of cargo are involved each year. Post airline deregulation, airlines sought added market share and to do this they sought partnerships with regional and small airlines to feed traffic into

6868-417: The heart of the area; the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf are located due north of Rock Island and Moline, respectively. The Quad Cities area is one where the telephone companies cooperate with regional phone calls. Iowa and Illinois have different area codes ( 563 and 309 ), yet most calls originating and terminating within the core urban area are placed without long-distance charges by dialing just

6969-416: The higher capacity CRJ700 , CRJ900 , CRJ1000 series of aircraft and the somewhat larger fuselage Embraer E-Jets . Some of these newer aircraft are capable of flying longer distances with comfort levels that rival and surpass the regional airline equipment of the past. In the early 1990s, much more advanced turboprop-powered, fuel efficient, and passenger friendly DC-3 type replacement projects such as

7070-427: The history of people's settlement and lives in the area. The Quad Cities is the 151st largest radio market in the United States. It is ranked 97th by Nielsen Media Research for the 2008–09 television season with 309,600 television households. The area is served by over 13 commercial radio stations, 8 non-commercial radio stations, 3 low power FM radio stations, 8 TV stations and 3 daily newspapers. In 2012,

7171-532: The industry entitled "Flying Cheap". In the program, reporter Miles O'Brien questioned how the impact of low salaries are having on pilot psyches and how safe this could be for the flying public. When asked to respond to the question, Roger Cohen, president of the Regional Airline Association, told Frontline that, "...there are many other people who earn less money than that and work more days in these communities that can afford it and do it and do it responsibly." The Small Aircraft Transportation System outlined

7272-461: The introduction of electric aircraft. In some parts of the world, regional airlines face competition from high-speed rail and also coach (bus) services with airlines sometimes replacing feeder services through air rail alliances and contracts with bus companies (e.g., Landline between Philadelphia International Airport and Atlantic City International Airport ). In North America , regional airlines are operated primarily to bring passengers to

7373-509: The lack of distinction among carriers soon began to change with the 1929 launch of Transcontinental Air Transport (T-A-T) in the United States. T-A-T's transcontinental "Lindbergh Line" became America's first contiguous coast-to-coast air service, and it ushered in a new era of major airlines expanding to operate networks with large footprints. The development of long-range aircraft operated by flag carriers like British Overseas Airways Corporation and Trans-Canada Airlines further normalized

7474-635: The lesser known smaller brands used by the regional airlines and their parent companies were: European regional airlines serve the intra-continental sector in Europe . They connect cities to major airports and to other cities, avoiding the need for passengers to make transfers. For example, BA CityFlyer a regional subsidiary of British Airways uses the basic Chatham Dockyard Union Flag livery of its parent company and flies between domestic and European cities. Some of Europe's regional airlines are subsidiaries of national air carriers, though there remains

7575-679: The livery of Air France . NLM 's KLM style branding does however pre-date the Air France efforts though by a number of years. The success of the "rebranding" or "pseudo branding" of a much smaller airline into the name recognition of a much larger one soon became clear as passenger numbers soared at Air Alpes, and it was soon decided to paint other aircraft such as the Fokker F-27 into full Air France colours as well. Many airline passengers find sub-branding very confusing, while many other airline passengers are content to think they are on

7676-680: The mainline airline's sub-brand livery. For example, United Express regional airline partner CommutAir branded its entire fleet as United Express. On the other hand, regional airline Gulfstream International Airlines did not brand their aircraft. When Colgan Air was still operating, they branded a handful of aircraft as Colgan Air, but most were branded as Continental Connection , US Airways Express or United Express , with whom it had contractual agreements. 21st century regional airlines are commonly organized in one of two ways. Operating as an independent airline under their own brand, mostly providing service to small and isolated towns, for whom

7777-410: The mainline airlines, in terms of revenue, many would be designated major airline carrier status based on the only actual definition of "major airline," in the United States, the definition from the U.S. Department of Transportation. This definition is based solely on annual revenue and not on any other criterion such as average aircraft seating capacity, pilot pay, or number of aircraft in the fleet. It

7878-439: The major airline's hubs from surrounding towns, and increasing frequency of service on mainline routes during times when demand does not warrant use of large aircraft, known as commuter flights . One of the first independently owned and managed airlines in the world that rebranded its aircraft to match a larger airline's brand was Air Alpes of France. During 1974, Air Alpes painted its newly delivered short range regional jets in

7979-572: The major airlines. Quad Cities The Quad Cities is a region of cities (originally four, see History ) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois : Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island , Moline and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are the center of the Quad Cities metropolitan area , a region within the Mississippi River Valley , which as of 2023 had

