US regional carrier ExpressJet plans comeback

ExpressJet Airlines, a US regional carrier that ceased operations in September, has requested to resume scheduled service under its own brand. In a filing with the DOT on 15 April, the Atlanta-based carrier says it plans to fly point-to-point routes to underserved cities that have lost air service ”as a result of US airline industry consolidation and Covid-19-driven route reductions”. ExpressJet’s fleet includes a single leased Embraer ERJ-145 with tail number N844HK, a 17-year-old airframe with 50 seats that is currently in storage, according to Cirium fleets data. It plans to expand to 10 of the type in the next 12 months, the filing says. ”ExpressJet intends to resume operations… as an independent carrier at small and mid-size communities, initially on routes with an average stage length of approximately 540 miles using EMB145 aircraft in a single-class configuration,” the airline writes. The carrier expects to spend $60.4m in its first year of operations, beginning in May. It anticipates carrying 400,000 passengers during that year, and ramping up to 261 employees. ExpressJet aims to operate 1,500 flights monthly by April 2022.<br/>