American Airlines could invest in new US carrier connect

New regional carrier Connect Airlines has a memorandum of understanding with a major US airline for a commercial partnership that, upon Connect closing its next round of fundraising, could turn into a significant equity investment. The name of the “major US airline” was not disclosed in a letter sent by the legal counsel for charter operator Waltzing Matilda Aviation, which owns Connect, to the Department of Transportation on August 4. But prior filings with the regulator for the airline’s certification have named American Airlines as Connect’s commercial partner once it begins revenue flights between Toronto’s downtown-adjacent Billy Bishop Airport and American’s Chicago and Philadelphia hubs. The potential investment was first reported by PaxEx.Aero. Waltzing Matilda CEO John Thomas declined to name the potential major U.S. airline investor, and noted that “it is not necessarily as previously filed as that was noted simply as an interline agreement.” An American spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry on the potential investment. The airline is the only major U.S. carrier without a partner on Canadian routes; Delta Air Lines codeshares with WestJet, and United Airlines has a joint venture with Air Canada.<br/>