8080-501: The major hubs, where they will connect for longer-distance flights on the national airlines also known as flagship carriers . The smallest regional carriers have become known as feeder airlines. The separate corporate structure allows the company to operate under different pay schedules, typically paying much less than their mainline owners. Many large North American airlines, have established operational relationships with one or more regional airline companies. Their aircraft often use

8181-446: The nicknames "Air Willy" and "Rag Tag" and more recently "Air Wis" and "Air Wisky". By 1985, Air Wisconsin had become a large independent regional air carrier operating BAe 146-200 and British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven jets as well as de Havilland Canada Dash 7 turboprops with flights as far west as Grand Island, Nebraska , and Minneapolis / Saint Paul , and as far east as Bridgeport and New Haven, Connecticut , with

8282-447: The opening of an Alcoa (now Arconic ) plant east of Davenport in 1948, the town of Bettendorf underwent so much growth that many people in the community discussed the adoption of the name "Quint Cities", But by this time, the name "Quad Cities" had become known well beyond the area, and "Quint Cities" never caught on, despite the efforts of WOC-TV (now KWQC-TV ) and others. Consequently, when Bettendorf passed East Moline in size, there

8383-406: The population is Hispanic or Latino of any race (37,070). The predominant ethnicities in the Quad Cities are of northern European descent, including German , Irish , and English , as well Scandinavian (Mostly Swedish and Norwegian ) and Dutch . The primary minority groups in the area are African-Americans , which in Davenport make up the third largest black population in the state of Iowa,

8484-691: The project is still in development. The multi-modal Moline Q Station building was completed in early 2018, with the attached Westin Element hotel opening in February. When the full project is completed, it will establish passenger rail through the Quad Cities, for the first time since the 1970s. The Quad Cities is served by the Quad Cities International Airport , Illinois' third-busiest airport, located in Moline . The airport

8585-494: The range of the regionals dramatically, causing a wave of consolidations between the now overlapping airlines. In the United States, regional airlines were an important building block of today's passenger air system. The U.S. Government encouraged the forming of regional airlines to provide services from smaller communities to larger towns, where air passengers could connect to a larger network. The original regional airlines (then known as " Local service carriers ") sanctioned by

8686-500: The rapids, places to hire expert pilots such as Phillip Suiter, who was the first licensed pilot on the upper Mississippi River, to guide the boat through the rocky waters, or, when the water was low, places where goods could be removed and transported by wagon on land past the rapids. Today, the rocks are submerged six feet underwater by a lake formed by two locks and dams. As the Industrial Revolution developed in

8787-436: The region. They have achieved national attention for their accomplishments. Examples of revitalization and rebirth include: Over the years, several communities in the Quad Cities region have proposed or performed mergers. As it grew, Davenport annexed the communities of Rockingham, Nahant, Probstei, East Davenport, Oakdale, Cawiezeel, Blackhawk, Mt. Joy, Green Tree, and others. Bettendorf annexed portions of Pleasant Valley in

8888-904: The regional turboprops as they became the first to transition to an all-jet regional jet fleet. To a lesser extent in Europe and the United Kingdom this transition, to notably the Embraer or Canadair designs, was well advanced by the late 1990s. This evolution towards jet equipment, brought the independent regional airlines into direct competition with the major airlines, forcing additional consolidation. To improve on their market penetration, larger airline holding companies rely on operators of smaller aircraft to provide service or added frequency service to some airports. Such airlines, often operating in code-share arrangements with mainline airlines, often completely repaint [1] their aircraft fleet in

8989-499: The small bend of the Mississippi River where it flows west. But with the growth of Rock Island County , during the 1930s the term "Quad Cities" came into vogue, as East Moline was given "equal status". Despite the fact that the region had earned the name "Quad Cities", the National Basketball Association had a franchise in Moline, Illinois, from 1946 to 1951 called the " Tri-Cities Blackhawks ". Then, with

9090-471: The smaller and more isolated rural communities remain connected to air services. This is encouraged with the Essential Air Service program that subsidizes airline service to smaller U.S. communities and suburban centers, aiming to maintain year-round service. Although regional airlines in the United States are often viewed as small, not particularly lucrative "no name" subsidiaries of

9191-478: The time the four biggest airlines in the United States were known as the Big Four, comprising American , United , TWA and Eastern Air Lines . The other eight trunk carriers were Braniff , Capital , Continental , Delta , National , Northeast , Northwest and Western . Since, at the time, none of these eight had a network approaching the scale of the Big Four, they were known as the regional carriers. This

