ExpressJet Airlines plots a return to the skies

ExpressJet Airlines has updated its website and is stating that the airline is working on a comeback and plans for 2021 and beyond "to provide high-quality, reliable, efficient point-to-point flying to small and medium sized cities that have lost service in recent years as a result of U.S. airline industry consolidation and COVID-19 driven route reductions".

The airline, which was founded in 1986 and launched a year later as Continental Express. In 1996 it was rebranded to ExpressJet (but continued to operate as Continental Express) and became an independent airline in 2002. Since then the carrier has served as a so-called production carrier for mainline airlines in the US. In 2010 the company acquired SkyWest-subsidiary Atlantic Southeast Airlines and both company merged under the ExpressJet-brand.

Over the years, ExpressJet flew for many airlines like American Eagle, Delta Connection, Frontier Airlines and lastly for United Express. In it's history, the airline operated 540 different aircraft; 31 ATR42s, one CRJ100, 113 CRJ200s, 53 CRJ700s, 28 CRJ900s, 30 ERJ135s, 259 ERJ145s and 25 E175s.

When United Airlines decided to consolidate all their ERJ145s with one airline, CommutAir, in 2020, ExpressJet operated 127 ERJ145s for them. Operations, however, shrunk quickly due to the Corona-pandemic and on 30 September, ExpressJet's last day of operations their fleet consisted of "just" 84 ERJ145s.

ExpressJet wants to restart flights with the ERJ145 and it currently owns N12135, which is at the moment parked at Houston-International (TX), still in United Express-livery. According to its website, the airline is also still certified to operate the CRJ200/700/900, the ERJ135 and the E170/E175/E190.