9292-695: Was a home and principal trading place of the Sauk and Fox tribes of Native Americans. Saukenuk was the principal village of the Sauk tribe and birthplace of its 19th-century war chief , Black Hawk . In 1832, Sauk chief Keokuk and General Winfield Scott signed a treaty in Davenport after the US defeated the Sauk and their allies in the Black Hawk War . The treaty resulted in the Native Americans ceding 6 million acres (24,000 km ) of land to

9393-559: Was a member of the team in 1924. The Tri-Cities Blackhawks , named in honor of the Sauk war chief Black Hawk , was the next top-level professional sports franchise. The club played in the National Basketball League (NBL) from 1946 until its merger in 1949 with the Basketball Association of America to become the National Basketball Association (NBA). Hall of famer Red Auerbach coached

9494-409: Was despite the existence, at the time, of 13 smaller United States scheduled carriers known as local service carriers whose service was arguably far more regional than the “regional” trunks. So when reading historical sources, it’s important to understand that the term "regional airline" has migrated greatly over time. Sometimes the term has been stretched beyond the point of utility. For instance, in

9595-481: Was itself bought by United Airlines a year later. During the 1990s, Air Wisconsin operated British Aerospace (BAe) ATP turboprop aircraft as well as BAe 146-100 , BAe 146-200 , and BAe 146-300 jet aircraft on United Express services. These were all large aircraft types when compared to other regional aircraft in operation at the time. Air Wisconsin was the only U.S. operator of the BAe ATP turboprop and also

9696-401: Was often described as puddle-jumper aircraft, in the image and branding colors of the much larger mainline partner. This was to give the appearance of reliability. Over time these regional aircraft grew in size as airline hubs expanded and competition dwindled among the major carriers. Below is a list of many of the regional brands that evolved when regional airlines were advertised to look like

9797-592: Was only 40% in 2000. The formerly small regional airlines have grown substantially, through mergers or by the use of a holding company, as pioneered by AMR Corporation in 1982. AMR created the AMR Eagle Holding Corporation which unified its wholly owned American Eagle Airlines and Executive Airlines under one division, but still maintained the regional airlines' operating certificates and personnel separate from each other and American Airlines . The most significant regional airlines in

9898-977: Was operating United Express code share service from two United hubs: Chicago–O'Hare (ORD) and Washington–Dulles (IAD). According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG) at this time, United Express flights were operated with BAe 146-200 jets and Fokker F27 turboprops nonstop to Chicago–O'Hare from Akron / Canton, Ohio , Appleton, Cedar Rapids, Champaign, Illinois , Fort Wayne, Green Bay, Kalamazoo, La Crosse, Wisconsin , Lansing, Michigan , Lexington, Kentucky , Moline/Quad Cities, Oshkosh, Wisconsin , Peoria, Illinois , Roanoke, Virginia , South Bend, Toledo, and Wausau, and with BAe 146-200 jets and Short 360 turboprops nonstop to Washington Dulles from Charleston, West Virginia , Charlottesville, Virginia , and Richmond, Virginia , as well as Harrisburg , Reading , and State College, Pennsylvania . In 1990 Air Wisconsin acquired Denver-based Aspen Airways and

9999-890: Was operating a small hub at Chicago's O'Hare Airport with service primarily to destinations in Indiana , Michigan , and Wisconsin as well as to Minneapolis / Saint Paul from several small cities in Wisconsin. In September 1978 the airline was certified by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) as a regional air carrier (Air Wisconsin previously had commuter air carrier status with the CAB). In October 1978 it had over $ 10 million in assets. Joining Air Wisconsin in 1965 as traffic manager and eventually becoming president, Preston H. Wilbourne's leadership oversaw Air Wisconsin grow to an airline serving 29 cities in an eleven state area with 32 aircraft boarding over 10,000 passengers daily. Air Wisconsin gained

10100-513: Was some debate about whether Bettendorf had "displaced" East Moline. Instead, local officials, such as the Chamber of Commerce, have chosen an inclusive approach, maintaining the name "Quad Cities" yet including all five cities. Beginning in the late 1970s, economic conditions caused major industrial restructuring, which disrupted the basis of the region's economy. The major companies, agricultural manufacturers, ceased or scaled back operations in

10201-527: Was structured similarly to rail transport networks. In this era, technological limitations on air navigation and propeller-driven aircraft performance imposed strict constraints on the potential length of each flight; some routes covered less than 100 miles (160 km). As such, airlines structured their services along point-to-point routes with many stops between the originating and terminating air terminals. This system of air transportation effectively forced most airlines to be "regional" in nature, but

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